Location of the Startup folder in Windows 10

The Startup folder in Windows 10 contains a list of shortcuts of those applications that start when your Windows start. Earlier, you could easily access the Windows 7 startup folder from Start Menu > Startup. But where is the Startup folder in Windows 10/8?

Windows 10 startup folder location

To open the Startup folder in Windows 10, open Run box and:

• Type shell:startup and hit Enter to open the Current Users Startup folder
• Type shell:common startup and hit Enter to open the All Users Startup folder.

The Current Users Startup folder in Windows 10 is located at:

These programs start up for the current logged in user only. To directly access this folder, open Run, type shell:startup and hit Enter.

Or to quickly open the folder, press WinKey, type shell:startup and hit Enter.

Startup folder in Windows 10

The All Users Windows 10 startup folder is located at:

These programs start up for all users. To open this folder, bring up the Run box, type shell:common startup and hit Enter.

Or to open the folder quickly, you can press WinKey, type shell:common startup and hit Enter.

You can add shortcuts of the programs you want to start with your Windows in this folder.

You may use msconfig in Windows 7 or Task Manager in Windows 10 to manage startup programs. You can also delay Startup Programs or control the order in which they load when Windows boots.

This post on Windows Registry Startup Paths may also interest you.

TIP: You might want to check out our TWC Video Hub which offers a lot of interesting videos, including How-Tos and Tutorials.

Windows 10 Startup Folder [Location, Access, Items]

• The Task Manager’s Startup tab provides you enough insights on what exactly are the apps that launch at startup. But this tool comes in handy for inspection purposes only and you’ll need to find other ways to add programs for example.
• You can do this by adding software directly to the Startup folder. If you’re wondering how to find it, look no further, we have it sorted out for you right here.
• Check out more handy fixes on our Windows 10 Guides.
• Don’t be shy to explore the Tutorials Hub as well for more tech tricks and tips.

Windows 10’s Task Manager utility includes a Startup tab. That is Windows 10’s default startup manager with which users can disable startup software.

However, the Task Manager’s tab doesn’t include any options for users to add programs to the startup. So, some users might look for startup settings on software windows to add new programs to the system startup.

Yet, Windows 10 includes a Startup folder to which users can add programs and files. All software and programs within that folder will run automatically when Windows starts. That folder is buried within a series of subfolders.

Consequently, some users might wonder found to find it exactly.

Where is the Startup folder in Windows 10?

For most users, the Startup folder is located at this address:

There is also a second All Users Startup folder that should be located under:

How to Open the Startup Folder With Run

As you can see, the full path for the Startup folder is this:

Users will need to replace USERNAME with their actual user account name, and then enter that path in File Explorer. That path will open the folder shown in the snapshot directly below.

However, it’s better to open the Startup folder with Run. To do that, press the Windows key + R hotkey. Then enter shell:startup in the Run text box. That will open the Startup folder when users press the OK button.

To open the all user Startup folder, enter shell:common startup in Run and click OK.

How to Add Software to the Startup Folder

With the Startup folder open in File Explorer, users can now add new program shortcuts to the system startup. In addition, users can also include file shortcuts within that folder.

Then the files the Startup folder includes will usually open with their default software. This is how users can add shortcuts to the Windows Startup folder.

• Right-click an empty space within the Startup folder and select New >Shortcut.

• Click the Browse button to open the window in the snapshot directly below.

• Select a program or document to include in the startup, and press the OK button.
• Press the Next button.
• Then press the Finish button. The Startup folder will now include the selected software or file.
• The software in the Startup folder will open after you’ve restarted Windows.

How to Remove Software From the Startup Folder

Users can remove programs in the Startup folder by deleting them. To do that, select a program in that folder and click the Delete button. That will probably erase the shortcut to the Recycle Bin.

Users can also press the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut to select all shortcuts within the Startup folder. Then press File Explorer’s Delete button to erase them. Task Manager’s Start-up tab in Windows 10 will also list the programs that users have added to the Startup folder.

Therefore, users can disable the programs with that utility by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Task Manager.

Click the Start-up tab on that utility’s window. Then users can select the required program and click Disable.

Note: Task Manager doesn’t include a Start-up tab in Windows 7. However, Win 7 users can open the startup manager by entering msconfig in Run and clicking OK. Then select the Startup tab on the System Configuration window.

Windows 7 users can uncheck the item checkboxes on that tab to disable programs starting during startup. So, that’s how users can add new software and files to Windows’ Startup folder.

However, filling that folder up will slow down the system startup. Lots of startup software will also drain system resources. Therefore, don’t add too many things to the folder.

There you go, these solutions should help you manage the startup folder adequately. Let us know if you found them useful by hitting the comments section below.

