How to start a C # application when Windows starts?

Question

I made an application that starts at startup, with the following code below.
The process starts on the process manager tool after restarting, but I do not see the application on the screen. When I open the same .exe file from the startup registry value, the program works fine.

// The path to the key where Windows looks for startup applications RegistryKey rkApp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); // Add the value in the registry so that the application runs at startup rkApp.SetValue("MyApp", Application.ExecutablePath.ToString()); 

What can I do to fix this?

Answer 1

Code here (application for the win form):

 using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Data; using System.Drawing; using System.Text; using System.Windows.Forms; using Microsoft.Win32; namespace RunAtStartup { public partial class frmStartup : Form { // The path to the key where Windows looks for startup applications RegistryKey rkApp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); public frmStartup() { InitializeComponent(); // Check to see the current state (running at startup or not) if (rkApp.GetValue("MyApp") == null) { // The value doesn't exist, the application is not set to run at startup chkRun.Checked = false; } else { // The value exists, the application is set to run at startup chkRun.Checked = true; } } private void btnOk_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { if (chkRun.Checked) { // Add the value in the registry so that the application runs at startup rkApp.SetValue("MyApp", Application.ExecutablePath); } else { // Remove the value from the registry so that the application doesn't start rkApp.DeleteValue("MyApp", false); } } } } 

Answer 2

Try this code

 private void RegisterInStartup(bool isChecked) { RegistryKey registryKey = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey ("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); if (isChecked) { registryKey.SetValue("ApplicationName", Application.ExecutablePath); } else { registryKey.DeleteValue("ApplicationName"); } } 

Source: http://www.dotnetthoughts.net/2010/09/26/run-the-application-at-windows-startup/

Answer 3

You can try copying the shortcut to the application into the startup folder instead of adding it to the registry. You can get the path using Environment.SpecialFolder.Startup . This has been available on all .net infrastructures since version 1.1.

Alternatively, you might find this site useful, it lists many different ways you can get the application to start automatically.

Answer 4

 public class StartUpManager { public static void AddApplicationToCurrentUserStartup() { using (RegistryKey key = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true)) { key.SetValue("My ApplicationStartUpDemo", "\"" + System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location + "\""); } } public static void AddApplicationToAllUserStartup() { using (RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true)) { key.SetValue("My ApplicationStartUpDemo", "\"" + System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location + "\""); } } public static void RemoveApplicationFromCurrentUserStartup() { using (RegistryKey key = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true)) { key.DeleteValue("My ApplicationStartUpDemo", false); } } public static void RemoveApplicationFromAllUserStartup() { using (RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true)) { key.DeleteValue("My ApplicationStartUpDemo", false); } } public static bool IsUserAdministrator() { //bool value to hold our return value bool isAdmin; try { //get the currently logged in user WindowsIdentity user = WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent(); WindowsPrincipal principal = new WindowsPrincipal(user); isAdmin = principal.IsInRole(WindowsBuiltInRole.Administrator); } catch (UnauthorizedAccessException ex) { isAdmin = false; } catch (Exception ex) { isAdmin = false; } return isAdmin; } } 

you can check out the whole article here

Answer 5

1- add namespace :

 using Microsoft.Win32; 

2- add an application for registration:

 RegistryKey key=Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); key.SetValue("your_app_name", Application.ExecutablePath); 

if you want to remove the application from the registry :

 key.DeleteValue("your_app_name",false); 

Answer 6

I did not find any of the above code. Maybe because .NET 3.5 works in my application. I dont know. The following code worked fine for me. I got this from a senior level .NET developer on my team.

 Write (Microsoft.Win32.Registry.LocalMachine, @ "SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Run \", "WordWatcher", "\" "+ Application.ExecutablePath.ToString () +" \ "");

 public bool Write(RegistryKey baseKey, string keyPath, string KeyName, object Value) { try { // Setting RegistryKey rk = baseKey; // I have to use CreateSubKey // (create or open it if already exits), // 'cause OpenSubKey open a subKey as read-only RegistryKey sk1 = rk.CreateSubKey(keyPath); // Save the value sk1.SetValue(KeyName.ToUpper(), Value); return true; } catch (Exception e) { // an error! MessageBox.Show(e.Message, "Writing registry " + KeyName.ToUpper()); return false; } } 

Answer 7

I tried the code below first and it didn't work

 RegistryKey rkApp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); rkApp.SetValue("MyAPP", Application.ExecutablePath.ToString()); 

Then I changed CurrentUser to LocalMachine and it works

 RegistryKey rkApp = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); rkApp.SetValue("MyAPP", Application.ExecutablePath.ToString()); 

Answer 8

An open source application called "Startup Creator" customizes Windows startup by creating a script, providing an easy to use interface. Using powerful VBScript, it allows you to run applications or services with time intervals of delay, always in the same order. These scripts are automatically placed in your startup folder and can be opened back to make changes in the future.

http://startupcreator.codeplex.com/

Answer 9

for WPF: (where lblInfo is the label, chkRun is the checkBox)

this.Topmost is just to save my application on top of other windows, you will also need to add a using statement using Microsoft.Win32; ", StartupWithWindows is my application name

 public partial class MainWindow : Window { // The path to the key where Windows looks for startup applications RegistryKey rkApp = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run", true); public MainWindow() { InitializeComponent(); if (this.IsFocused) { this.Topmost = true; } else { this.Topmost = false; } // Check to see the current state (running at startup or not) if (rkApp.GetValue("StartupWithWindows") == null) { // The value doesn't exist, the application is not set to run at startup, Check box chkRun.IsChecked = false; lblInfo.Content = "The application doesn't run at startup"; } else { // The value exists, the application is set to run at startup chkRun.IsChecked = true; lblInfo.Content = "The application runs at startup"; } //Run at startup //rkApp.SetValue("StartupWithWindows",System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location); // Remove the value from the registry so that the application doesn't start //rkApp.DeleteValue("StartupWithWindows", false); } private void btnConfirm_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) { if ((bool)chkRun.IsChecked) { // Add the value in the registry so that the application runs at startup rkApp.SetValue("StartupWithWindows", System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location); lblInfo.Content = "The application will run at startup"; } else { // Remove the value from the registry so that the application doesn't start rkApp.DeleteValue("StartupWithWindows", false); lblInfo.Content = "The application will not run at startup"; } } } 

Answer 10

If you cannot configure the application to start automatically, you can try inserting this code into the manifest

 <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false" /> 

or delete the manifest, I found it in my application

Answer 11

I think there is a certain call to the Win32 API that takes the path to the program and automatically puts it in the registry for you in the right place, I used it in the past, but I no longer remember the name of the function.

Answer 12

OK, here are my 2 cents: try paving the path with each backslash as a double backslash. I found that sometimes calling the WIN API requires this.