Windows 10 reopening apps on fresh startup? Try this fix
Last year, Microsoft pushed the Fall Creators Update of Windows 10, introducing a number of features and performance improvements. The release was well received, but it also introduced the capability to re-open last used apps on a fresh boot - something that many users don't really like. There's no direct fix for the issue, but you can definitely workaround the problem. Here's how.
Automatic app re-opening: How that happens?
Previously, Windows' 'Shut down' command meant the OS would close all open apps/programs and give users a fresh slate on the next boot. But now, it bookmarks open apps prior to shutting down and launches them again after startup. This takes the clean slate element away and leads to lags, especially when resource intensive apps (like Photoshop) were left open prior to shutting down.
So, how can we fix this?
Settingwise, there's no direct way to fix this issue. You cannot change Windows 10 settings to stop it from remembering and then re-launching last used apps. But, you can definitely change the way of shutting down Windows 10 to make sure all the programs are force-closed before the shutdown command is executed.
Use traditional shutdown methods - with slight tweaks
If you prefer the traditional 'Start menu' way of shutting down Windows, go for it, but remember to long-press the 'Shift' key while clicking the 'Shut down' icon on the screen. Without this, the OS won't close all apps prior to executing the shutdown command. The same can also be done by using the famous 'Alt+F4' key combination from the desktop.
Use command prompt, create a shutdown shortcut
Command prompt can be used to execute any process on Windows 10, even shut down. Just open the 'Command prompt' dialog box, enter 'shutdown /s /f /t 0' as the trigger command, and press enter. The system will then close all apps and shut down the machine. And, if you don't want to repeat the process, create a shortcut of the same command.
How to create a command prompt shortcut
In order to create a new shortcut, right click on the desktop, head over to the 'New' button, and click on 'Shortcut'. Then, enter the same command in the wizard and your shortcut will be created for easy, systematic shutdown.
