If OneDrive is not opening on startup in Windows 11 or Windows 10, here is how you can fix the issue. Although OneDrive opens automatically on startup, when configured to do so, incorrect settings or internal conflicts can prevent it from starting. This article explains why OneDrive doesn’t open at startup, so you can fix the issue in moments.
OneDrive not opening on startup in Windows 11/10
If OneDrive is not opening on startup in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:
- Check OneDrive settings
- Enable OneDrive in Task Manager
- Enable OneDrive from Windows Settings
- Change Registry setting
To learn more about these steps, continue reading.
1] Check OneDrive settings
It is the very first thing you need to check when OneDrive fails to start on startup on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC. The OneDrive app includes an in-built option that allows users to enable or disable OneDrive from starting at startup. In other words, you can use this option to allow or prevent OneDrive from being started when you log in. If you disable this setting, you won’t be able to get OneDrive when you turn on your computer.
To verify this setting, follow these steps:
- Click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray.
- Click on the setting gear icon and select Settings from the list.
- Switch to the Settings tab.
- Tick the Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows checkbox.
- Click the OK button.
- Restart the OneDrive app.
After that, you will find OneDrive when you log in to your user account on your computer. However, if this setting is already enabled, there is no need to change anything.
2] Enable OneDrive in Task Manager
It is possible to enable or disable an app at startup using Task Manager. Earlier, it was placed in the System Configuration panel. However, now you can add or remove apps from startup using the Task Manager on Windows 11/10 PC. If you removed it earlier, you wouldn’t find OneDrive when logging in to Windows for obvious reasons. Therefore, follow these steps to enable OneDrive in Task Manager:
- Press Win+X to open the WinX menu.
- Select Task Manager from the menu.
- Switch to the Startup tab.
- Find the status of Microsoft OneDrive.
- If Disabled, select it and click the Enable button.
After that, you won’t have issues starting the OneDrive app on startup in windows 11/10.
3] Enable OneDrive from Windows Settings
Like Task Manager, you can use Windows Settings to enable or disable an app from being started at startup. Since there are two options for adding an app at startup, this might cause conflicts. That is why it is recommended to verify the Windows Settings panel as well. For that, do the following:
- Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
- Go to the Apps tab.
- Click on the Startup menu.
- Find out Microsoft OneDrive.
- Toggle the respective button to turn it on.
However, if it is already turned on, there is no need to change the setting.
4] Change Registry setting
There is a Registry setting that is responsible for starting apps at startup. If this String Value is not present on your computer, you might not be able to open OneDrive on startup. As it is user-account-dependent, you need to verify or create this Sting Value for each account. To verify that, follow these steps:
Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.
Type regedit and hit the Enter button.
Click the Yes option.
Navigate to this path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Find the OneDrive String Value.
If it is not there, right-click on Run > New > String Value.
Name it as OneDrive.
Double-click on it to set the Value data as-
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\OneDrive.exe"/background
Click the OK button.
Restart your computer.
After that, you should not have any problems opening the OneDrive app automatically at startup.
That’s all! Hope this guide helped.
OneDrive not starting automatically in Windows 11
If OneDrive isn’t starting automatically in Windows 11, the first thing to check is OneDrive Settings. Go to the preferences, and make sure the option to launch at sign‑in is enabled. You should also look at the Task Manager’s Startup tab to confirm OneDrive is allowed to run when Windows boots. Another place to verify is the Startup section in Windows Settings under Apps, where the OneDrive toggle should be on. In some cases, Group Policy or Registry configurations may prevent it from launching, so adjusting those can help. Once these changes are made, restart your computer to see if OneDrive now opens automatically.
How do I make OneDrive open on startup?
There are multiple settings you might need to check to make OneDrive open on startup. The first thing you need to set is in the OneDrive’s Settings panel. For that, open the Settings of OneDrive and switch to the Settings tab. Here you can find an option called Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows. You need to check this box and click the OK button.
Why is my OneDrive app not opening?
If your OneDrive won’t start at all, you need to check the Registry Editor and the Local Group Policy Editor. There are two settings in those apps that can be responsible for this issue. You need to verify those settings to open OneDrive on your computer without any lag or issue.
Does OneDrive need to run at startup?
It depends on your usage. Although OneDrive is not needed to run to use your Windows computer, some people might need this app for various reasons. If you use OneDrive intensively to save and synchronize files across multiple computers in real-time, you might want to run OneDrive at startup.
Read: Reset OneDrive to fix OneDrive problems on Windows.
