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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Startup apps are apps Windows is configured to launch when you sign in. The separate restartable apps option is a sign-in setting Microsoft specifically documents as a way to stop Microsoft Edge from starting automatically. They are different controls: use the Startup apps list to manage registered automatic launches, and the restartable-app option for the documented Edge case. Microsoft’s guidance does not fully specify which apps qualify as restartable or exactly what state Windows restores.
How the two settings differ
| Question | Startup apps | Restartable-app option |
|---|---|---|
| What it controls | Registered apps configured to launch automatically when you sign in. | A sign-in option named “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in.” Microsoft’s cited instructions use it for Edge. |
| Where to find it | Settings > Apps > Startup, Task Manager > Startup apps, or a Startup folder shortcut in some cases. | Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. |
| What Microsoft documents | The registered-app list, Startup folder locations, and Task Manager impact labels. | An Edge-specific way to turn off the named option; the cited article does not detail general app eligibility or full restore behavior. |
| When to check it | When you want to review or prevent an app’s explicit automatic launch at sign-in. | When Edge starts at sign-in and you want to try Microsoft’s documented setting. |
Microsoft’s Configure Startup applications in Windows guide describes the Startup apps controls. Its Edge startup guidance names the restartable-app option. The distinct locations and documentation mean the controls should not be treated as synonyms or as a universal master switch.
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Change an app’s Startup apps setting
- Open Start > Settings > Apps > Startup.
- Find the app and switch it off to prevent its registered automatic launch when you sign in. Switch it on to allow it to start automatically.
- Alternatively, open Task Manager > Startup apps to view the same registered-app list and its impact information.
Microsoft’s wording for an enabled app is: “Set the toggle to On to start the app automatically when you sign in.” The setting changes the automatic launch registration; it does not establish that the app cannot be opened manually or run for another reason.
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Turn off the documented restartable-app option for Edge
- Open Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Turn off “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign in.”
Microsoft presents this as an Edge remedy in its Stop Microsoft Edge from starting automatically article. The cited documentation does not define which other apps qualify as restartable or specify precisely what app state is restored, so do not assume turning this option off disables every app’s Startup apps registration.
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Find apps that are not listed
If an app is missing from the registered Startup apps list, it may be launched by a shortcut in a Startup folder. Microsoft documents these locations:
shell:startupopens the current-user Startup folder, corresponding to%userprofile%AppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup.shell:common startupopens the all-users Startup folder, corresponding to%ProgramData%MicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup.
Enter either shell command in File Explorer’s address bar to open that folder. To remove an app launched by one of these shortcuts, delete its shortcut. See Microsoft’s Startup applications guide for the folder guidance.
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Use Task Manager’s impact labels carefully
Task Manager’s labels describe measured startup impact based on CPU and disk use. Microsoft publishes these thresholds in its startup-app guide:
| Label | Microsoft’s stated criteria |
|---|---|
| Low Impact | Total CPU usage under 300 milliseconds and total disk usage under 292 kilobytes. |
| Medium Impact | Total CPU usage under 1 second but over 300 milliseconds, or total disk usage under 3 megabytes but over 292 kilobytes. |
| High Impact | Total CPU usage over 1 second or total disk usage over 3 megabytes. |
| None | The startup app is disabled. |
| Not Measured | The app is enabled, but no data is available to measure it. |
These are Microsoft’s published category thresholds, not a benchmark of your particular PC and not a promise that disabling an entry will produce a specific boot-time improvement. Microsoft says unnecessary startup apps can slow startup and add background use, but the result of disabling an individual app depends on the system and app.
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Troubleshoot the symptom you actually see
- A particular app opens after sign-in: Check Settings > Apps > Startup and Task Manager > Startup apps, then disable its registered launch if present.
- Edge still opens and you want to stop the documented restart behavior: Check Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options for the restartable-app option.
- The app is absent from the list: Check the current-user and all-users Startup folders using
shell:startupandshell:common startup. - Windows takes a while to start: Use Task Manager’s impact labels to decide which startup entries to investigate first; they indicate measured impact, not guaranteed savings.
- An app stays active when you are not using it: Check its background-app permissions separately. Microsoft treats background activity as a separate performance control in its Windows performance guidance.
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