Configure startup applications in Windows (2024)

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When it comes to optimizing your Windows device, one of the key optimization areas is the startup process. The applications that run automatically when your device boots up can impact both the speed of your startup and the overall performance of your system. By customizing which applications launch on startup, you can streamline your routine, ensuring that only the tools you need for your daily tasks are ready and waiting for you.

Depending on how the applications are installed and registered in Windows, there are different ways to configure their startup behavior:

Any applications that are registered in Windows with a startup task can be configured from Settings or from Task Manager
Other applications can be configured using File Explorer

Expand each section to learn more.

In the Settings app on your Windows device, select Apps > Startup , or use the following shortcut:

Startup
For any of the applicationsin the list
- set the toggle to On to start the app automatically when you sign in
- set the toggle to Off to prevent the appfrom starting automatically
If you want to change the advanced settings for that app, select the chevron and make changes as desired

If the app that you want to configure isn't listed in the startup list, you can configure its startup from File Explorer.

The Task Manager provides the same list of startup applications offered by Settings. You can configure the applications that run at startup with both tools, but they present the information slightly differently.

The Task Manager provides a more detailed view, including the impact each app has on the startup process.This can be particularly useful for troubleshooting performance issues during system startup.

Right-click on Start and select Task Manager
Select the Startup apps tab
Select the app that you want to configure
- Select Enable to start the app automatically when you sign in
- Select Disable to prevent the appfrom starting automatically

Task Manager showsthe impact of each of the apps have on your startup experience:

None : Startup app is disabled
Not Measured : No data available to measure the startup app, startup app is enabled
Low Impact : Total CPU usage takes less than 300 milliseconds and total disk usage is less than 292 kilobytes
Medium Impact : Total CPU usage takes less than 1 second but more than 300 milliseconds or total disk usage is less than 3 megabytes but more than 292 kilobytes
High Impact : Total CPU usage takes more than 1 second or total disk usage is more than 3 megabytes

If the app that you want to configure isn't listed in the startup list, you can configure its startup from File Explorer.

For applications that aren't registered in Windows with a startup task, you can use File Explorer. The process consists of copying or creating a shortcut to the app's executable to either one of these folders:

shell:startup if you are configuring the startup behavior for thecurrent user

Note:the path corresponds to%userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
shell:common startupif you are configuring the startup behavior for all users using the device

Note:the path corresponds to%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Here are the steps:

Right-click on Start and select Run
In the Run dialog box, typeshell:appsfolder and select Enter

A FileExplorer window opens, containing a listof all applications installed on the device. Keep this first window open
Right-click on Start and select Run
In the Run dialog box, type eithershell:startup or shell:common startup andselect Enter

A second File Explorer window opens, containing a listof applications that start automatically when a user signs in
Drag and drop the applications that you want to start automatically from the first window to the second one

If you want to remove applications from the startup folder, delete the links from the second window.

Fix the error:We couldn’t find this app

If you see the massage We couldn’t find this app as an app title in Settings, the app could be on a removable drive, a network drive, or the path to the app might not exist. This could also happen if an app was uninstalled, therefore you can try to reinstall the app to try to fix it.

To find more information about the missing app, select theiconnext to the On / Off toggle of the app.

When there isn’t a valid path, a window lists the registry location or the file path thatcontains the broken path. If the path points to a registry location, you can use theRegistry Editor and find the broken path.

Startup apps in the registry

The startup applications in Windows can be stored in specific registry locations.

For applications that run at startup for all users, the registry paths are:
- HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
For applications that run at startup for the current user, the registry pathis:
- HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run