Press Windows + R, enter shell:startup, and press Enter to open the Windows 11 Startup folder for your account. To open the shared folder for every account on the PC, use shell:common startup instead.
A shortcut placed here can open an app when you sign in to Windows. It does not run the app before anyone signs in, and locking and unlocking the screen does not test it.
I recommend using your own Startup folder first. You can add one shortcut, check the result, and remove it without changing another person’s account or editing the registry.
Open the Startup Folder for the Right Account
Windows has two Startup folders. Choose the one that matches who should receive the app at sign-in.
| Who should get the app? | Run command | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Only the account you are signed into | shell:startup | Your personal startup shortcuts |
| Every account that signs into this PC | shell:common startup | A shared startup shortcut |
You can also paste these paths into File Explorer’s address bar.
Current user’s Startup folder:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartupAll-users Startup folder:
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartupUsing the commands saves you from typing a Windows username or finding the hidden AppData folder. On a PC with redirected profile folders, the shell command is also preferable to assuming everything lives under C:\Users.
The shared folder may require administrator approval when you add or remove a shortcut. A shortcut there does not install its app for everyone: each account still needs access to the actual application.
Microsoft’s startup configuration instructions document both commands and the app-shortcut method below.
The Run shortcut avoids opening Start. For an unresponsive Start button, see how to fix the Windows 11 Start menu rather than changing startup entries to repair it.
Add an App and Prove the Shortcut Works
Use Calculator for a reversible example. If it is not installed, choose another ordinary app that opens without administrator approval.
- Open Run with Windows + R, enter
shell:appsfolder, and press Enter. - Keep the Applications window open. Open Run again and enter
shell:startup. - Place the two windows side by side.
- Drag Calculator from Applications into Startup. This creates a shortcut.
- Rename the new shortcut to Calculator – Startup test so it is easy to identify.
- Double-click that shortcut. Calculator should open.
That last step separates two questions: does the shortcut work, and does Windows launch it automatically? If the shortcut cannot open the app manually, signing out will not fix its target.
Check a fresh sign-in
Close Calculator again, then save your work in other apps. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, select Sign out, and sign back into the same Windows account.
Closing Calculator before the test matters. Otherwise, Windows’ restartable-app feature could reopen a previously running app and make it look as though the new shortcut worked.
Allow the desktop to finish loading. Windows can delay startup launches, so an app appearing after the desktop does not necessarily indicate a fault. There is no universal number of seconds that every startup shortcut must meet.
Do not substitute locking the PC, waking it from sleep, or restarting File Explorer for this test. Those actions do not create a new sign-in session.
Once the example works, you can repeat it for an app you actually want ready each day. Remove the Calculator test shortcut when you no longer need it.
Add a desktop or portable app that is missing from Applications
A portable program may not appear in shell:appsfolder. For an app with an executable you can locate:
- Right-click an empty area inside Startup.
- Select New > Shortcut.
- Select Browse and choose the app’s executable file.
- Select Next, give the shortcut a recognizable name, and select Finish.
Leave the program in its normal installation folder. Moving its executable into Startup can separate it from files it needs. A shortcut points to the program without moving it.
For a portable app, keep its folder in a stable location on the PC. A shortcut to a USB drive cannot launch the app when that drive is disconnected.
Why Startup Can Be Empty While Apps Still Open
An empty Startup folder is not evidence that Windows has lost its startup settings. Programs can register their launch elsewhere, including startup tasks, registry entries, scheduled tasks, and services.
Open Settings > Apps > Startup to check the normal app switches. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and select Startup apps in Task Manager.
For an app already listed there, change its switch or enabled status before creating a duplicate shortcut. The folder is useful when you need to add a shortcut yourself; it is not a complete inventory of everything that starts automatically.
For example, an unwanted NVIDIA window calls for checking the app’s startup setting. Driver components running in the background are a separate issue. How to stop NVIDIA App from running in the background explains that distinction.
