Start PowerToys minimized when launching on Windows startup

[ItayShallev]

Description of the new feature / enhancement

An option to start PowerToys minimized so it won't pop up on the screen on system startup.

Scenario when this would be used?

When the option of launching PowerToys on system startup is enabled.

Supporting information

No response

[TheJoeFin]

What is popping up? can you share a /bugreport

[mu88]

I'm joining this issue as I don't want to file a very similar one/potential duplicate - please correct me if you'd prefer a dedicated issue.

I'm suffering from the problem that PowerToys does not launch when starting Windows. I use PowerToys v.0.79.0 and Windows 11 23H2 (OS Build 22631.3296). As you can see, Run at startup is enabled:

However, PowerToys are not started when launching Windows. Furthermore, there is no startup entry in the Windows settings:

So I've added a PowerToys shortcut to C:\Users\MyUser\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (shell:startup) and now PowerToys successfully start when launching Windows.
However, the PowerToys Settings Dashboard always pops up:

Please see the attached PowerToysReport_2024-03-30-13-57-48.zip.

PS: please note that my user has no admin privileges.

[ItayShallev]

What is popping up? can you share a /bugreport

This window:

[TheJoeFin]

Here are steps where I added PowerToys to the Task Scheduler to run when a user logs in. Try following these steps to startup automatically and do not add a link to the startup folder in Start or to the Startup section of the Windows Settings app or Task Manager. When I added this to Task Scheduler it started up PowerToys when I logged in and did not open any window.

Please try this and report back if the issue is resolved. /needinfo

Steps shown below:

1. Create new Task in Task Scheduler
2. Add an action to launch PowerToys.exe from "C:\Program Files\PowerToys\PowerToys.exe"
3. Add a trigger to run "At Log on"
4. Save

[mu88]

Thx for that hint @TheJoeFin

However, ideally, this can be described as a workaround, but not a solution. The goal should be for the Run at startup button in PowerToys to do what it should do, i. e. start PowerToys when the system starts up.

[TheJoeFin]

@mu88 part of figuring out the issue is seeing if it can be manually resolved. If that is the case then changes might need to happen around how the installer tries to set up this task, or maybe the code needs more retry logic. Can you confirm following these steps solves the issue for you?

[mu88]

I didn't want to appear rude. If that's the case, I'm sorry - I appreciate your help.

I will try the suggestion and get back to you.

[mu88]

Okay @TheJoeFin , I've configured a scheduled task, but it does not run at login:

However, I manually opened PowerToys and literally clicked the Run at startup toggle a dozen or so times and now PowerToys start 🤪🙈

[TheJoeFin]

@mu88 PowerToys relies on Task Scheduler to work, if your test revealed that Task Scheduler does not work, then the issue is with Task Scheduler and not PowerToys. I'm not sure what a solution would be to this scenario. Are there other programs in Task Scheduler which are triggered and launched correctly? /needinfo

[mu88]

@TheJoeFin I think I found the issue: on my machine, I have two different accounts:

• Mirko
• MirkoAdmin

I've installed PowerToys via Chocolatey. Chocolatey highly recommends executing it with admin privileges - so did I, i. e. under MirkoAdmin. However, I actually run PowerToys as Mirko - but the scheduled task is registered for MirkoAdmin, although I'm toggling the Run at startup button in PowerToys under my Mirko account:

I can easily reproduce the issue:

• Run Task Scheduler as Mirko → Task Scheduler entry exists as shown in the previous screenshot
• Run PowerToys as Mirko and disable Run at startup → Task Scheduler entry is still there
• Manually delete the scheduled task
• Enable Run at startup (running as Mirko) again → no scheduled task is created
• Run PowerToys as MirkoAdmin via UAC triggered from Mirko and enable Run at startup → Task Scheduler entry gets created

[TheJoeFin]

@mu88 thank you for investigating. Not sure how this gets resolved or if this is an issue with PowerToys that can be resolved. What do you think? /needinfo

[mu88]

Good question, but I fear I don't have enough insights to answer it properly 🤷🏻‍♂️ from a user perspective, I think the use-case Install PowerToys under an admin account and run/start them under a non-admin account seems like a reasonable demand. But of course, I understand that there might be internal/technical reasons for making this hard.

Maybe a good starting point would be if you/your fellow colleagues could reproduce the issue on your side. Because so far it's just me having this problem, right?

Just out of curiosity: what's this /needinfo that you put at the end of your posts? 🤓

[TheJoeFin]

Install PowerToys under an admin account and run/start them under a non-admin account

I believe this is the root of the problem. At the very least we should highlight this use case and make sure users understand how PowerToys works. Maybe update the "auto run" UX to highlight which user is setting that setting and when it will trigger.

what's this / need info that you put at the end of your posts?

It is a command for GitHub automation to apply the correct labels and organize issues into projects so the team knows the status if the issue.

[TheJoeFin]

@jaimecbernardo what do you think about the scenario where PowerToys is installed as an Admin user but then doesn't open at Startup when the standard user signs in. Should/can we update this UI to explain more of the details on exactly what triggers PowerToys to launch.

Also I would guess this scenario of admin user installing then not launching during normal user logs in could the source of issues related to PowerToys not starting when expected. Hard to catch that scenario unless we somehow identify that the current running instance is different than the instance used to install PowerToys.

[microsoft-github-policy-service[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 5 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 5 days of this comment.

[jaimecbernardo]

@jaimecbernardo what do you think about the scenario where PowerToys is installed as an Admin user but then doesn't open at Startup when the standard user signs in. Should/can we update this UI to explain more of the details on exactly what triggers PowerToys to launch.

Also I would guess this scenario of admin user installing then not launching during normal user logs in could the source of issues related to PowerToys not starting when expected. Hard to catch that scenario unless we somehow identify that the current running instance is different than the instance used to install PowerToys.

@TheJoeFin , getting more info in the label makes sense. We do have weird bugs when PowerToys runs as a different user than the one currently logged in.

[AlainCh2]

Solved both the issues:

1. PowerToys non starting up at boot
2. PowerToys not minimized at startup

W10, last update User account Administrator and the only account on this PC

[mu88]

@AlainCh2: do these manual changes "survive" when upgrading PowerToys?

[AlainCh2]

@AlainCh2: do these manual changes "survive" when upgrading PowerToys?

So far .. YES !!!

( even survived a W10-FileExpore crash ! )

[AlainCh2]

@AlainCh2: do these manual changes "survive" when upgrading PowerToys?

Having the same issue as before I googled ... and found myself's workaround! ( Luckily it happens very often - I cant remember "how" after 15 years )

UPDATE:

No taskManager entry

So it should be launched in "Startup folder" by a Shortcut. [YES!] ... Wrongly configured ... [NO, it is not] .

.

But PowerToys keep launching itself fully open at boot.

.

And in PowerToys I cannot find the "App Settings" ... ....maybe they are hidden somewhere, instead of being in the main window ??? !!

Yes, they are hidden in the Colonel voice of the left part!!!!

.

You may say it's not a Colonel ! It's a General !!! ... but for me it may be a Sergeant I dont care ... It can be more fashion to refer to the TOP ... but, but, but ... it's not under "APP SETTINGS" as expected by everybody.

AND NO START MINIMIZED OPTION <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

With the new update and a full reinstall we are back to tile ZERO

### how to avoid having that stuff clogging the screen

[AlainCh2]

More than one year passed, the issue is still where it was ... nobody Answered ...