How to Auto-Start Applications After a Restart on a Windows Server (RDP)

When managing a Windows Server via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), you may need certain applications to automatically launch after a server restart. This ensures that critical applications, services, or background tasks continue running without manual intervention. Here’s a step-by-step guide to configuring your Windows Server to auto-start applications after a reboot.

The easiest method to ensure an application starts automatically after a restart is by adding its shortcut to the Startup folder. Windows checks this folder during boot-up to execute any shortcuts placed inside it. Follow these steps:

1.1 Locate the application’s shortcut on your desktop or in its installation directory.

One way to find an existing shortcut is to search for your application (e.g., Chrome & MT5) in the Start menu. Once found, right-click on the application and select "Open file location". This will take you directly to the folder where the application’s shortcut is stored, making it easy to copy and add it to the Startup folder.

1.2 Copy the application shortcut (e.g., Chrome & MT5) to the Startup folder path C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp

Refer to step 1.1: Right-click on the application (e.g., Chrome & MT5) in the Start menu, select "Open file location", then copy the shortcut. Next, navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp and paste the shortcut into this folder.

In order for applications to launch automatically after a server restart, the server must log in automatically. You can achieve this using the AutoLogon tool from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite. This tool allows you to set up automatic login for a specific user account. Follow these steps:

2.1 Download AutoLogon from the official Microsoft Sysinternals website:https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon

2.2 Run the downloaded executable and extract it to your desired location.

2.3 Open Autologon64.exe and enter the username, password, and domain (you can ignore the domain if not required) for the account you want to log in automatically. Once set up, the server will log in automatically after a restart, allowing any applications in the Startup folder to launch as expected.

To confirm everything is working, restart the server, wait for it to boot, and try accessing the server after 3-5 minutes, as the applications may take some time to start automatically. Check if the applications (e.g., Chrome & MT5) in the Startup folder launch without any issues. If they do, your setup is complete!