How to Add Apps to Windows Startup Using Intune (Normal Apps & Microsoft Store Apps)

Recently, we needed to add some applications as Startup apps using Intune.

In this article, I will show two approaches:

  1. Deploy normal applications using a shortcut

  2. Deploy Microsoft Store applications as startup apps using App ID

1. Deploy normal applications using a shortcut

I'll take Google Chrome as an example.

First, we need to identify where the Google Chrome application shortcut is located.



For startup applications, the shortcut needs to be placed in the following path:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

Script

# 1. Define the Chrome Path

$ChromePath = "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"


# 2. Define the Startup Shortcut Path (All Users)

$ShortcutPath = "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\GoogleChrome.lnk"


# 3. Check if Chrome actually exists before creating the shortcut

if (Test-Path $ChromePath) {

    try {

        $Shell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell

        $Shortcut = $Shell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutPath)

        

        $Shortcut.TargetPath = $ChromePath

        $Shortcut.Description = "Launch Google Chrome at Startup"

        $Shortcut.WindowStyle = 1 # 1 is Normal, 3 is Maximized, 7 is Minimized

        $Shortcut.Save()


        Write-Host "Chrome startup shortcut created successfully." -ForegroundColor Green

    }

    catch {

        Write-Error "Failed to create shortcut: $_"

        exit 1

    }

} else {

    Write-Warning "Chrome was not found at $ChromePath. Shortcut not created."

    exit 1

}


Deploy through Intune

Navigate to:

Windows > Scripts and Remediations > Platform Scripts




Save the PowerShell script as a .ps1 file on your local PC.

Select the deployment group.




After some time, the status will be displayed.



2. Deploy Microsoft Store apps as startup

I will take Microsoft Power Apps Desktop as an example.






For Microsoft Store apps, we cannot easily find the exact shortcut or application path.

These applications are located in the following directory:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

To access this path, you need to enable hidden files and manually grant permission to the currently logged-on user.


First, we need to get the App ID.

This specific App ID will work on almost any Windows PC that has the official Power Apps application installed from the Microsoft Store.

Use the following PowerShell command:

Get-AppxPackage *PowerApps* | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageFamilyName



Now, deploy the script

This script uses the App ID we obtained earlier 

$AppID = "MicrosoftCorporationII.PowerAppsforWindows10_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App"
$ShortcutPath = "$env:ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\StartPowerApps.lnk"

$Shell = New-Object -ComObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $Shell.CreateShortcut($ShortcutPath)

$Shortcut.TargetPath = "explorer.exe"
$Shortcut.Arguments = "shell:AppsFolder\$AppID"
$Shortcut.Description = "Start Power Apps"
$Shortcut.WindowStyle = 7
$Shortcut.Save()

Write-Host "Startup shortcut created successfully." -ForegroundColor Green

Deploy through Intune

You can deploy the Microsoft Store app in the same way as we deployed Google Chrome—using Windows > Scripts and Remediations > Platform Scripts, selecting the deployment group, and monitoring the status after deployment.





After deployment, you can verify that the Power Apps shortcut has been added to the Startup folder.

Next, sync the device by going to the Access Work or School pane.

After syncing, restart the device and verify that the application opens automatically at startup.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup






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