Frequently Asked Question

On Windows 7 and earlier versions of Windows, the Start menu contained a “Startup” folder to make this easy. On these versions of Windows, you can simply open your Start menu, locate a shortcut to an application you want to start automatically, right-click it, and select Copy. Next, locate the Startup folder under All Apps in the Start menu, right-click it, and select Paste to paste a copy of that shortcut.

This folder is no longer as easily accessible on Windows 8, 8.1, and 10, but it’s still accessible. To access it, press Windows Key + R, type “shell:startup” into the Run dialog, and press Enter. Yes, you’ll need to use the folder — you can’t simply add shortcuts from the Task Manager’s Startup pane.

Shortcuts you add to the “shell:startup” folder will only launch when you log in with your user account. If you’d like a shortcut to launch itself whenever any user logs in, type “shell:common startup” into the Run dialog instead.

Paste shortcuts into this folder and Windows will automatically load them when you sign into your computer. On Windows 10, you can just drag-and-drop shortcuts from the “All Apps” list in the Start menu directly into this folder.