How to disable startup apps on Windows 10
Apps can be set to run automatically when you boot to your system. Doing so allows you to have the apps ready to use when you need them. If you have a preferred tool for taking screenshots, and you take screenshots often, you will want the app to be running all the time without the hassle of having to manually open it.
The downside is that when you have a lot of apps set to run at startup, it takes Windows 10 longer to actually finish starting up. This means there will be a longer wait before you can get to work i.e., open other apps or access files without dragging the system down.
If you’d like to trim the apps that run at startup, you can disable them easily.
Disable startup apps on Windows 10
There are three different ways to disable startup apps, and you might have to try all three of them to get a particular app to stop running at startup.
Disable startup apps from Task Manager
This is by far the easiest method to use, and it will work in most cases.
- Right-click the taskbar and select Task manager from the context menu.
- On the Task Manager, go to the Startup tab.
- Look for the app you want to stop from running on startup, select it, and click the Disable button at the bottom right.
This will stop the app from running at startup, but if it is already running, you’re going to have to close it yourself.
Disable startup apps from app settings
Some apps that run at startup do not appear in the Task Manager. Instead, the startup is controlled from the app’s own settings.
Open the app that you know is running at startup, and go to its settings. Look for anything related to startup or for general settings. If you see an option to run the app at startup, uncheck it.
Disable startup from folder
All startup items, or most of them, appear in one folder. If you remove an item from this folder, it will no longer run at startup.
- Tap the Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the run box.
- In the Run box, enter the following.
shell:startup
- Look through the shortcuts to apps, and remove whatever you like. This will not uninstall apps.
Conclusion
If you’re on a standard user account and an app continues to run on startup, it is possible that it has been set to do so by the admin account. Use the admin account to remove an app that you do not need to run when you boot to the desktop.
