If, on a Windows 10 PC, programs meant to launch at PC boot are not launching at all, the issue may be with Windows security settings. Windows 10 does not allow any program to launch automatically from boot up if the program is being "Run as Administrator". To tell if the program you want to launch is being run as admin, please follow the below steps:
- Open the "Run Dialogue" by holding down the Winkey and pressing "R"
- Windows 10 has 2 separate "Startup" folders. Each one can be accessed by typing one of the following into the Run Dialogue:
- Local User Startup Folder - shell:startup
- Local Shared Startup Folder - shell:common startup
- Verify if the icon for the program in question has a shield on it.
-OR-
- If a shield is present, and the program does need to be run as an administrator to properly function, copy the shortcut to the desktop as the program needs to be run manually once Windows has loaded.
- If a shield is present, and the program does not need to be run as an administrator to properly function, right click on the icon and select Properties.
Uncheck the Run this program as an administrator option at the bottom of the Compatibility tab. Then click OK.
The program icon may not lose the shield immediately and may require a reboot to update the icon. This should fix the boot issue immediately, though.
Article Version 1.0 2019.11.1