Open programs at startup on Windows
I use a PC Windows? Then know that you can adopt different solutions for open programs at startup: analyze the ones I am about to propose and choose the one that seems to you best suited to your needs.
Automatic recovery of programs in Windows 10
Windows 10 1709 (Fall Creators Update) introduced a feature that allows the system to automatically reopen programs that were running before the computer was restarted or shut down and to resume work where it left off.
The function is active automatically but, it is good that you know, it does not support all programs. At the time of writing, for example, it is possible to exploit it with the Chrome browser but not with LibreOffice. Unfortunately, there is no official compatibility list, so you have to experiment and find out for yourself which software is supported and which is not.
To check if the automatic program recovery function is active on your PC, click on the button Home Windows (the flag located in the lower left corner of the screen), access Settings system (the gear icon located on the left of the menu that opens) and go up Account.
At this point, select the voice Access options from the left sidebar and check if the toggle for the option Use my login information to automatically complete my device setup after a reboot or update is set to On: if not, activate it yourself and the automatic program reset function will take effect immediately.
If in the menu Settings> Accounts> Login options you do not find any reference to the above option, you are probably using a version of Windows 10 lower than 1709. To remedy this problem, start a search for the latest available updates via Windows Update and install the latest version of Windows.
If you have any doubts or problems regarding the procedure to follow to update Windows 10, consult my tutorial dedicated to the latter.
Adding Programs to the "Startup" folder
If you are using a version of Windows older than 10 1709 or, in any case, the programs of your interest are not supported by the automatic recovery function included in the latter, you can resort to a fairly old solution, but still valid: copy the software links you want to start with Windows in the folder Automatic execution of the PC.
By copying the link to a program in the "Startup" folder, in fact, it will be launched automatically every time you log in to Windows, and then every restart or restart of the PC. The state of the previous job will not be restored (unless the program to be started includes a similar function within it), but the software will start automatically and will be immediately ready to be used.
To access the Windows "Startup" folder, all you have to do is call up the panel Esegui ..., pressing the combination Win + R on the PC keyboard, and give the command Shell:startup, I follow the pressure of the tasto Submit. To copy the links to the software of your interest into the folder, you can follow two paths.
- Right click on the program's .exe file (presumably in the folder C: Program FilesNome Programma, select the item Copy from the context menu, go to the folder of theAutomatic execution, right click in it and select the item Paste link give the menu check if you press.
- Open the menu Home, locate the program to be included in the Autorun, right click on its icon, select the items More> Open File Location from the context menu, to copy the connection to the selected program (it will automatically be shown In the Windows File) and paste it in the folder Automatic execution.
If you change your mind, you can delete a program from Autorun simply by opening the appropriate folder and deleting the link you inserted in it.
Open File Explorer at startup
The program you would like to open on PC startup is File Explorer? Then know that, in this case, all you have to do is access an option present in the software itself, without copying its link in the Startup folder.
To enable automatic reopening dell'Esplora File each Windows logon, open any folder, click on the button Fillet collocato in alto a sinistra and selects the voice Change folder and search options give the purpose menu.
In the window that opens, select the tab viewing, metti il segno di spunta accanto alla voce Restore open folders on login and click on the buttons Apply e OK to save the changes. From now on, File Explorer will automatically open when Windows starts, showing the last opened folder.
Use suspension or hibernation
If your intention is to immediately resume work from where you left it before shutting down your PC, my advice is to avoid the classic shutdown function and use the suspension ol 'hibernation.
With suspension, all operations performed on the PC are paused and running programs are saved in RAM. Then the PC enters a state of suspension, precisely, which does not shut it down completely but which consumes very little energy. Then just press a key on the keyboard or move the mouse to "wake up" the machine and resume work where it was left off.
Hibernation allows you to obtain a similar state, only that it provides for the saving of running programs on the disk rather than on the RAM and makes the computer completely shut down (thus making it necessary to press the power key to resume work). It is not suitable for computers equipped with modern solid state drives.
Both shutdown options should be available in the menu Home Windows. If hibernation is not available, you can enable it by following the instructions you find in my tutorials on how to hibernate Windows 10, how to hibernate Windows 8 and how to hibernate Windows 7.
Open programs at startup on Mac
I use a Mac? I have great news for you! MacOS, the operating system of Apple computers, integrates a practical function that allows you to reopen running programs after a restart or shutdown of the machine. The work that had been left hanging is thus recovered and then you can go back to work on the computer as if nothing had ever happened.
To have macOS reopen running programs after shutting down or restarting the computer, click on the icon apple located in the upper left corner of the screen and select the item Restart o Switch off from the menu that opens (depending on whether you want to restart or shut down your Mac).
In the window that opens, put the check mark next to the item Reopen windows when logging back in, confirm the restart or shutdown of the computer by pressing the appropriate button and, upon new access to macOS, you will be able to resume your work from where you left it.
Set the programs to start automatically
Alternatively, if you don't want to resume all your work after restarting or shutting down your Mac, but only want to open certain programs every time macOS starts, go System preference (the gear icon on the Dock bar) and select the icon Users and groups from the window that opens.
At this point, select yours username from the left sidebar, move to the tab Login elementsclick on your button [+] present at the bottom of the screen that is proposed to you and select the applications you want to set to start automatically. At each access to macOS, the programs added to the list will be launched automatically.
If you change your mind, you can remove the programs set to start automatically on MacOS back in the menu System Preferences> Users> [your name]> Login Items, selecting the latter and pressing the button [-] placed at the bottom. Easier than that ?!
How to open programs at startup
