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To start a program when you sign in to Windows, create a named string value in the appropriate Registry Run key and set its data to the program’s command line. Use HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) for the current user or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) for machine-wide startup. Choose RunOnce instead only when the command should run once.
Choose the right Registry key
Make two choices before editing: whose sign-in should trigger the program, and whether it should happen at every sign-in or only once.
| Purpose | Registry path | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Current user, every sign-in | HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun |
Starts for the user whose account contains the value. |
| Current user, one time | HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce |
Runs once for that user, then removes the value by default. |
| All users, every sign-in | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun |
Registers startup for the computer. Editing HKLM generally requires administrator access. |
| Machine-wide, one time | HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRunOnce |
Runs once under the conditions described below; it is not a general one-time task for standard users. |
Microsoft documents these four paths and describes each value as a descriptive string name paired with a command line. If you want an application to start whenever you sign in, use Run, not RunOnce. Microsoft advises reserving RunOnce for transient setup or completion tasks rather than repeatedly recreating its entries. (Microsoft Learn: Run and RunOnce Registry Keys)
Add a program to a Run key
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Open Registry Editor: press Windows+R, type
regedit, and press Enter. Approve the User Account Control prompt if one appears. Editing HKLM typically requires an administrator account.The Tool Desk
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Navigate to the appropriate
Runpath from the table. For the current account, use the HKCU path. To register it for the computer, use the HKLM path. -
In the right pane, right-click an empty area and choose New > String Value. Give the value a descriptive name, such as the application name. The name identifies the entry; it is not the command that launches the program.
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Double-click the new value and enter the command line in Value data. Include the executable’s full path and any required arguments. If the path contains spaces, enclose the executable path in quotation marks; place any arguments after the closing quotation mark.
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Select OK and close Registry Editor. Sign out and sign in again to check whether the application starts.
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Microsoft documents a maximum command-line length of 260 characters for these values. Keep the command pointed at the intended executable, and do not assume the application will launch immediately or in a fixed order relative to other startup entries.
What RunOnce does—and its exceptions
A RunOnce entry is deleted by default before Windows runs its command. Consequently, if the command fails, its value may already be gone. Microsoft documents a value name prefixed with ! as an option that defers deletion until after the command runs. By default, RunOnce entries are skipped in Safe Mode; a name prefixed with * can force execution there. These prefixes are exceptions for specific requirements, not settings most startup apps need. (Microsoft Learn: Run and RunOnce Registry Keys)
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Machine-wide HKLM...RunOnce has an additional restriction: it runs only when a member of the Administrators group logs on after a reboot. Microsoft identifies non-execution for a standard user as expected behavior, not necessarily a fault in the command. (Microsoft Support: Standard user: RunOnce and RunOnceEx are not being executed)
Limits and safety checks
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Startup timing is not guaranteed. Windows may delay programs in a
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Execution order is indeterminate. Do not rely on one Run value starting before another. If a program depends on another task, use an appropriate mechanism that supports the required ordering instead of assuming Registry value order.
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Treat the command as code that will run automatically. Verify the executable path and use a trusted file whose permissions prevent unauthorized modification. This is a general security principle; the Registry entry does not itself make an application safe.
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Do not have a RunOnce program rewrite startup entries while it is executing. Microsoft warns that writing to the key during execution can interfere with other registered programs.
Check or troubleshoot startup entries
If a recurring program does not start
Confirm that the value is under the intended account or machine path, that its data contains a valid command line, and that the executable still exists at that location. Remember that Windows does not promise immediate execution. Startup folders are another Windows autostart location, so a program may have been configured there instead of in the Registry.
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If a RunOnce task does not run
Check whether the entry is in HKLM RunOnce and whether the sign-in occurred after a reboot under an Administrators-group account. For a failed attempt, remember that the value is normally deleted before execution; use the documented ! prefix only if deletion must wait until the command has run. Safe Mode normally skips RunOnce entries unless the value name uses the documented * prefix.
Inspect multiple autostart locations
Microsoft Sysinternals Autoruns provides a broader view of autostart locations, including Run and RunOnce entries and Startup folders. It is useful when you need to find what is configured to launch, not just the value you added.
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