Note: You will need to replace the USERNAME value with your actual user account name.

• What is Startup folder?

The Startup folder is an in-built Windows feature (first introduced in Windows 95) that allows users to set up those particular apps and programs that will automatically run when Windows starts.

Where is Windows 10 Startup Folder Location?

The Windows 10 Startup Folder contains shortcuts to applications that start after you have logged in to Windows. If you want a program to start automatically you can simply add the shortcut to the program in this folder.

Before Windows 10 you could easily open the startup folder through the start menu. The startup folder is still part of the start menu structure in Windows, only you will have to open it through the explorer these days.

The startup folder isn’t the only location to start programs automatically, they can also be listed in your registry, controller through Group Policies, Tasks.

Windows Startup Folder Location

So lets first take a look at the Windows 10 Startup folder location. There are two startup folders, one personal folder and one for all users.

You can find the personal startup folder, for the current loggedin user, in the following location:

To open the folder, simply copy and paste the URL in the address bar of your explorer. Another option is to use the following cmd in a Run Box:

1. Press Windows key + R
2. Type shell:startup
3. Hit enter

Startup folder for all users

The folder for all users is located at:

You can also open the startup folder for all users with a command:

1. Press Windows key + R
2. Type shell:commonstartup
3. Hit enter

Windows 10 Registry Startup Location

If you are looking for applications that startup automatically to clean them up, then make sure you also check the Registry.

In the Registry there are a lot of location that can contain program to auto start. But two of them are most commonly used:

To open the registry:

1. Press Windows key + R
2. In the run box, type regedit, and press enter
3. Paste the following path in the address bar: HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

You see all the programs that will start automatically after you have logged in. If you want to remove a program from autostart, simply select the record and press delete.

Registry location for all users

The programs that start for all users can be found in the following location:

Only remove the programs if you know what you are doing. If you are not sure, then make first a backup of the Run folder, by right-clicking on Run (in the left pane) and select export.

This way you can alway restore it.

Task manager

In Windows 10 you can also use the Task Manager to manage the programs that auto-start. In the Task Manager, you will find all the programs and their startup impact.

Each program can simply be Disabled, or Enabled again, by simply right-click on the row.

To open the task manager press Ctrl + Shift + Escape or right-click on your taskbar and select task manager.

Windows all startup locations

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Windows Program Automatic Startup Locations

Lawrence Abrams

• April 1, 2004
• Read 939,981 times

Many programs that you install are automatically run when you start your computer and load Windows. For the majority of cases, this type of behavior is fine. Unfortunately, there are programs that are not legitimate, such as spyware, hijackers, trojans, worms, viruses, that load in this manner as well. It is therefore important that you check regularly your startup registry keys regularly. Windows does offer a program that will list programs that are automatically started from SOME of these locations. This program, Msconfig.exe, unfortunately, though, only lists programs from a limited amount of startup keys.

Below are the various list of registry keys that can start a program when Windows boots. I have tried to keep the keys in the exact order that they load. Keep in mind, that some of the keys are set to load at the same time, so it is possible that the order will change on each boot up. These keys generally apply to Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, XP, 2000, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, and I will note when it is otherwise.

Upon turning on the computer the following autostart locations are processed in the following order:

Windows Boot Device Drivers — These drivers are loaded first as they are required for the proper operation of hardware such as storage devices. Boot device drivers will be located under the following key and have a Start value equal to 0.

Windows will now perform various tasks and then start the Winlogon process. Winlogon eventually starts the service control manager that loads services and drivers that are set for auto-start.

Windows Auto-start Services & Drivers -The Service Control Manager (SCM) process (\Windows\System32\services.exe), will now launch any services or drivers that are marked with a Start value of 2.

RunServicesOnce — This key is designed to start services when a computer boots up. These entries can also continue running even after you log on, but must be completed before the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\. \RunOnce registry can start loading its programs.

RunServices — This key is designed to start services as well. These entries can also continue running even after you log on, but must be completed before the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\. \RunOnce registry can start loading its programs.

The Windows logon prompt is shown on the Screen. After a user logs in the rest of the keys continue.

Notify — This key is used to add a program that will run when a particular event occurs. Events include logon, logoff, startup, shutdown, startscreensaver, and stopscreensaver. When Winlogon.exe generates an event such as the ones listed, Windows will look in the Notify registry key for a DLL that will handle this event. Malware has been known to use this method to load itself when a user logs on to their computer. Loading in such a way allows the malware program to load in such a way that it is not easy to stop.

