{"id":25449,"date":"2022-12-22T21:33:22","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T21:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/22\/how-to-add-a-program-to-startup-in-windows-10-or-11\/"},"modified":"2022-12-22T21:33:22","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T21:33:22","slug":"how-to-add-a-program-to-startup-in-windows-10-or-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/22\/how-to-add-a-program-to-startup-in-windows-10-or-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Add a Program to Startup in Windows 10 or 11"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. Press Windows+R to open the \u201cRun\u201d dialog box.<\/li>\n
  2. Type \u201cshell:startup\u201d and then hit Enter to open the \u201cStartup\u201d folder.<\/li>\n
  3. Create a shortcut in the \u201cStartup\u201d folder to any file, folder, or program’s executable file. It will open on startup the next time you boot.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

    Some\u00a0Windows apps configure themselves to automatically start whenever Windows boots. But you can make any app, file, or folder start with Windows by adding it to the Windows \u201cStartup\u201d folder<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Some apps already have a built-in setting for this, but if they don\u2019t, this method is what you want.\u00a0You can also make any file or folder open when Windows starts\u2014just in case there\u2019s something you find yourself using regularly. All you have to do is create a shortcut to whatever you want to start in a special \u201cStartup\u201d folder\u2014one of Windows\u2019 hidden system folders<\/a>.\u00a0This technique will work with just about any version of Windows from Vista on up through Windows 7, 8, 10, or even 11.<\/p>\n

    Note also, though, that the more programs you start on boot, the longer the startup process will appear to take. If there are any apps you don\u2019t want to start on boot, you can\u00a0disable certain startup programs<\/a>\u00a0too.<\/p>\n

    Step One: Open the Windows Startup Folder<\/h2>\n

    \u201cStartup\u201d is a hidden system folder that you can navigate to in File Explorer (provided you\u2019re showing hidden files<\/a>). Technically, it\u2019s located in %APPDATA%\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup<\/code>, but you don\u2019t need to open up File Explorer and start browsing\u2014there\u2019s a much easier way to get there.<\/p>\n

    You can open many of Windows\u2019 hidden and special folders directly using the \u201cshell\u201d command<\/a> if you know the folders\u2019 names. And you can launch the \u201cshell\u201d command right from the\u00a0\u201cRun\u201d dialog box.<\/p>\n

    To open the \u201cStartup\u201d folder the easy way, just hit Windows+R to open the \u201cRun\u201d box, type \u201cshell:startup,\u201d and then press Enter.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    This will open a File Explorer window right to the \u201cStartup\u201d folder.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Go ahead and leave that window open, because we\u2019re going to be working with it in the next section.<\/p>\n

    Step Two: Create a Shortcut in the \u201cStartup\u201d Folder<\/h2>\n

    To make an app, file, or folder start with Windows, all you have to do is create a shortcut to the item inside the \u201cStartup\u201d folder. We\u2019re going to be working with a handy little app named\u00a0Sizer<\/a>\u00a0as our example, but this\u00a0technique applies no matter what you\u2019re creating a shortcut to.<\/p>\n

    First, locate the item to which you want create your shortcut. Just open a second File Explorer window and find the executable, file, or folder you want to start at boot. There are different ways to create shortcuts in Windows, but we\u2019re fans of the super quick right-drag method: hold your right mouse button down and drag the item you want to create the shortcut for to the \u201cStartup\u201dfolder. When you release the button, a popup menu with a few options appears. Click \u201cCreate shortcut here.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s all you have to do. You\u2019ll now see a shortcut to your item in the \u201cStartup\u201d folder.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    The\u00a0next time you start Windows, your app, file, or folder will launch right along with it. This method even works for launching Windows Store Apps at startup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    How to Make Startup Programs Load Faster<\/h2>\n

    When you\u2019re using Windows 10 or 11, there\u2019s a delay before your startup programs actually start to launch<\/a>, which is probably there to help everything feel like it\u2019s functional earlier in the startup process and allow for all of the internal Windows features to fully start running. But if you\u2019ve got a really fast PC, you might not need to bother with that delay.<\/p>\n

    You can remove the delay by opening up Registry Editor and browsing down to the following key:<\/p>\n

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\<\/pre>\n
    Once there, create a key named Serialize, and then a new 32-bit DWORD called StartupDelayInMSec<\/code> \u00a0underneath it with the value set to 0.<\/p>\n
    \"Set<\/p>\n
    Or you could just head over to our article on removing the Windows 10 startup delay<\/a> and grab the registry hack files that automate it for you. Up to you!<\/p>\n
    Alternative Method for Power Users: Use Task Scheduler for More Control<\/h2>\n
    While we certainly would recommend simply using the shell:startup trick, you can also use Task Scheduler to run processes at system startup<\/a>, when you log on, during idle times, or even when you lock or unlock your screen. It\u2019s an incredibly powerful tool for more advanced users who want to automate their computer to do things like creating System Restore Points at startup<\/a>\u00a0or automatically waking up at a certain time<\/a>.<\/p>\n
    To launch a program at Startup using Task Scheduler, you can open up Task Scheduler using the Start menu search box, go to Action and then Create Basic Task, and follow the prompts. You should actually use the \u201cLog on\u201d option if you\u2019re trying to run a regular program.<\/p>\n
    \"Task<\/p>\n
    For more, make sure to read our detailed guide to using Task Scheduler to launch processes later<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n