How to set Windows 10 to automatically reopen running applications at the previous shutdown time

Sometimes you are in a productive session on your Windows 10 PC, but for some reason forced to log out of the account or reboot the system. You may normally need to 'manually' restart your session by relaunching the applications in the previous session.

However, that is a story of the past, Windows 10 can now automatically remember and reopen applications in the previous session when you log back into the same system user account. Here's how to set up this useful feature.

First, open Windows 10's Settings app by clicking the Start menu and tapping on the little gear icon. Or you can also press the Windows + i key combination on your keyboard.

How to set Windows 10 to automatically reopen running applications at the previous shutdown time Picture 1

Under ' Settings ', click ' Accounts '.

How to set Windows 10 to automatically reopen running applications at the previous shutdown time Picture 2

In the ' Accounts ' section you look at the sidebar menu, you will see ' Sign-in options ', click on it.

How to set Windows 10 to automatically reopen running applications at the previous shutdown time Picture 3

The ' Sign-in options ' screen will open, scroll down until you see ' Restart apps ' option. This option has the description: ' Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device after an update or restart ' (roughly translated: Use my login information to automatically set up the system after updating. or restart)

How to set Windows 10 to automatically reopen running applications at the previous shutdown time Picture 4

Tap the switch button just below the app to switch it to the ' On ' state.

Then, close the Settings app.

The next time you log out and log back in on the same Windows 10 user account, the apps Microsoft calls 'restartable apps' during the previous login session will automatically relaunch.

Note that not all apps can be automatically restarted when you enable this Sign-in options. Basically, however, the "supported list" will include modern Windows 10 apps written for the UWP platform - including all those offered on the Microsoft Store - as well as web browsers. common.

Older apps (which use the Win32 API) written for versions of Windows prior to Windows 8 may not be supported.

So with this approach you can limit the device to hibernate or sleep while maintaining the basic applications when you turn on the device.

Lesley Montoya

Update 19 February 2021