Autostart with Win8.1 didn't work since 1.6.x - (fixed) Windows "issue"

[Balmung]

I switched last week from 1.5 to the newest 1.6er versions.

With 1.5 Autostart with Windows works perfect, since I use 1.6.x (stable and last beta) Autostart didn't work anymore and I don't know why.

I have checked the entry in the task manager on the autostart list, it's ok, correct path. I deactive it and reactive it, didn't do anything. I started the registry editor and delete the voiceattack autorun entries (two) and insert a link to the file into the autostart folder from windows directly. Did not work. I reinstalled VoiceAttack, nothing.

All other software that should start with windows are working, VoiceAttack is the only program that didn't work here.

Beside that, I can start VoiceAttack manually without any problem, works like it should.

I don't know if this is the only logfile from VoiceAttack. I have one single error in VoiceAttackFault.txt when I start it manually: "Unable to load taskbar: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.". But that entry is only from when I start it manually, no entries directly after windows start and VoiceAttack should run.

Will test one last thing and will than edit the post here.

Edit: Yeah, I know it. The error from the logfile have nothing to do with my problem. As postet in the other thread I deactivated "Start Minimized", error was gone, autostart still don't work.

Edit2: I found the wired problem that I never had before: I have activated "run as administrator" in the file properies, with that activated autorun didn't work. I have deactivated it, now VoiceAttack starts on windows start again.

Will make some more tests.

Last Edit: I fixed it over the Task Scheduler, let it start there on login with Admin rights.

[Gary]

Yes, you are correct.  Running VA as an administrator will prevent it from launching at Windows start.  This is a Windows security feature.  I suppose a warning box is necessary when you check, 'launch with windows start' if VA is set to run as an admin...  Already been dressed down by VA's, 'Too many warning boxes' lol

[Balmung]

Yeah, I fixed it over the Task Scheduler, now it starts with Admin rights on User login (better choose than only on start).

Windows is sometimes a bit strange when there is no error message at all. But now I'm again a bit smarter, even after over 20 years with windows you learn new things. Good ones and bad ones, from that you wish you never would know it.

[Exergist]

Another option is to start VoiceAttack through a batch file that is tied to the Windows Startup folder. I use this method for automatically starting VoiceAttack after login for Windows 10, and I can keep the Admin rights on the VoiceAttack executable.

1.) Create a new .txt file with whatever filename you want and insert the following code

Code: [Select]

start C:\"Program Files (x86)\VoiceAttack\VoiceAttack.exe"
exit(obviously you need to enter your own file path info here)

2.) Save this text file somewhere safe. I keep it in a folder within My Documents.

3.) Change the ".txt" extension of the file to be ".bat" (you may need to enable "file name extensions" on the File Explorer's View tab).

4.) Create a shortcut for the .bat file. The name of the shortcut can be whatever you like.

4.1.) (OPTIONAL) Open the newly created shortcut's Properties. Navigate to the Shortcut tab and change the option for the Run field to "Minimized." This will hide the command window when the batch file executes at login.

5.) Open the All Users or Current User Startup folder (whichever you want). See the below attachment for how to do this.

6.) Move the shortcut file to the Startup folder of your choosing.

And you're done! Now after you login to the desktop the batch file containing the command to start VoiceAttack will execute.

I began using this method in order to run SpeedFan at login and avoid the extra initialization time that occurred when SpeedFan was started with the Task Scheduler. So for me it was simpler to just add an extra line of code to also start VoiceAttack as opposed to running VoiceAttack through the Task Scheduler. Bear in mind though that running VoiceAttack through Startup will take slightly longer to begin executing the batch file than running the batch file through the Task Scheduler. For me the difference is 10-15 seconds extra time when using the Startup folder, which is perfectly fine for my needs.

Cheers!