How to Add Programs to Startup in Windows 11

Using Task Manager to Manage Startup Apps

Task Manager lets you enable or disable startup apps in a few clicks. It also shows how much each program slows down your boot, so you can decide what is worth keeping. It only manages entries that already exist. If a program is not in the list, use one of the folder methods below to add it.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager📊. You should see the Task Manager window. If it opens in a compact view, click More details at the bottom.

   

2. Select the Startup apps icon (a speedometer gauge) on the left sidebar. On Windows 11 versions before 22H2, this is a Startup tab across the top instead. You should now see a list of programs with Status and Startup impact columns.

   

3. Find the application you want to change in the list. To see the programs that slow your boot the most, click the Startup impact column header to sort by it.
4. Right-click the application and select Enable to make it run at startup, or select Disable to stop it from launching automatically. The Status column should change to Enabled or Disabled right away.

To undo the change, right-click the same entry and choose the opposite option. If both options look unavailable, make sure you have clicked an entry in the list and not an empty area.

Using the Settings App

The Windows Settings app gives you a cleaner view of startup software, with a toggle switch for each app. It works on the same entries as Task Manager, so a change in one place shows up in the other.

The Startup page lists apps that have registered themselves to run at sign-in. Many apps can be set to launch at sign-in from here with a single switch. An app that never registered itself will not appear on this page, which is why some programs you have installed will be missing.

1. Open Settings. The quickest way is to press Win+I.
2. Select Apps from the left menu.

   

3. Click Startup. You should see a list of apps with a toggle and a startup impact label (Low, Medium or High) next to each one. You can sort the list by name, status or startup impact.

   

4. Set the switch next to any application to On or Off. The change applies from your next sign-in.

If an app you expect is missing from this list, it probably does not register itself as a startup app. Use the Startup folder method instead. To undo a change here, flip the same switch back.

Using the Startup Folder for Win32 Applications

The user Startup folder makes Windows open any shortcut you place inside it whenever you sign in to your user account. It works well for standard desktop software that does not show up in the Settings list. Only your account is affected, and you do not need administrator rights.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.

   

2. Type shell:startup and press Enter to open the user-specific Startup folder. A File Explorer📁 window opens, usually empty.
3. Open a second File Explorer📁 window and locate the application shortcut you want to add. If the app has no shortcut yet, open the Start menu⊞ and choose All apps. Right-click the app, then choose More and Open file location. You can also right-click the app’s .exe file and choose Show more options and then Create shortcut.
4. Drag and drop, or copy and paste, the application shortcut into the shell:startup folder. The shortcut should now appear in the folder.

Accessing the All Users Startup Folder

The common startup folder launches programs automatically for every user account on the computer. Adding a shortcut here requires administrator permission, because it applies to everyone who signs in. Use it on shared PCs where every user needs the same tool.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box.

   

2. Type shell:common startup and press Enter to open the global Startup directory.
3. Provide administrator credentials if User Account Control prompts you. If you are signed in as a standard user, you will need an administrator’s password. Click Continue or Yes after you enter it.
4. Copy and paste the application shortcut into this folder to enable it for all system users. The shortcut should now appear in the folder, and the program will start for each person who signs in.

To remove it later, open the same folder and delete the shortcut. This also needs administrator approval.

Adding UWP and Microsoft Store Apps to Startup

Microsoft Store apps and other Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps do not use traditional desktop shortcuts, so you cannot drag them into the standard startup folder. For these apps, use the Windows Settings menu instead. Only apps that support starting at sign-in will offer this option, so some Store apps will have no startup toggle at all.

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Apps and select Installed apps.
3. Find the Microsoft Store app in the list, click the three-dot menu next to its name, and select Advanced options if it is available. If the option is missing, the app does not expose extra settings, so go to step 4 and use the Startup page.
4. Look for a startup toggle within the app’s settings, or use Settings › Apps › Startup to enable it. If the app appears on the Startup page, switch it to On.

If the app supports neither option, check its own in-app settings for a “start at sign-in” choice. To undo the change, turn the same toggle off.

Using the Registry Editor for Advanced Startup Control

Before you start, know which key you are working in. Adding a program under the HKCU\…\Run key needs no admin rights and applies only to your account. Adding one under the HKLM\…\Run key applies to all users and requires admin rights. The startup entry itself is a String Value (type REG_SZ) that holds the full path to the program.

1. Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
2. Approve the User Account Control prompt with administrator privileges.
3. Before changing anything, back up the registry. Click File and then Export, choose All as the export range, name the file, and save it somewhere safe. Double-clicking that file later restores the saved settings.
4. Go to the following location using the left sidebar: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Startup\Approved\Run. The entries for programs that already start with Windows appear in the right pane.
5. Check your existing startup entries. To add a program, right-click an empty area in the right pane, choose New and then String Value, and name it after the program. Double-click the new value, enter the full path to the program’s executable in Value data, and click OK. To remove an entry, right-click it and choose Delete.

Changes take effect the next time you sign in. If something goes wrong, restore the backup you exported.

Troubleshooting Common Startup Issues

Use these checks when a program fails to launch at sign-in even though it is turned on in your settings. Security software, outdated app files, or permission errors usually cause these failures on Windows 11. Work through the checks below in order, and sign out and back in after each fix to test it.

1. Open Windows Security (the Windows 11 name for Windows Defender) or your third-party antivirus to check that the startup application is not being blocked. Look at the protection history or the quarantine list for the program.
2. Check the application’s own settings menu. Many modern programs have an independent “Start when Windows starts” toggle that overrides the operating system controls. If that toggle is off, the program may ignore the Windows setting.
3. Verify that your user account has read and execute permissions for the program’s executable file. To check, right-click the program file, select Properties, open the Security tab, and look at your account’s permissions.
4. Confirm the entry is still enabled in Task Manager📊. If the program was moved or updated, the shortcut or registry path may now point to a file that no longer exists. In that case, delete the old entry and add it again.

What to do next

You should now see your configured applications launching automatically the next time you sign in. Some apps open a few seconds after the desktop appears, because Windows staggers startup programs to keep sign-in fast. For further tuning, you can configure background app permissions or manage scheduled tasks using Task Scheduler.