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Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
- Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
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Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Catlover > 2025-12-07 05:52
Hello everyone, and many thanks to the author for this very useful program. I'm very happy with it.
I'm just here to ask for a little clarification regarding the program's autostart.
I use the portable version of Quick Access Popup (always updated to the latest version available), and the program does indeed start automatically, except after about a minute. As you can see from the attached image (which shows a portion of the Win11 Apps > Startup page), the program's autostart is enabled. As you can also see, there are other applications that have autostart enabled, and some of them (for example, Open-Shell or Smart System Menu) start almost immediately, while others (Quick Access Popup or, for example, StrokesPlus) start after about a minute.
Could someone explain to me why this is the case, and if it's possible to make Quick Access Popup start immediately?
Thanks in advance. -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Jean Lalonde > 2025-12-07 11:54
Hi Catlover,
Welcome to the QAP forum. I could not tell. Maybe a QAP user could help with this?
Jean -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
dr Winchell > 2025-12-07 18:04
I have a couple of thoughts:
1. See the pinned item on the Support page titled "Issue saving your menu?" Maybe a better title would be slow saving of menu.
It talks about Microsoft Defender being the cause.
2. How many items are in your Live folders. The default is 500 and I have raised mine to 3000 to cover my Live folders.
Check Task Manager at start up. You will probably see Quick Access Popup running while it initializes.
It is definitely worth the minute wait! -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Catlover > 2025-12-08 10:03
Hi all, thanks for your answers.
Not sure what you mean with "Live folders", anyway in attachment you can see what I see in Task Manager. It appears after a while. -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
LaurentG > 2025-12-08 12:54
Personnally, I can see two reasons :
- either the startup is delayed
- or it takes in itself a long time.
A test to balance between both is the following : Stop QAP, then launch it manually (double clicking on the .exe file)
In this "manual" launch, how long does it take before being operational (ie icon in tray no more greyed, but colored) ?
In my case +/- 4 seconds
If the "manual" startup is "normally" fast, it is the first option to be privileged.
I don't know exactly how windows works to lauch programs defined as autostart, but I could imagine it launches one after the other the different apps mentioned in HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key of registry.
If it's the case, I don't know how would be defined the order. Maybe alphabetic order of entries in the registry key, but maybe also the creation date order of different entries ?
What are the other applications ?
Are some of them taking very long to start (that could maybe - even if I'm not sure at all ! - delay the others launched after it) ?
Last, if you remove the autostart defined in HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run (simply deactivating autostart in QAP's menu), and on the other hand add a shortcut in the startup menu ( C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu and/or C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu), does it start "faster" ? if faster, it coud be a solution (at least, a workaround) -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Xavier > 2025-12-09 02:10
As Laurent said
- either the startup is delayed @1
- or it takes in itself a long time. @2
@1 qap creates a start up link in ur personal start up folder, which is loaded last. If you manually at it to the registry it will launch sooner. I do this with my own ahk scripts and it loaded before both my file manager, dopus and qap.
And
@2 qap is general a little slow to launch. As it has to perform many if file exists() checks for all ur menu items and environment checks file icons etc.. The more you add the long this takes.
Both my qap and personal ahk program are full up with dynamic menus they both take a moment.
As I said in above. You can add the startup to the registry so it starts sooner but the won't change the loading time. -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
LaurentG > 2025-12-09 02:31
(2025-12-09 02:10)Xavier Wrote: ...If you manually at it to the registry it will launch sooner. ...
I do not understand !
What could be the difference between let QAP add itself in the registry, and add it manually to the registry ????
Except if what you mean is add it manually in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run rather than in HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run as QAP does (ie. startup "for everybody" rather than sstartup "for user") that is maybe (i'm not convinced...) run before HKCU branch ?
But if it is to set it in the same place of registry, I cannot imagine one second that set it manually could generate a faster execution than let QAP set it.... -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Xavier > 2025-12-09 02:56
i place my own script to run at startup\login from, HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run , right click on the right side, select New > String Value. Name it QuickAccessPopup. Double-click it. and provide the the full path to the qap.exe that you're using in "quotes". windows runs the apps in this list 1st.
you have to add this manually from RegEdit.exe, windows has no tools to do it otherwise. once you that it will appear in the task managers start up tab where you can toggle it on\off. HK_Local_Machine will run it for every user. HK_Current_User runs it for that user, on your login only. i only have one user on my computer but still use Current_User.
if you add it to the registry be sure to uncheck the start up option inside of QAP itself or it will run twice.
qap's default Run at Start up options creates a link in C:\Users\<yourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup , which windows runs these item last.
![[Image: 8DDm238.png]](https://i.imgur.com/8DDm238.png)
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RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Catlover > 2025-12-09 05:46
Really thanks you all for your interest in my problem.
Unfortunately, despite following and trying all your suggestions, the situation hasn't changed.
I can add that, by starting the program directly by double-clicking on it, a few seconds (2-3) pass before it is active.
When I added a script to launch the program, I got 5 or 6 QAP-related files on my desktop whose function I didn't understand, and the program menu was generic and not the one I had designed.
I think I'll have to settle for waiting a minute for the program to run, or, if I really need to use it at startup, I'll click on the link I added to the taskbar.
By clicking on it I have the program available in a couple of seconds.
Thanks again -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
LaurentG > 2025-12-12 04:06
(2025-12-09 02:56)Xavier Wrote: qap's default Run at Start up options creates a link in C:\Users\<yourUsername>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup , which windows runs these item last.
Objection, your Honor !
It's only if you are using the portable version of QAP that start up is set in this place.
With normal version of QAP (ie. the "setup"), the start up is set in registry, in the same place you mention.
I did some tests (on a VM), with "normal" QAP, and with "portable" QAP.
And actually, automatic startup is faster with "normal" QAP (ie. with start up set in registry) than with "portable" QAP (ie. start up set in Startup menu.
So, if you use the "portable" version, it's a little bit more efficient to do not rely on "built in" start up option, and to create it manually in registry.
But the main question is : Why do you use the "portable" version ? Use the "normal" version is easier, faster, and do not present any drawback (and is the recommended way by Jean....). Why to make complex when we can make simple ? -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Horst > 2025-12-12 12:30
2LaurentG
I run a lot of file managers, Everything search and also QAP as portable version.
Portable versions have many benefits
and also don't run slower than any installed program.
For backup purposes, the tool and its settings are in one tree.
The complete tree can be moved to any other place in the file system,
even on portable devices or another PC and run from it. -
RE: Little problem with autostart (why not immediate?)
Xavier > 2025-12-13 02:45
Ah. Good to know..I've been using the portable version for awhile so I over looked at the installer placea it starts up there.
I Iike the portable because I can use qap across multiple windows installs eg win 10 & 11 & test installs etc. I leave to load to load later because I also have a lot of start up apps, listary, everything, dopus, flow launcher and my own set of ahk scripts which link them altogether no matter which OS I'm on. I keep the home folder similar where I can and I have 1 set of programs with the same setting running off an independent drive untouched by the app data folder.
It near seamless.