How to Access the Windows 10 Startup Folder
Have got an accessed using windows 10? or still waiting for such a guide that helps to know how to access the windows 10 startup folder?
For those who have never used Windows 95, they don’t know about Startup Folder and its role.
Whenever Windows 95 was started, any program that was in the Startup Folder would boot up and run.
The operating system itself executed a batch script called autoexec.bat. If someone knew about Power DOS, then they could use the text editor and modify the script.
How to Access the Windows 10 Startup Folder?
This way, they could add their favorite program to boot up when the PC was switched on. The user didn’t had to wait for their programs to load up and boot and could start working right away.
When Windows NT came into the picture, the autoexec.bat was still used. However, Microsoft didn’t want users to stay in a scripted and command-line situation and wanted to encourage them to adopt a graphical interface model.
This graphical interface model has files and folders, which eliminates the use of any autoexec.bat file.
However, those who feel that this is a very useful feature, and are using Windows 10, can still look up for it. Those who have already used it in the past would know the importance of the clickable icons, which have made their user experience more simple.
If someone wanted to run Microsoft Word in Windows 95, they had to open a command-line interpreter, and then type a command in it “winword.exe”. This was a time-consuming step, and would actually annoy many people in today’s time.
Startup Folder Location
To use the Startup Folder in Windows 10, just follow the steps given below:
- Open the Run Box
- Type “Shell: Startup” and then hit enter
- This will take the user to Current Users Startup Folder
- Type “shell: common startup”, and then hit Enter
- This will take the user to the All Users Startup Folder
If the user wants to access the Current User Startup Folder, then they need to go to Users, Username, App Data, Roaming, Microsoft, Windows, Start Menu, Programs, and then Setup.
- If the user wants to access the All Users Windows 10 folder, then they should go to the C folder, Program Data, then click on Microsoft, Windows, Start Menu, Programs, and finally Start-Up.
- The best part about accessing the startup folder is that the user gets to decide the program that loads whenever the PC starts.
They can directly jump to the Startup folder using the Run command, or they can go from the main folder to the subfolders, in order to open the Startup Folder.
Enable and Disable Programs
At times, a program might stop working in the middle of a user doing something important.
In order to handle this problem, the user can always access the Windows Task Manager and disable any program that they don’t want anymore.
Similarly, users can also access the Startup Folder using the Task Manager.
- First, open the Task Manager, and then in the same window, click on Startup.
- This tab will show you the programs that you want to see.
- You can now right-click on a program of your choice and then disable or enable it.
Windows Settings
There are so many ways of opening the Startup folder, that the user wouldn’t face any difficulty doing so.
They can even use the Windows Settings to open the folder.
- Open Settings in Windows 10
- Click on Apps
- Click on Startup Apps
Here, the user will see a message that tells them, they can configure apps to start, once they are logged in. Under this message, there would be a list of apps, giving the user a chance to on and off them.
Booting up the Startup Folder
When you log in to your Windows 10, there are some programs that startup on their own. For example, if you have Skype installed on your computer, then it might open right away when you run Windows 10.
Such programs are launched directly from the startup folder, while some are defined by Microsoft.
- It is not necessary that the Startup folder only contains the programs or files that the user wants to run.
- It also contains scripts that the user might want to use when they log in.
- Some files are a necessary and permanent part of the operating system and run automatically when the computer starts.
Management of Startup Folder
Is the Startup folder really important? This is the main question most people must be asking, after reading information about the folder. A Startup folder is important, and its management is necessary as well.
There are processes and programs that a user would want the OS to run automatically when they sign in because that saves them a lot of time. This could be very convenient for the user if they have the same routine working on a PC. Further, if they are the only one using the PC in question, then this could be a time saving for them.
However, the main disadvantage here is that, when processes and applications run automatically, they can use a lot of computer resources. This could slow down the login process, and the user would have to wait for more for the computer to load.
In case the user feels that their computer is facing performance issues, then they need to take a look at their Startup folder, and see what is wrong with it. They can stop the programs and applications from opening, which aren’t necessary.
Recommendations about Programs to Add
In case you want to know more about what programs to add to a Startup folder, keep reading this article. The three main things that you can add to the folder is security software, backup software, and the software that you use regularly.
This could be a VPN or a cloud storage app. The user should always remove the scripts that they don’t use regularly and even applications that are not necessary.
The Startup folder can be really helpful for users, and they can easily find it on Windows 10. However, they should make sure that only programs and applications that they need on a daily basis, are included in the folder. This way, the performance of their computer won’t slow down at all.
FAQs
Can I access the Windows 10 Startup Folder?
In order to access the Startup folder in Windows 10, press the Windows Key+R at the same time.
- Enter the command “shell: startup”, and press Enter.
- Now you will be able to access the Startup Folder and see the processes and applications that run when you launch Windows 10.
What is the definition of a Startup Folder?
A Startup Folder is used by users to enable a specific set of programs, which would run whenever Windows 10 is launched.
This saves the time of the user, and they won’t have to find applications to run them. This folder is usually found in the programs folder, and the user can access it by clicking the Start button.
Can I add programs to a Startup Folder?
To make using a computer more convenient, the user can drag the icon of the application or program that they want to add to the Startup folder.
Read more: Chrome Extensions Not Working on Windows 10