The Windows 10 Startup Folder is the system folder that contains the shortcuts of all the applications that starts when Windows OS boots up.
In earlier Windows operating systems, accessing the startup folder was quite straightforward. Users could locate it right from the start menu itself. After the modernization of Windows OS from Windows 8, many functionalities were hidden, directly accessing the Startup Folder Location was one of them.
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The startup folder in Windows 10 is the same as the startup folders of older Windows OS. Like Windows 10 startup folder, they also used to contain the shortcuts of the selected startup applications. The difference is that, unlike the previous OS, the startup folder location cannot be accessed directly from the Start menu on Windows 10. You require a few more navigation.
On Windows 10, the startup folder is located in two locations. One folder is the All Users folder, which is shared among every user accounts of Windows. The second is the Current User Folder, which can only be accessed by the user of the currently logged-in account.
In this post, we would walk through the steps to access both of the Windows 10 startup folder locations. Further, we would also know how to add or remove programs in the Windows 10 startup.
Access the All Users Windows 10 Startup Folder Location
To access the Startup Folder location in Windows 10, which is common for all user accounts. Follow these steps:
On the windows search box, type run and click on the Run app icon to launch it.
In the run command window, type or copy/paste this command: Shell:common startup.
Hit the enter key
The All users Windows 10 startup folder would be launched
Alternatively, you can access the folder by following this path: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
Just copy and paste this path on the File Explorer’s Quick Access bar.
Access the Current User Windows 10 Startup Folder Location
If you want to access the current user startup folder location in Windows 10, follow these steps:
- On the windows search box, type run and click on the Run app icon to launch it.
- In the run command window, type or copy/paste this command: Shell:startup.
- Hit the enter key
- The Current user Windows 10 startup folder would be launched.
Alternatively, you can access this folder by following this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Just copy and paste this path on the File Explorer’s Quick Access bar. Don’t forget to replace the [User Name] with the user name of your current account.
How to add Applications to Startup?
You might want to add some applications to the Windows startup so that they automatically launch whenever you start your computer. To do that, follow these steps:
Note: You need administrative privileges to add applications to all user startup folder.
- Navigate to the All user or current user (wherever you want to add the apps) Windows 10 startup folder location.
- Right-click on an empty space, hover the mouse pointer over New, and select Shortcut.
- On the next window, type the location of the application launcher file or browser for it to create its shortcut.
- Next, choose the application which you want to add to the startup. Click OK.
- Type the name of the shortcut and click Finish to conclude the process.
- The added shortcut would be launched on the system startup.
How to remove an Application from the Startup?
There are some applications that might unnecessarily launch on the system startup. You can restrict such apps by deleting their shortcuts from the Windows 10 startup folder. Here are the steps for that.
Note: You require administrative privileges to remove applications from all user startup folder.
- Navigate to the All user or current user (wherever you want to add the apps) Windows 10 startup folder location.
- Right-click on the shortcut of the application that you want to remove from startup and choose Delete.
Alternatively, follow these steps:
- Launch the Windows Task Manager
- Switch to Startup tab
- Select the application that you want to remove from startup and click Disable.
Conclusion
Windows users have many reasons to access the Windows 10 startup folder location. If you use some applications regularly and wants them to get started automatically on the Windows startup, you can add the shortcuts of such application in the startup folder. On the other hand, there might be some applications that you don’t like to be automatically launched on the Windows 10 startup. By accessing the Windows 10 startup folder location, you can easily delete the shortcut of such applications and restrict them from launching. To perform such tasks, the Windows 10 users need to know the Windows 10 startup folder location, which is where the steps listed in this guide would help you.
Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.