How can I control the order of startup programs in Windows? without any need of 3rd Party app. Upon searching, I came up with this article from HowToGeek.com which suggests 2 ways to do it, either using an app called WinPatrol (which I am not willing to use) or using a custom batch script.
While I find the "batch script" way more appropriate for my needs I have doubt in doing that as follows.
- Since the startup programs in Windows usually have registry entries mentioning that they're supposed to be run at starting of Windows.
- Having same apps called using
startcommand of Windows (as mentioned in How-To Geek article) would launch that app twice?
I may not be precise in elaborating my question, but I want a way to control the sequence of my existing startup programs. And I understand the risks involved in changing startup order, especially with Antivirus and other necessary apps.
6 Answers
You can do it using Windows Task Scheduler:
Create a task with boot initialization trigger for each application that you want(the task will start the program/service that you want) and add a specific delay(such as 20s, 25s, 30s...) timer on initialization for each one.
Here you can see an example about creating a task on task scheduler.
In order to adjust the order of programs in the registry, you will need to remove them from this registry path (deleting the entries) and replace the registry start for the scheduler start method.
I hope this could solve your problem. Good look, Have fun :D
1This is the method I use:
Go to:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartupStartupdirectory is also under Start > All Programs- You can also use Win+r and type
shell:startup
Create a shortcut of the
.exeto launch at startup, then cut/paste it intoStartupRename in the order you want:
1_name 2_name 3_nameReboot
In 2021 you can user power of Powershell and get full control of such actions, for example set a shortcut in shell:startup folder to starter.vbs file:
Dim objShell,objFSO,objFile
Set objShell=CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set objFSO=CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
scriptdir = objFSO.GetParentFolderName(WScript.ScriptFullName)
strPath = scriptdir & "\start.ps1"
If objFSO.FileExists(strPath) Then set objFile=objFSO.GetFile(strPath) strCMD="powershell -noprofile -executionpolicy bypass -command " & Chr(34) & "&{" &_ objFile.ShortPath & "}" & Chr(34) objShell.Run strCMD,0
Else WScript.Echo "Failed to find " & strPath WScript.Quit
End Ifwhich will silently run start.ps1 powershell script:
$chrome = Get-Process chrome -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($chrome) { [Diagnostics.Process]::Start("C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome_proxy.exe","--profile-directory=Default --app-id=cdofaenddnbpbpbojpjnlndemfblmpfk");
}
Remove-Variable chrome
sleep 6
$firefox = Get-Process firefox -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($firefox) { [Diagnostics.Process]::Start("C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe","");
}
Remove-Variable firefox
ExitOr, for apps under "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup", create a batch job in that folder. Copy the path of each app shortcut that is already in the start up folder and paste them in the batch job in the order you want them to launch.; On Windows 10 you can also introduce a delay between, to give time to fully open before running. For example, Act! Cloud Integration is an Outlook add-in, if both are in the start up Outlook loads before Act! and the add-in either is disabled or doesn't show at all. So I created the following batch command:
@ECHO OFF
echo "Starting Act! Integration for Outlook..
"C:\Program Files (x86)\ACT\ACT for Web\ClientSrvs\Office\Outlook\ACT!.Integration.exe" W
timeout /t 10 > nul
echo Starting Outlook..
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\Office16\OUTLOOK.EXE"
Don't forget to remove the shortcuts you are replacing!
1_name, 2_name seems the most userfriendly opt here. just make shortcuts for the programs u want to start with windows, and disable the ones you want to start this way from taskmanager-startup :)
Thanks. This was clever
2Use WinPatrol (right-click manage startups or service), then move one to delay startup.
2
