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Prevent Firefox opening at Windows 10 restart

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  • 2 have this problem
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  • Last reply by cor-el

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I solved this issue and it has nothing to do with Firefox. There are numerous replies to reports of this issue directing users to change the Firefox > about:config > toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart > from default "true" to "false". THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION!

The issue is within Windows 10. A new "feature" was added to Windows 10 and the default setting is to re-open apps that were running when the system is restarted. Go to "Settings" > "Sign-in Options" > and toggle the option showing "Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart." from "On" to "Off".

This will prevent Windows 10 from reopening Firefox (or any other apps) that were running when the system was last shutdown or restarted.

I solved this issue and it has nothing to do with Firefox. There are numerous replies to reports of this issue directing users to change the Firefox > about:config > toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart > from default "true" to "false". THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION! The issue is within Windows 10. A new "feature" was added to Windows 10 and the default setting is to re-open apps that were running when the system is restarted. Go to "Settings" > "Sign-in Options" > and toggle the option showing "Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart." from "On" to "Off". This will prevent Windows 10 from reopening Firefox (or any other apps) that were running when the system was last shutdown or restarted.

Chosen solution

I was asking and answering my own question because I had to ask a questions in order to create an account here. You reply is appreciated. But no, this issue has nothing to do with the Windows Startup folder which is a totally separate feature with the OS. There can also be two different startup folder locations depending on your OS version and implementation.

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I had no problems like what your describing. If so that sounds like a legacy relate items where the windows "startup" folder has a shortcut to firefox and so when Windows starts so does firefox. Did you look there yet. And I don't recall seeing that feature your talking about and if so that would require a posting to a Windows forum to ask about that issue.

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Seçilmiş Həll

I was asking and answering my own question because I had to ask a questions in order to create an account here. You reply is appreciated. But no, this issue has nothing to do with the Windows Startup folder which is a totally separate feature with the OS. There can also be two different startup folder locations depending on your OS version and implementation.

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Let me restate the first thing I said in my original post: The above referenced toolkit.winRegisterApplicationRestart config setting within Firefox DOES NOT FIX THIS ISSUE. It is NOT a Firefox issue. It is a Windows setting.

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It is either the startup folder or another folder or registry key that Windows examines for starting programs.

You can use the MSConfig program or the Autoruns utility to see what software is getting started.