How to Fix Windows 11 Startup Apps Not Showing

User Case: Windows 11 Startup Apps Not Appearing

Some users find that their Windows 11 Startup Apps not showing. One of the most important things you can do before you start troubleshooting any errors is to determine the actual cause of the error. Once this has been determined, eliminating the error becomes a breeze. These are some of the most common causes.

• Problems with the program itself. If an application is not installed correctly, or if some of its key files are missing, it will not load at startup.
• An incorrectly configured registry can also cause problems with launching the application.
• Problems with UAC (User Account Control) can also cause the Windows 11 startup folder not to work. This is because certain applications require administrative privileges and if these privileges are not granted by UAC due to the problem, the application may not start.

How to Fix Windows 11 Startup Apps Not Showing

If you are experiencing problems with the Windows 11 startup Apps not starting, try these 4 methods to get your computer working properly.

Method 1. Check Startup Manager

If the Windows 11 Startup Apps does not start as expected, the first thing to do is to check if the program is configured to start at boot time. Here is how to check.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc shortcut keys to launch Task Manager. Switch to the Startup tab from the Top.

2. Check if the status of the app you want to launch is Disabled. If it is, then right-click on it and select Enable from the menu.

Method 2. Run SFC and DISM Scan

Sometimes, corrupt system files on your computer can prevent programs from starting at boot. To determine this, you can try running a DISM (Deployment Imaging Services and Management) scan to see if it helps to solve Windows 11 startup programs not starting:

1. Use Windows + S to open the search bar, type cmd and select Run as administrator.
2. In the command prompt character window, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.
3. Enter the following commands in turn, and press Enter to execute the commands respectively to fix Windows 11 startup apps not working.

• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Method 3. Add Program to Startup Folder

Another way to launch programs at startup is by using Windows 11 startup programs folder. Once you place the programs shortcuts in the Startup folder, these programs will automatically start.

1. Navigate to the folder where the problematic application's launcher (.exe file) is located, select it, and click the Copy icon in the Command Bar at the top.

2. Press Windows + R to start the Run command, type shell:common startup in the text field and click OK or hit Enter to start the Common Startup folder.

4. Now, right-click here and select Paste icon. Or, you can also press Ctrl +V to paste the launcher.

5. Click Continue in the confirmation prompt that pops up.

Method 4. Add Program in the Startup using Registry

The registry is the supreme authority in your Windows computer and all the settings you change or anything you do affects the registry. All Windows native application settings and even all third-party software exist in the registry. When your Windows 11 startup apps are not showing up, you can try to modify the registry information to change startup programs on Windows 11.

📚 Note: Before you proceed, it is recommended that you make a backup of your important files. Also, do not make any changes other than what is listed here, as this may damage your computer.

1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run command, type regedit in the text field and click OK or hit Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Paste the following path in the address bar at the top and click the Enter key to navigate to it.

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

3.  Check if the following value data is available in the Startup string here.

• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

4.  Then Check if the following value data is available in the Common Startup string here.

• C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

5. If you find that the data values are different, replace them with the correct data values listed here.
6. If everything is fine, you can choose to manually add the applications you want to load at startup to the Registry. To do this, navigate to the path below.

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

📚 Note: Remember that the changes you make here will be reflected throughout the system, that is, for other user accounts as well.

7. Next, right-click anywhere in the right margin, hover the cursor over New, select String Value from the context menu, and enter the name of the desired app.

8. Navigate to the location where the desired app is stored, right-click on the launcher, and select Copy as path.

9. Double-click the string you just created to add the value data. Then paste the path for the app in the Value data text field. Click OK to save the changes.

10. Once done, restart the computer for the changes to come into effect.

Back up Your Computer to Avoid Accidental Data Loss

I hope you can solve the problem of Windows 11 startup Apps not showing by the method provided above. This includes running the command line to check for corrupted system files on your computer and modifying registry information, etc. To avoid causing data loss, it is recommended that you create a backup of your computer using free backup software.

AOMEI Backupper Standard helps you easily protect your computer's system and the data on it. You can choose File Backup, Disk Backup, System Backup and Partition Backup. With its help, you can also set up automatic backups and you can choose different intervals: daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

Follow the steps below to protect your Windows 11 computer. First, download this software and install it. If you are Windows Server user, you can turn to AOMEI Backupper Server.

1. Launch this software. Under the "Backup" tab, select the "Disk Backup" option.

2. The "Task Name" can be set to help you distinguish backups from each other. Click "Add Disk" to choose the disk.

Tip🌸: You can add multiple disks by clicking Add Disk and select the disk you want to backup. Please remember to restore the disk one by one. 

3. Click the folder-shapped button and select a destination to store the disk image. You can choose to a create a disk to disk backup, or backup disk to USB flash drive or CD/DVD, NAS devices or network drive, etc.

4. Click "Start Backup" to carry out disk backup and wait until the operation is complete. Click "Finish" to exit the interface.

Final Words

When you encounter the problem of Windows 11 startup Apps not showing up, you can find the corresponding solution in this article. But it involves changing registry information, etc. To protect your computer and data security, it is recommended that you create a backup.

AOMEI Backupper can not only help you backup your system and important data, but also help you migrate your operating system or data when you want to upgrade your Windows 11 computer's hard drive.