Many apps on Windows 10 are now Windows Store apps without traditional .exe files. Although these apps work a bit differently, you can still launch them on startup with the conventional startup folder.
Use startup settings (only works with some apps)
The latest versions of Windows 10 offer an easy way to manage startup apps in the Settings app. This only works for specific Store apps that specifically request permission to run on startup. For example, if you install Spotify from the Microsoft Store, you can use the Settings app in Windows to set whether or not Spotify opens on startup.
To find this interface, head to Settings > Applications > Startup. Scroll down and toggle a Store app “On” to run when Windows starts. For example, set Spotify to “On” and Windows will start it when you connect to your computer.
This is the official method, but the majority of Store apps you install won’t appear in this list because their developers haven’t built in this option. You can, however, add apps to Windows startup, including apps from the Windows Store.
Soon: How to Manage Startup Programs in Windows 10 Settings App
Add a shortcut to your startup folder (for any app)
Although the Settings interface doesn’t help much, the traditional method of launching a program at startup still works. All you have to do is add a shortcut to this app in your startup folder. It works for traditional desktop apps and Windows Store apps.
First, open your user account’s startup folder. To do this, launch a file explorer window, type shell:startup in the address bar, then press Enter.
Any shortcuts you place in this folder will automatically launch when you log into Windows with your current user account.
To add a shortcut to this list, open the Start menu and locate the application you want to launch on startup. Drag and drop the application shortcut directly from the Start menu to the Startup folder.
Note that you cannot drag and drop an app after searching for it in the Start menu. You will need to find the app in the list of all apps on the left side of the Start menu, or in the tiles on the right side of the Start menu.
Some Windows users add shortcuts to the Startup folder by right-clicking a Start menu entry and selecting “Open file location” to view the shortcut file before copying that file. You can’t do this with a Windows Store app, but that’s fine: just drag and drop the app shortcut directly from the Start menu to create a shortcut.
If you prefer to copy the shortcut from File Explorer, open a second File Explorer window and plug shell:appsfolder into its address bar.
You’ll see the same list of apps that appears in your Start menu, and you can also drag and drop shortcuts from here directly into the Startup folder. However, you can only drag and drop one app at a time. You can’t select multiple apps and drag them all over the place at the same time.
Windows will automatically run all shortcuts in this folder after you log in.
If you change your mind, go back to the Startup folder and delete the app shortcut. Windows will stop launching it when you log in.
This trick works with any Windows app, not just Microsoft Store apps. Feel free to drag and drop desktop app shortcuts into this folder as well.
Once you’ve added the shortcuts to your startup folder, you can right-click the shortcuts here and select “Properties” to change their startup options. For example, you can automatically open Chrome in incognito mode when you log into your PC by adding the appropriate options to its shortcut.