Remove a Startup Shortcut Without Uninstalling the App
Open shell:startup, select the shortcut you added, and delete it. The installed application stays where it was. Removing the shortcut also does not close a copy that is already running.
To verify the change with the Calculator example:
- Delete Calculator – Startup test.
- Close Calculator.
- Save your work and sign out.
- Sign back into the same account.
Calculator should no longer launch because of that shortcut. If it still opens, another launch mechanism needs checking; deleting additional unrelated entries will not identify it.
On a shared PC, inspect shell:common startup too. Removing a shortcut from your personal folder has no effect on a second copy in the shared folder.
When an App Does Not Launch at Sign-In
The useful evidence is whether the shortcut opens manually, whether a process starts, and which account owns the entry.
The shortcut does not open the app manually
For a conventional desktop shortcut, right-click it and open Properties > Shortcut. Check Target for a file that was moved, deleted, or stored on an unavailable drive.
An app update or reinstall may leave an old shortcut pointing to the previous location. Recreate the shortcut from the current application rather than guessing a replacement path.
Packaged apps do not always expose a conventional executable target in shortcut properties. For those, return to shell:appsfolder and create a fresh shortcut from the installed app.
The shortcut works, but nothing appears after sign-in
First confirm you added it to the account you are testing. Creating a shortcut while signed into one profile will not add it to another profile’s personal folder.
Next, check Settings > Apps > Startup or Task Manager’s Startup apps. If a corresponding entry is present and disabled, enable it. An app missing from that list still needs its folder shortcut checked; the list is not proof that no startup entry exists.
Look in Task Manager’s Processes and the notification area near the clock. Some apps launch minimized or only show a tray icon. A running process with no visible window needs a different investigation from a program that never launches.
For an open window on another virtual desktop, switch desktops in Windows 11 to find it. Do not create several identical shortcuts to compensate for a window you have not located.
The app asks for administrator approval
Putting a shortcut in Startup does not grant administrator privileges. Even an administrator account normally opens desktop apps with a standard access token until elevation is approved.
For an app that always requires elevation, use its vendor’s documented startup method. I would not disable User Account Control just to make a utility open automatically.
The Startup folder is also unsuitable for work that must run before anyone signs in. That requirement calls for a properly configured service or scheduled task, rather than another desktop shortcut.
If the entire desktop becomes black or unusable after sign-in, use Windows 11 black screen after login troubleshooting. A missing app window and a missing Windows desktop are different problems.
Find What Keeps Opening an App After Removal
When an app returns after its shortcut is gone, look for a second reason it starts.
Check both folders. Search your personal Startup folder and the all-users folder for another shortcut to the same app.
Check the app’s preferences. Options such as Launch at startup or Start when I sign in can register the app independently of the shortcut you removed. Turn off the relevant option and check Windows’ Startup apps list again.
Separate startup from session restoration. An app that reappears only when it was left open may be restored from the previous session. Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options and review Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in. Turn it off if you do not want supported apps restored. This changes session restoration generally, not just one app’s startup entry.
Inspect an entry you cannot locate. Microsoft’s Sysinternals Autoruns can show additional autostart locations. Search for the application, check the executable’s properties, and use Jump to Entry to identify where it is registered.
Use that information to change the app’s own setting or the specific startup entry you recognize. Autoruns also exposes services and other Windows components, so treating every unfamiliar result as something to remove can create a new problem.
Recreate Shortcuts When Moving to a New PC
A copied Startup shortcut is not a transferred application. It can retain a target that belonged to the old computer, including a different installation path or Windows profile.
Install or move the app first, verify it opens on the new PC, and then create a fresh local shortcut. For a browser, moving bookmarks and profiles is separate from making it launch at sign-in. Moving Vivaldi to a new Windows 11 laptop covers that data transfer.
Add startup shortcuts one at a time. Check each through a fresh sign-in before adding the next, so a launch failure or unwanted window has a specific change you can reverse.
