Disabled Startup program does not run after re-enabling it on Windows 11/10

If using Task Manager or MSCONFIG, you have disabled some start-up programs, and then subsequently you decide to re-enable them; and in spite of re-enabling them again, you find that they do not start up at boot time, then this post may help you.

Disabled Startup program does not run after re-enabling it

The reason for this happening is as follows:

The following Registry data are saved when startup applications are disabled. When the applications are re-enabled, the registry data are restored as REG_SZ type.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

When you re-enable a startup application that requires path environmental variables specified with the Registry type REG_EXPAND_SZ, the environmental variables are no longer usable and the application will not be executed because the Registry item is restored as REG_SZ instead of REG_EXPAND_SZ.

To resolve this issue, do the following:

Change the Registry type to REG_EXPAND_SZ.

1. In MSConfig Startup tab, check the command for each application.
2. If the command has environmental variables such as %SystemRoot%, check the location to see if it is in the Registry
3. If it is in the Registry, remember the location and command
4. Start Registry Editor by clicking %SystemRoot%\regedit.exe.
5. Locate the Registry you noted in Step-3 and remember the value name of the corresponding command.
6. Right-click the value and delete it
7. Create new value with “Expandable String value”
8. Name the new value the name you noted above.
9. Set the command you remembered at Step-5 as the value data of the new value.

Read: List of Startup Paths, Folders and Registry Settings in Windows 11/10.

Remember to create a system restore point first.

Related: Startup items not appearing in Task Manager.