I am well aware that when I want to make a programme run on startup under Windows, I am supposed to add a shortcut to the following folder:

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

However, there is also the Startup tab in the Task Manager, where one can enable/disable specific applications running on startup. I like this better because it gives me a single, logical location to control this.

Unfortunately, I am unable to find any way of adding/removing programmes manually. When an app asks me whether I want to run it from startup and I confirm, I presume it changes something in the registries and the app appears in the list within the Task Manager.

Is there a way for me to modify the Startup list within the Task Manager directly, or do I need to go through the registries? Or do I really need to manage this using that silly folder?

1

1 Answer

If you feel comfortable modifying the registry yourself (always make a backup first), you can add the program that way.

1. Open the Start Menu and type regedit, then press Enter.
2. Use the directory structure on the left to navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
3. Right click on "Run" in the folder tree.
4. Highlight New and click String Value
5. Type the name of the program in the Name field that becomes active and press Enter.
6. Double click the new entry and enter the full filepath to the program you want to have run at startup (including quotation marks " if the path contains any spaces).
7. Click OK.

It should then show up in Task Manager and also run when you restart your computer.

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