The main reason for adding applications, services, or scripts to the startup folder is obvious: If you use programs or processes that you need or want to run automatically when you log on, you can save a lot of time by adding them to your startup folder.
For example, you could make Chrome automatically open in Incognito Mode when you sign into your PC by adding the appropriate options to its shortcut.Good management of Windows 10 startup programs is important for several reasons. Once you’ve added the shortcuts to your Startup folder, you can right-click the shortcuts here and select “Properties” to change their startup options.
Feel free to drag and drop desktop application shortcuts to this folder, too. This trick works with any Windows application-not just apps from the Microsoft Store. Windows will stop launching it when you sign in. If you change your mind, return to the Startup folder and delete the application’s shortcut. Windows will automatically run all the shortcuts in this folder after you sign in. You can’t select multiple applications and drag them all over at the same time. However, you can only drag and drop one application at once. You’ll see the same list of applications that appear in your Start menu, and you can drag and drop shortcuts from here directly to the Startup folder, too. If you prefer to copy the shortcut from File Explorer, open a second File Explorer window and plug shell:appsfolder into its address bar.
You can’t do this with a Windows Store app, but that’s fine-just drag and drop the application shortcut directly from the Start menu to create a shortcut. Some Windows users add shortcuts to the Startup folder by right-clicking a Start menu entry and selecting “Open File Location” to view the shortcut file before copying that file over. You’ll have to find the app in the list of all applications on the left side of the Start menu, or in the tiles on the right side of the Start menu.
Note that you can’t drag and drop an app after searching for it in the Start menu. Drag and drop the application’s shortcut directly from the Start menu to the Startup folder. To add a shortcut to this list, open the Start menu and locate the application you want to launch at startup.
To do so, launch a File Explorer window, type shell:startup into the address bar, and then press Enter.Īny shortcuts you place in this folder will be automatically launched when you sign in to Windows with your current user account. This works for traditional desktop apps and Windows Store apps.įirst, open the Startup folder for your user account. All you have to do is add a shortcut to that application to your Startup folder. While the Settings interface won’t help you too much, the traditional way of making a program launch at startup still works.
RELATED: How to Manage Startup Programs in Windows 10's Settings App Add a Shortcut to Your Startup Folder (For Any App) You can add apps to Windows startup, though-including Windows Store apps.
This is the official method, but the majority of Store applications you install won’t appear in this list because their designers didn’t build in that option. For example, set Spotify to “On” and Windows will start it when you sign into your computer. Scroll through the list and toggle a Store app to “On” to make it run when Windows starts. To find this interface, head to Settings > Apps > Startup. For example, if you install Spotify from the Microsoft Store, you can use Windows’ Settings app to toggle whether Spotify opens at startup. This only works for specific Store applications that specifically request permission to run at startup. The latest versions of Windows 10 provide an easy way of managing startup applications in the Settings app. Use Startup Settings (Only Works With Some Apps)