This article explains how to access and utilize the Startup Folder on a PC running Windows 10.

What to Know

  • Press Windows+R > type shell:startup in text box. Startup Folder will appear.Add program: Right-click in Startup Folder > New > Shortcut > Browse > choose program > confirm.Remove program: Select program in Startup Folder > Delete.

How to Find the Win 10 Startup Folder

The quickest way to access the Windows 10 startup folder is to use the Run Command box method. Here’s how to do it:

  • Open the Run Command dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key + R.
  • Alternatively, you can also type Run in the search box next to the Start menu icon at the bottom of the screen. Then, select Run from the top of the search results that appear.
  • Type shell:startup into the text box.
  • The Windows 10 startup folder should appear in the middle of your screen, ready for you to remove or add programs to it.
  • If you want to add a program:
  • Right-click within the folder to open a menu.From this menu, select New > Shortcut.In the dialog box that pops up, select Browse to choose the program you want to add from a list of programs.Choose your program and click OK > Next.Select Finish.
  • This will add a program shortcut for your desired program to the Windows Startup folder. Once it’s added, this program will run when Windows 10 starts up again.
  • If you want remove a program from the startup folder:
  • Click the program you want to remove and then select the Delete button at the top of the folder. (The Delete button icon should look like a big red X.)

What is the Windows 10 Startup Folder Anyway?

The Windows startup folder is a folder to which you can add programs or apps that you’d like to have running as soon as Windows 10 starts up on your PC. The folder usually only contains programs or apps that you’ve manually added to it.

Open the Run Command dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key + R.

Alternatively, you can also type Run in the search box next to the Start menu icon at the bottom of the screen. Then, select Run from the top of the search results that appear.

Type shell:startup into the text box.

The Windows 10 startup folder should appear in the middle of your screen, ready for you to remove or add programs to it.

If you want to add a program:

  • Right-click within the folder to open a menu.From this menu, select New > Shortcut.In the dialog box that pops up, select Browse to choose the program you want to add from a list of programs.Choose your program and click OK > Next.Select Finish.

This will add a program shortcut for your desired program to the Windows Startup folder. Once it’s added, this program will run when Windows 10 starts up again.

If you want remove a program from the startup folder:

Click the program you want to remove and then select the Delete button at the top of the folder. (The Delete button icon should look like a big red X.)

Just because you can add a bunch of programs to run at startup, that doesn’t mean you need to or should always do so. In fact, adding too many programs to this folder may result in slowing down your PC’s startup. Remember: When it comes to adding programs or apps to this folder, less is more.

The main thing to remember is that if you want to have a program start as soon as Windows 10 begins running, you’ll need to add your desired program to this particular folder. And if you change your mind later, and would like to stop a certain program from running at startup, you’ll need to remove that program from this folder as well.

It’s also important to remember that the Windows 10 startup folder is not the same thing as the Startup tab in Task Manager, although they both deal with programs that run at startup. While the Startup tab in Task Manager does allow you to enable and disable certain programs from running at startup, the Startup tab doesn’t have the ability to completely remove or add programs to the PC’s list of programs that are allowed to run when Windows 10 is starting up.

If you want to be able to completely modify which programs are and aren’t allowed to run at startup, you’ll need to make those changes within the Windows 10 startup folder.

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