UserInit Key — This key specifies what program should be launched right after a user logs into Windows. The default program for this key is C:\windows\system32\userinit.exe. Userinit.exe is a program that restores your profile, fonts, colors, etc for your user name. It is possible to add further programs that will launch from this key by separating the programs with a comma. For example:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit =C:\windows\system32\userinit.exe,c:\windows\badprogram.exe.

This will make both programs launch when you log in and is a common place for trojans, hijackers, and spyware to launch from.

Shell Value — This value contains a list of comma separated values that Userinit.exe will launch. The default shell for Windows is explorer.exe, though there are legitimate replacements that have been made. When userinit.exe starts the shell, it will first launch the Shell value found in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. If this value is not present, it will then launch the value found in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\\Shell

The rest of the Autostart locations will now be processed.

RunOnce Local Machine Key — These keys are designed to be used primarily by Setup programs. Entries in these keys are started once and then are deleted from the key. If there is an- exclamation point preceding the value of the key, the entry will not be deleted until after the program completes, otherwise it will be deleted before the program runs. This is important, because if the exclamation point is not used, and the program referenced in this key fails to complete, it will not run again as it will have already been deleted. All entries in this key are started synchronously in an undefined order. Due to this, all programs in this key must be finished before any entries in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\. \Run, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\. \Run, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\. \RunOnce, and Startup Folders can be loaded. The RunOnce keys are ignored under Windows 2000 and Windows XP in Safe Mode. The RunOnce keys are not supported by Windows NT 3.51.

Run — These are the most common startup locations for programs to install auto start from. By default these keys are not executed in Safe mode. If you prefix the value of these keys with an asterisk, *, it will run in Safe Mode.

All Users Startup Folder — For Windows XP, 2000, and NT, this folder is used for programs that should be auto started for all users who will login to this computer. It is generally found at:

Windows XP	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Windows NT	C:\wont\Profiles\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Windows 2000	C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

User Profile Startup Folder — This folder will be executed for the particular user who logs in. This folder is usually found in:

Win 9X, ME	c:\windows\start menu\programs\startup
Windows XP	C:\Documents and Settings\LoginName\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

RunOnce Current User Key — These keys are designed to be used primarily by Setup programs. Entries in these keys are started once and then are deleted from the key. If there is an exclamation point preceding the value of the key, the entry will not be deleted until after the program completes, otherwise it will be deleted before the program runs. This is important, because if the exclamation point is not used, and the program referenced in this key fails to complete, it will not run again as it will have already been deleted. The RunOnce keys are ignored under Windows 2000 and Windows XP in Safe Mode. The RunOnce keys are not supported by Windows NT 3.51.

Explorer Run — These keys are generally used to load programs as part of a policy set in place on the computer or user.

Load Key — This key is not commonly used anymore, but can be used to auto start programs.

AppInit_DLLs — This value corresponds to files being loaded through the AppInit_DLLs Registry value. The AppInit_DLLs registry value contains a list of dlls that will be loaded when user32.dll is loaded. As most Windows executables use the user32.dll, that means that any DLL that is listed in the AppInit_DLLs registry key will be loaded also. This makes it very difficult to remove the DLL as it will be loaded within multiple processes, some of which can not be stopped without causing system instability. The user32.dll file is also used by processes that are automatically started by the system when you log on. This means that the files loaded in the AppInit_DLLs value will be loaded very early in the Windows startup routine allowing the DLL to hide itself or protect itself before we have access to the system.

ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad — This Registry value contains values in a similar way as the Run key does. The difference is that instead of pointing to the file itself, it points to the CLSID’s InProcServer, which contains the information about the particular DLL file that is being used.

The files under this key are loaded automatically by Explorer.exe when your computer starts. Because Explorer.exe is the shell for your computer, it will always start, thus always loading the files under this key. These files are therefore loaded early in the startup process before any human intervention occurs.

SharedTaskScheduler — This section corresponds to files being loaded through the SharedTaskScheduler registry value for XP, NT, 2000 machines. The entries in this registry value run automatically when you start windows.

The following are files that programs can autostart from on bootup:

1. c:\autoexec.bat
2. c:\config.sys
3 . windir\wininit.ini — Usually used by setup programs to have a file run once and then get deleted.
4. windir\winstart.bat
5. windir\win.ini — [windows] «load»
6. windir\win.ini — [windows] «run»
7. windir\system.ini — [boot] «shell»
8 . windir\system.ini — [boot] «scrnsave.exe»
9. windir\dosstart.bat — Used in Win95 or 98 when you select the «Restart in MS-DOS mode» in the shutdown menu.
10. windir\system\autoexec.nt
11. windir\system\config.nt

Though it is good to know these details, if you just need a program to quickly scan these keys and produce a list for you, you can use Sysinternals Autoruns program. While you are at that site, you should browse some of the other excellent utilities.

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