How to Add/Remove Startup Programs on Windows 10

If you already know how to control startup programs by enabling and disabling them, there are also ways to add startup programs and completely removing them as well. You can choose whether to do it for a single user or for all users too. We do not usually get to see where the storage place for startup items is. You can access it either through the unique folder for startup programs or through the system Registry.

In Windows 10 it is quite easy to add or remove Startup Apps directly from the Startup folder.

Option 1: Directly adding and removing apps to the Startup Folder

Here is how to do it from the Startup folder:

Go to “Run”. You do this by pressing Windows + R on your keyboard. There are several other methods to access the Run utility as well; but this is the quickest and most popular.

On the resulting window, type “shell: Startup”. This is a designated command that will directly take you to the Startup folder. If interested you can note down the directory (C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup).

Now that you have located the startup folder, it is time to deploy the programs that you need to be among startup items. There are two ways to do this. Copy and paste the shortcut of the program that you want to be added onto the Startup folder. The shortcuts are usually on your desktop so this is very simple. In case you do not want to go back to the desktop every time to check for the program shortcuts, right click on an empty space in the Startup folder. On the resulting menu, navigate downwards and click on “New” and then select “Shortcut”. A window will immediately appear. If you know the directory for the program you need, type its location in the text box. Otherwise, just click on browse.

Locate the program file for the desired startup program or app and double click on it. Press NEXT. When asked to rename the shortcut you can opt to give it a preferred name or just go on with the preset name. When you boot your PC next time, the programs and apps loaded in the Startup folder will be deployed automatically.

This short animation shows how i added Google Chrome to the startup items, as i need it to open automatically when the computer starts up.

Removing the applications from Startup in Windows 10 is equally simple. Just navigate to the Startup folder as described above and delete the shortcuts of the programs you want to remove.

Option 2: Adding and removing programs to Startup folder via Registry (Advanced Users)

NOTE: Going to the registry is a bit technical. If you are not very familiar with the workings of the system registry it is advisable not to use this method. At the very least edit system registry settings under the supervision of proficient computer users or administrators.

Here is how toad and remove programs to the Startup folder via the registry:

Like in Option 1, go to “Run”. Use any method that you prefer.

Type “regedit” in the Run window and press ENTER. On the window that appears, navigate to this key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. You can easily identify these entries on the left hand side of the registry editor. Just keep unfolding on each entry/subfolder until you reach “Run”.

All startup programs will be listed on the right hand side of the Registry editor.

To remove an item from Startup, just right – click on the corresponding identity and then click DELETE.

To add a startup entry, all you need to do is make a new string value and you can name it anything you want. Once more, navigate to “Run” in the registry just like in the previous step. Right click on an empty space on the right hand side of the registry editor and select New String. Under VALUE NAME, write a preferred name and then under VALUE DATA; type the path to the application launcher of the program you want to start up with.

Note here that all the above methods add startup applications for a single user. However you can add and remove startup programs for all users. You will follow all the above steps except a few things. Via direct addition and removal, you should type the command “shell:Common Startup” (notice the difference here, the word COMMON has been added). This command opens the directory “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup”. This is the folder to which you will add all your intended startup items (via pasting shortcuts). Now for all users the programs you selected will start at boot time. In the registry editor, the process is the same but the VALUE DATA has to be specific up to the executable launcher file.

There you have it. You now have full control over your startup applications.

Add or Remove Programs

The Add or Remove Programs is a feature in Microsoft Windows that lets a user uninstall and manage the software installed on their computer. This feature was introduced in Windows 98 as Add/Remove Programs, later renamed Programs and Features in Windows Vista and Windows 7, and then Apps & features in Windows 10.

How to open Add or Remove Programs in Windows 10

1. Press the Windows key , type Apps & features or Add or Remove Programs, and press Enter .
2. A window similar to the picture below should appear.

1. From this window, you’ll be able to manage how Windows installs programs and also uninstall any programs that were installed.

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Click Programs and Features or under the Programs section click Uninstall a program.
3. From this window, you’ll be able to manage how Windows installs programs and also uninstall any programs that were installed.

See the link below for additional help with uninstalling software in Windows.

Open Add or Remove Programs in Windows 7 and 8

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Under the Programs section, click Uninstall a program.
3. A window similar to the one shown below should appear with a list of all the programs on your computer.

1. From the Programs and Features section of Windows, you can uninstall a program, adjust Windows features, and view installed updates.

1. Press the Windows key , type Programs and Features or Add and remove programs, then press Enter .
2. A window similar to that shown above should appear.
3. From the Programs and Features section of Windows, you can uninstall a program, adjust Windows features, and view installed updates.

See the link below for additional help with uninstalling software in Windows.

How to open Add or Remove Programs in Windows Vista

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Under the Programs section, click Uninstall a program. If the Control Panel is showing icons, click Programs and Features.
3. From the Programs and Features window, you can uninstall a program, adjust Windows features, and view installed updates.

1. Press the Windows key , type Programs and Features, then press Enter .
2. A window similar to that shown above should appear.
3. From the Programs and Features section of Windows, you can uninstall a program, adjust Windows features, and view installed updates.

See the link below for additional help with uninstalling software in Windows.

How to open Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
3. A window similar to the one below should appear with a list of all the programs on your computer.

1. To remove a program, select it on the list, and then click the Change/Remove button.

See the link below for additional help with uninstalling software in Windows.

How to open Add/Remove Programs in Windows ME and 98

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. A window should open that allows you to uninstall software in Windows.

Should I write «Add/Remove Programs» or «Add or Remove Programs?»

Unless you’re talking about very early versions of Microsoft Windows (Windows 98 or Windows ME), this section is called «Add or Remove Programs.»

