How can I start Outlook on startup in Windows 11?

How can I start Outlook on startup in Windows 11?
I’ve recently upgraded my system to Windows 11 and I’m trying to streamline my daily routine. One thing that I find quite time-consuming is manually opening Microsoft Outlook every time I start my computer. Given my workload, I want to make sure that my emails and calendar are accessible as soon as my computer boots up, without any additional steps. However, I’m not entirely sure how to configure Outlook to launch automatically when I log in to Windows 11. I’ve looked around for a bit but haven’t found a straightforward guide that explains how to add Outlook to the startup sequence in this version of Windows. It feels like this should be possible, but the settings are somewhat different than what I’m used to from previous Windows versions. Could someone please help me understand how to set this up? Any step-by-step instructions or tips to make this process easier would be greatly appreciated.
5 Answers

Creating an automatic startup for Outlook on Windows 11 is quite simple. Here’s how:
1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type ‘shell:startup’ and press Enter. This opens the Startup folder in File Explorer.
3. Next, open another File Explorer window and navigate to the directory where your Outlook executable file is located. Usually, it can be found under C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\OUTLOOK.EXE (replace XX with the latest Office version).
4. Right-click on OUTLOOK.EXE and select ‘Create shortcut.’
5. Copy this shortcut into the Startup folder you opened in step 2.
6. Now, whenever you start Windows, Outlook will launch automatically.

There’s an easier way to start Outlook on Windows 11 using Task Scheduler:
1. Click on the Start menu and type ‘Task Scheduler’ into the search bar, then open it.
2. In Task Scheduler, click on ‘Create Basic Task’ in the right-hand panel.
3. Name your task something like ‘Launch Outlook on Startup’ and click ‘Next.’
4. For the trigger, select ‘When I log on’ and click ‘Next.’
5. Choose ‘Start a program’ and hit ‘Next.’
6. Click ‘Browse’ and navigate to the Outlook executable file (normally found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\OUTLOOK.EXE).
7. Select the OUTLOOK.EXE file and click ‘Open,’ then ‘Next.’
8. Review your task settings and click ‘Finish.’ Now Outlook will start every time you log on to Windows 11.

Definitely! You can ensure Outlook starts up with Windows 11 by modifying the system settings. Here’s how I did it:
1. First, I navigated to Settings by pressing Win + I.
2. Under Apps, I clicked ‘Startup.’
3. In the list of apps that can run at startup, I scrolled down to find Microsoft Outlook.
4. I toggled the switch next to Outlook to ensure it was turned on.
5. To verify, I restarted my computer and noticed that Outlook opened up seamlessly when Windows 11 loaded. It’s incredibly convenient, and I no longer have to remember to open Outlook manually each morning.

To start Outlook on startup in Windows 11, you first need to create a shortcut. Open the Start menu and then find Outlook in the app list. Right-click on Outlook, select ‘More,’ and then click ‘Open file location.’ Right-click on the Outlook shortcut and choose ‘Copy.’ Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box and type ‘shell:startup’ and press Enter. In the Startup folder, right-click and select ‘Paste’ to place the Outlook shortcut. Restart your computer to check if Outlook launches automatically.

Sure! Configuring Outlook to start at the startup process in Windows 11 doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a quick guide:
1. Go to the Start menu, search for Outlook, and click the app to open it.
2. Once open, minimize Outlook.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and navigate to the Startup tab.
4. In Task Manager, you’ll see a list of programs that can be set to run at startup. Find Microsoft Outlook in this list.
5. If Outlook is disabled, right-click on it and select ‘Enable.’
6. Now close Task Manager. Your Outlook should now open automatically the next time you start your PC.