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There are times when you want a Windows application to start automatically as soon as your computer boots up, even before you log into your account. Many programs designed to run unattended offer an option to run as a Windows service, which allows them to launch as soon as Windows finishes loading. But if your application does not offer that feature, you can still configure it to start on boot.
Why Would You Need This?
There are plenty of scenarios where this becomes useful:
- You have a computer acting as a media server for your game console.
- You are streaming movies or music from a PC to your phone or tablet.
- The machine sits in a closet or basement with no monitor or keyboard connected.
- You want to power it on and walk away without logging in.
- You access your PC remotely and need certain applications running before someone logs in.
In my case, I use an iPhone app that lets me remotely turn on my PC over the cellular network. Since no one is home to log into Windows and launch the application, I need Windows to do it automatically on startup.
How to Set It Up
The simplest way to accomplish this is by creating a scheduled task in the Windows Task Scheduler. You can do this in Windows XP, but the steps below walk through the process using Windows 7. The steps are very similar in later versions of Windows.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open Control Panel
- Open Administrative Tools
- Launch Task Scheduler
- Click Create Task
(Do not use “Create Basic Task” because it does not provide the settings needed to start before login.) - Under the General tab:
- Select Run whether user is logged on or not
- Go to the Triggers tab:
- Click New
- Select At Startup as the trigger
- Go to the Actions tab:
- Click New
- Select Start a program
- Browse for the program you want Windows to launch during boot
- When saving the task, Windows will ask for your username and password.
- Enter your credentials so the application can run with your user permissions even when you are not logged in.
Test Your Setup
Restart your computer and wait at the login screen. Your application should already be running. If everything is configured correctly, Windows will start the program automatically the moment the system boots up.