How to find the Windows 10 Startup folder

Whenever you start your PC, Windows 10 will load a series of startup programs that open at the same time as the operating system, controlled through the Startup folder on the PC. The following article will show you where to find and control what is in that directory.

Whenever you start your PC, Windows 10 will load a series of startup programs, opening at the same time as the operating system. Some of these are first-party software, like Windows Defender and OneDrive, while others are third-party software that you have installed on your PC.

These programs are controlled through the Startup folder on your Windows 10 PC. The following article will show you where to find and control what is in that folder for all users.

How to find the Windows 10 Startup folder Picture 1 — Programs are controlled via the Startup folder

By default, the Windows 10 Startup folder for all users is:

 C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartUp

You can also access the Startup folder by pressing Win + R , then enter shell: common startup in the Run box.

How to find the Windows 10 Startup folder Picture 2 — Enter shell: common startup in the Run box

To find the Startup folder for users currently logged in to Windows 10, visit:

 C:UsersUserAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup

. or press Win + R , then enter shell: startup.

Once in this directory, you might be surprised to find that programs that start with Windows 10 aren't really here.

You can add program shortcuts manually here and they will start with the PC from now on, but the applications have been automatically added by third-party software or Windows 10 controlled from Tasks. Manager .

How to find the Windows 10 Startup folder Picture 3 — You can add program shortcuts manually

To access them, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc , then click the Startup tab . From here, you can control the rest of the programs that start with Windows, right-click on them and turn them on or off as you like.

Now you have found the Startup folder . You can check if these applications are slowing down the Windows start up process. You can also delay this so that these startup items don't load immediately, in order to improve boot speed.