How to Launch an App Automatically on a Kiosk Terminal with shell:startup

Note: The screenshots in this article were captured in a Japanese-language Windows environment. Menu and setting names may differ slightly in an English-language installation.

The Startup Folder is an easy way to automatically display Windows desktop apps on a kiosk. When you place a display app shortcut, the app launches after the target user signs in to Windows.

This method works for touch kiosks, digital signage, unmanned information terminals, and other permanent display devices that sign in to a dedicated user and launch a display app.

Verification items	Content
Target OS	Windows 10／11
Target	current user
Command used	shell:startup
Execution timing	After signing in to Windows

Suitable configuration for startup folder

The startup folder is suitable for configurations where display applications or startup batch files are executed after signing in to the Windows regular desktop. The same method can be used for digital signage and unmanned information terminals in stores and facilities, as long as they use a regular desktop.

Setup is easy if the following conditions are met:

• Dedicated user signs in to Windows
• Launch the app on the regular desktop
• This app does not require administrator privileges.
• No need for complex delays, retries, or execution conditions

Even if you start the PC with RTC wakeup, startup will not be executed if it stops at the sign-in screen. When adopting automatic sign-in, please design it with the risk that the user environment may be used by someone with physical access to the device.

What is the startup folder?

The startup folder is a folder that stores shortcuts to applications that run when a user signs in to Windows. See the Microsoft official startup app settings document. However, for apps that are not registered, there is a guide on how to place a shortcut to the executable file in the startup folder.

Difference between shell:startup and shell:common startup

Windows has a startup folder for the current user and for all users.

command	Target	standard path
shell:startup	current user	%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
shell:common startup	All PC users	%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

If you want to start the display app only for kiosk-only users, use shell:startup. Dedicated users are usually preferable because placing them in an all-users folder may require administrator privileges, and the maintenance account will also start the app.

Open startup folder with shell:startup

Using the keyboard shortcut Win + R, open “Run” and enter shell:startup.

1. Open “Run”

When you press Win + R, the “Run” dialog box will be displayed.

2. Type shell:startup and click OK

Enter the following in the “Name” field and click OK.

shell:startup

3. Startup folder will open

A folder named “Startup” will open in Explorer. In the initial state, you have not added any shortcuts, so “This folder is empty” is displayed.

Place app shortcuts

Rather than moving the app itself, place a shortcut to the executable file or startup batch file.

1. Prepare the executable file or shortcut of the app you want to start automatically

Open “Run” with Win + R and enter shell:appsfolder to open a list of applications registered in Windows. Right-click the target app and create a shortcut, or create a shortcut from the executable file.

If you want to start a Node.js app etc. from a batch file, create a shortcut to the batch file. Please run it manually first to make sure that the working folder and absolute path are correct.

2. Copy (place) the shortcut to the startup folder

Copy or move the shortcut you have prepared to the startup folder opened with shell:startup.

3. Check that it has been placed

When you reopen the startup folder, the shortcuts you placed will be listed in the folder. In this example, we were able to confirm that the following items were registered in the folder.

The shortcut name should be one that allows maintenance personnel to determine what to start. If you move or delete the app itself, the link will break, so please be careful not to change the link destination after placing it.

Sign in again and check if it works

After setting, sign out and sign in again to the target kiosk user. Please check the following:

• App starts automatically
• The correct screen/URL/content is displayed
• Enter the desired display state, such as full screen display.
• Can be restored even if started before network preparation
• A recovery method is determined when the app is closed.

Next, restart the PC and check the operation using the same boot path as the actual one.

Items to check if it does not start automatically

• Are you signed in as the Windows user who placed the shortcut?
• Are the shortcut’s “link destination” and “work folder” correct?
• Is it possible to start the app itself or batch file manually?
• Is it disabled in “Settings” → “Apps” → “Startup”?
• Is it disabled in Task Manager’s “Startup Apps”?
• Are the necessary processes such as network and XAMPP ready?
• Does the app request administrator privileges?

Apps that require administrator privileges may display a UAC confirmation and may stop unattended startup. If you need permissions, delayed startup, and retries on failure, Task Scheduler is better than Startup.

Cases of choosing something other than a startup

requirements	suitable method
Simply start after signing in	startup folder
I want to delay it by several tens of seconds.	task scheduler
I want to rerun when it fails	Task scheduler or monitoring process
Requires administrator privileges	Use task scheduler after designing permissions
Display only Edge and compatible apps in full screen	Windows assigned access
replace the desktop shell itself	Consider Shell Launcher with compatible editions

Assigned Access, Microsoft’s kiosk feature, allows you to automatically launch supported apps when you sign in with a dedicated account, and manage their restarts when you close them. If you want to restrict not only the opening of apps but also the user’s Windows operations, the Kiosk function is more suitable than the Startup function.

Reference materials

• Configure Windows startup apps (Microsoft Support)
• How to configure a Windows kiosk (Microsoft Learn)
• Assigned access recommendations (Microsoft Learn)

Summary

Setting items	Content
purpose	Automatically launch content display app when logging in
Functions used	Startup folder (shell:startup)
real folder path	%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
How to open	Win + R → “Run” → shell:startup
Setting method	Place the shortcut of the app you want to launch in the folder
Reflection timing	Automatically enabled from next Windows login

The Startup folder is suitable for simple kiosk/persistent display configurations where apps are launched after signing in to the regular Windows desktop. For unattended operation, please test the sequence of steps from automatic startup of the PC, signing in to a dedicated user, starting the display application, and recovery in the event of a failure.