How to Stop Windows from Reopening Random Apps You Didn’t Ask for

Windows has a built-in feature that automatically reopens the applications you were running before shutting down or restarting your PC . This feature is designed to help you pick up where you left off. Interestingly, this feature is not enabled by default, so it only affects users who have chosen to enable it or have settings that allow it.

While this may seem convenient, it causes a lot of problems—reopening apps you don’t need, slowing down your startup, and creating clutter on your desktop. It’s so annoying that many people end up turning it off and wish they had.

Why Windows reopens applications after logging in

How Windows “remembers” your last session

It can be a bit of a surprise when you log into your Windows computer after shutting down or restarting it and find that applications from previous sessions are still running. At first, many people think they accidentally hibernated the system instead of shutting it down. But when this happens again and again, they realize that there is actually a Windows feature that causes applications to open automatically.

Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft added a setting that allows supported apps to automatically reopen after a reboot. This isn’t the same as startup apps, where apps launch every time your computer boots. Instead, it focuses on the apps you had open in your previous session. Windows aims to restore your workflow exactly as you left it, which sounds convenient in theory.

This feature works silently in the background. During shutdown or restart, Windows keeps track of the apps you have open and signals them to launch again when you log back in. Most built-in Windows apps, like File Explorer, Paint, Calculator, and Notepad, as well as some UWP apps from the Microsoft Store, support this feature. Basically, Windows tries to remember your last session and saves you a few steps when you return to it.

If you have a standard set of applications that you open every day, this feature can be useful. And if you regularly hibernate your computer but need to restart or shut down for some reason, this feature can still be useful.

Preventing Windows from automatically opening random applications is pretty easy.

Simple tweak that will save your morning

While it doesn’t take much time to close these auto-restart apps, many people still decide to disable this feature permanently. It’s pretty simple.

If you want to do the same, start by pressing Windows + I to launch the Settings app . From there, go to the Accounts tab , then scroll down to Account settings and click Sign-in options . Under Additional settings , you’ll find an option labeled Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in . Simply turn this option off and Windows will stop reopening apps you don’t ask for.

How to control which apps restart automatically

Manage your startup applications

Disabling Windows’ automatic application restart feature doesn’t mean you have to spend time manually opening everyday applications – that would be a step backward. For programs you use every day, rely on Windows’ Startup Apps feature, which gives you complete control over what opens when your PC boots.

To manage this, go to Settings > Apps > Startup . Here, you’ll see a list of all the apps that can be configured to launch when Windows starts. You can enable or disable each app depending on whether you want it to open automatically or not. For example, you can leave Outlook, Slack, OneDrive, Phone Link, and a few other essential apps on while disabling the rest. This way, you can have a quick, clean startup with all the tools you need at hand.