With Windows Vista and Windows 7, if you’re writing about uninstalling and managing software in Windows, refer to this section as «Programs and Features.» With Windows 8 and Windows 10, it should be referred to as «Apps & features.»

Program Is Not Listed in Add/Remove Programs After Installation

Symptoms

After you install a program on your computer, the program is not listed in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. Also, other programs that are installed on your computer and that were previously listed in Add/Remove Programs may no longer be listed.

Cause

This problem can occur if the program you installed creates a registry key name that is longer than 60 characters in length. Add/Remove Programs only lists program names it locates up to the point it encounters this situation.

Resolution

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in WindowsTo work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Uninstall the Program

The installation program may detect that this program is already installed on your computer and provide an option to uninstall it. When this program is removed, the other missing programs in Add/Remove Programs are listed again.

Run the Uninstall Program Included in the Uninstall Folder

Some programs create a folder under the Winnt folder that contains a «$» character at the start and end of the folder name. This folder may contain an uninstall program that you can run to remove the program you previously installed on your computer. Note that these folders are usually hidden, and that you may need to configure Windows Explorer to view hidden files and folders. To do so, right-click Start, click Explore, click Options on the View menu, and then click Show all files.

Use the Uninstall Command Displayed in the Registry

Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) to view the following registry key:

Double-click the UninstallString registry value, copy the contents of the Value Data box by selecting the contents and pressing CTRL+C, and then quit Registry Editor.

Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V to paste the uninstall command, and then click OK.

Shorten the Registry Key Name

Run Regedit.exe to view the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Click the registry key for the program you installed, click Rename on the Edit menu, and then use a name with less than 60 characters. Note that if the DisplayName value is longer than 32 characters, it is not displayed. To rename it, double-click DisplayName and use a name up to 32 characters in length.

Status

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

More Information

Programs are sorted alphabetically within the Uninstall registry key, and any keys listed after the long key name are ignored.

How to Add and Remove Pro­grams from Win­dows 8 Startup

Ashish Mundhra

15 Feb 2013

Adding applications to Windows startup is a necessary evil. It can be useful when we have to run certain applications automatically (like a web server or some mailing and messenger clients). But as these startup applications initiate simultaneously when Windows starts, the computer can become completely unresponsive when there are too many apps in the list. I am sure you Windows users know what I am talking about.

Generally when a program installs, it automatically adds itself to the Windows startup if required. But there might be a number of instances where you will have to add or remove these programs manually. So let’s have a look at how this can be done in Windows 8.

In this post, we will not be talking up any tool for the task. We will see how we can manage the startup by using the default options available in Windows 8. Had I been talking about the topic a few months ago, I would have recommended you the software Soluto for the task. Soluto started as a simple anti-frustration app using which one can easily take control of the Windows startup. However it keeps getting worst after every update and if you ask me, the tool isn’t today what it used to be when it was first introduced.

Let’s see how we can remove a program from the Windows 8 startup list first.

Removing Programs from Startup

In the previous builds of Windows, the startup tab in Msconfig (Microsoft System Configuration) was the ultimate destination to enable and disable programs in the Windows startup. However things have changed slightly in Windows 8. The module has now been shifted to the Task Manager. So to remove a program, open Windows Task Manager and navigate to Start-up tab. There are many ways in which you can open Windows Task Manager, the best way is to right-click on the Task Bar and select the option Task Manager.

In the Start-up tab, look for the application you would like to remove from the Windows startup. Right-click on the application name and select the option Disable. The Status of the app will change from Enable to Disabled and it won’t start again with Windows.

Let’s now have a look at how you can add programs to Windows startup.

Adding Programs to Windows 8 Startup

To add a program to the startup, you’d first need to copy it.. basically, just do a Ctrl+C on it. Having done that open the Run box and type in the following command and press enter.

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Windows will then open the Windows Startup folder and to add the application you have copied to your clipboard, right-click anywhere in the folder and select the option Paste Shortcut.

That’s all, the program will now start automatically with Windows. If you wish to remove it in the future, simply delete the shortcut you have created.

Conclusion

So that was how you can easily add and remove programs to Windows 8 startup. One thing you must remember is that there is no limit to the number of applications you can add to Windows startup. But as the boot up time is directly proportional to the number of applications in the startup, please be very considerate.

Last updated on 8 Feb, 2018
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

Read Next

How to Add and Remove Programs from Windows 10 Startup

Certain applications launch when # Windows is booting. Here is how to add or remove programs from # Windows 10 startup.

How To Use Revo Uninstaller To Completely Uninstall Programs

Learn How To Use Revo # Uninstaller To Completely Uninstall # Programs and Remove Junk Files From # Windows

How to use Msconfig In Windows to Speed Up Windows Startup

Check out how you can speed up # windows load time and take care of a slow computer using msconfig

Autorun Organizer is an Amazing Startup Manager for Windows 8.1

Autorun Organizer is an Amazing Startup Manager for # Windows 8.1.

How to Stop Programs From Adding Themselves to Windows Startup

Learn How to Stop Programs From Adding Themselves to # Windows # Startup.

How to Use CCleaner to Clean up Startup and Uninstall Programs

Learn How to Use # CCleaner to Clean up Startup and Uninstall Programs.

How to Use Quick Startup to Reduce Windows Boot Time

Learn How to Use Quick # Startup to Reduce # Windows Boot Time.

How To Fix Slow Windows Startup Using Windows Boot Performance Diagnostics

How To Fix Slow # Windows # Startup and speed up windows using the Boot Performance Diagnostics.

Did You Know

You can ask Google Assistant to read out the news to you.