How do I set a program to launch at startup

Question

I have a small application with a CheckBox option that the user can set if they want the app to start with Windows   My question is how do I actually set the app to run at startup   ps  I m using C  with  NET 2 0

User · Answer

If an application is designed to start when Windows starts (as opposed to when a user logs in), your only option is to involve a Windows Service. Either write the application as a service, or write a simple service that exists only to launch the application.

Writing services can be tricky, and can impose restrictions that may be unacceptable for your particular case. One common design pattern is a front-end/back-end pair, with a service that does the work and an application front-end that communicates with the service to display information to the user.

On the other hand, if you just want your application to start on user login, you can use methods 1 or 2 that Joel Coehoorn listed.

User · Answer

Here is all way to add your program to startup for Windows Vista  7  8  10        File path         C  Users Bureau Briffault AppData Roaming Microsoft Windows Start   Menu Programs Startup  Visible from task manager  Running on current   user login success  No admin privileges required       C  Users Default AppData Roaming Microsoft Windows Start   Menu Programs Startup  Visible from task manager  Running on all user   login success  Admin privileges required            Registry path         HKEY CURRENT USER Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run    Visible from task manager  Running on current user login success  No   admin privileges required       HKEY CURRENT USER Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion RunOnce    Not visible from task manager  Running on current user login success    Running for one login time  No admin privileges required       HKEY LOCAL MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run    Visible from task manager  Running on all user login success  Admin   privileges required       HKEY LOCAL MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion RunOnce    Not visible from task manager  Running on all user login success    Running for one login time  Admin privileges required            Task scheduler         Microsoft Win32 Taskscheduler dll  Not visible from task manager    Running on windows boot  Running as admin  Admin privileges required

User · Answer

lt summary gt          Add application to Startup of windows          lt  summary gt           lt param name  appName  gt  lt  param gt           lt param name  path  gt  lt  param gt      public static void AddStartup string appName  string path                using  RegistryKey key   Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey               SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true                         key SetValue appName         path                                    lt summary gt          Remove application from Startup of windows          lt  summary gt           lt param name  appName  gt  lt  param gt      public static void RemoveStartup string appName                using  RegistryKey key   Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey               SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true                         key DeleteValue appName  false

User · Answer

I found adding a shortcut to the startup folder to be the easiest way for me  I had to add a reference to  Windows Script Host Object Model  and  Microsoft CSharp  and then used this code   IWshRuntimeLibrary WshShell shell   new IWshRuntimeLibrary WshShell    string shortcutAddress   Environment GetFolderPath Environment SpecialFolder Startup       MyAppName lnk   System Reflection Assembly curAssembly   System Reflection Assembly GetExecutingAssembly     IWshRuntimeLibrary IWshShortcut shortcut    IWshRuntimeLibrary IWshShortcut shell CreateShortcut shortcutAddress   shortcut Description    My App Name   shortcut WorkingDirectory   AppDomain CurrentDomain BaseDirectory  shortcut TargetPath   curAssembly Location  shortcut IconLocation   AppDomain CurrentDomain BaseDirectory     MyIconName ico   shortcut Save

User · Answer

Thanks to everyone for responding so fast  Joel  I used your option 2 and added a registry key to the  Run  folder of the current user  Here s the code I used for anyone else who s interested       using Microsoft Win32      private void SetStartup                 RegistryKey rk   Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey               SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true            if  chkStartUp Checked              rk SetValue AppName  Application ExecutablePath           else             rk DeleteValue AppName false

User · Answer

You can do this with the win32 class in the Microsoft namespace  using Microsoft Win32   using  RegistryKey key   Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey  SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true                  key SetValue  aldwin          Application ExecutablePath

User · Answer

Add an app to run automatically at startup in Windows 10 Step 1  Select the Windows Start button and scroll to find the app you want to run at startup  Step 2  Right-click the app  select More  and then select Open file location  This opens the location where the shortcut to the app is saved  If there isn t an option for Open file location  it means the app can t run at startup  Step 3  With the file location open  press the Windows logo key   R  type shell startup  then select OK  This opens the Startup folder  Step 4  Copy and paste the shortcut to the app from the file location to the Startup folder

User · Answer

You can create a registry entry in  HKCU Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run   just be aware that it may work differently on Vista  Your setting might get  virtualized  because of UAC

User · Answer

Several options  in order of preference    Add it to the current user s Startup folder  This requires the least permissions for your app to run  and gives the user the most control and feedback of what s going on  The down-side is it s a little more difficult determining whether to show the checkbox already checked next time they view that screen in your program  Add it to the HKey Current User Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run registry key  The only problem here is it requires write access to the registry  which isn t always available  Create a Scheduled Task that triggers on User Login Add it to the HKey Local Machine Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Run registry key   The only problem here is it requires write access to the registry  which isn t always available  Set it up as a windows service  Only do this if you really mean it  and you know for sure you want to run this program for all users on the computer    This answer is older now  Since I wrote this  Windows 10 was released  which changes how the Start Menu folders work    including the Startup folder  It s not yet clear to me how easy it is to just add or remove a file in that folder without also referencing the internal database Windows uses for these locations

User · Answer

It s a so easy solution   To Add  Microsoft Win32 RegistryKey key   Microsoft Win32 Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey  SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true   key SetValue  Your Application Name   Application ExecutablePath     To Remove  Microsoft Win32 RegistryKey key   Microsoft Win32 Registry CurrentUser OpenSubKey  SOFTWARE  Microsoft  Windows  CurrentVersion  Run   true   key DeleteValue  Your Application Name   false

User · Answer

In addition to Xepher Dotcom s answer  folder path to Windows Startup should be coded that way   var Startup   Environment GetFolderPath Environment SpecialFolder Startup

[c#] How do I set a program to launch at startup

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