The project exposes a per-user startup option in General Behavior. Use that setting before creating extra startup shortcuts or scheduled tasks. Duplicate launch mechanisms make it harder to determine why the menu opens twice or behaves differently across accounts.
What to do
- Open the menu settings while signed into the account that needs Open-Shell. Locate General Behavior and the Start automatically for this user option.
- Enable the option when you want that account to use Open-Shell after sign-in. Avoid adding a second manual startup entry at the same time.
- Sign out and back in, then test the Start button and Windows key. Do not use a simple menu restart as a substitute for a sign-in test.
- When startup still fails, record installed version and account type. Check whether organization policy or another shell tool affects the sign-in environment.
Check the result
Test the intended user and, on a shared PC, a different user separately. A successful startup for one profile does not establish that every profile is configured.
Limits & precautions
Do not turn a per-user preference into a system-wide forced launch without an administrative deployment plan. Duplicated startup shortcuts may mask the actual setting.
Questions & answers
Where is the startup setting?
The project FAQ places it in General Behavior in Open-Shell Menu settings.
Does it automatically affect every account?
The option is explicitly described as applying to the current user.
Sources & scope
Documentation checked October 30, 2026. These instructions are documentation-led, not a claim of hands-on testing on your Windows build.