Background and startup programs

Turn off Windows 11’s restartable apps setting, because it can reopen applications after sign-in even when those applications have already been disabled under Startup Apps.

1. Stop Windows from reopening previously running apps

1. Press Windows key + I.
2. Open Accounts → Sign-in options.
3. Under Additional settings, turn off Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in.
4. Close the affected applications manually, restart Windows, and check whether they remain closed.

That setting controls restoration separately from Settings → Apps → Startup, so disabling the Startup Apps entries does not necessarily disable this behavior.^1^

2. Check whether this is an app or only a taskbar icon

After signing in, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc and look for one affected app under Task Manager → Processes:

• The app has a window or running process: continue with the autostart checks below.
• There is only an icon on the taskbar, with no running process: skip to the taskbar-layout section.

Providing the name of one affected app and whether its process appears here would identify which branch applies.

3. Remove shortcuts from alternate Startup folders

Since you already turned off the listed Startup Apps, check the Startup folders used by programs that are not registered in that list:

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter shell:startup and press Enter.
3. Delete only the shortcuts for unwanted apps.
4. Open Run again, enter shell:common startup, and press Enter.
5. Remove unwanted shortcuts there as well. The all-users folder might require administrator approval.
6. Restart and test.

These are the current-user and all-users Startup folders documented by Microsoft.^2^

4. Find hidden launch entries with Autoruns

If the applications still open, use Microsoft Sysinternals Autoruns, which checks Startup folders, Run/RunOnce keys, scheduled tasks, services, Winlogon entries, and other autostart locations.^3^

1. Download and run Autoruns as administrator.
2. Wait for the scan to finish.
3. Select Options → Hide Signed Microsoft Entries to focus on third-party items.
4. Check these tabs first:
   • Logon
   • Scheduled Tasks
   • Services
5. Locate an entry matching the affected app or its publisher.
6. Right-click it and select Properties to verify the executable.
7. Clear its checkbox to disable it; do not delete it initially.
8. Restart and test.

Unchecking is safer than deletion because the entry can be restored if disabling it causes a problem. Do not disable entries unless the application or publisher is identifiable.

If only an unwanted taskbar icon returns

If the app is not actually running and its icon reappears after being unpinned:

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell and press Enter.
3. If DefaultLayouts.xml exists, copy it to another folder as a backup.
4. Open the original file in a text editor and locate the unwanted pinned-app entry.
5. Remove only that entry, save the file, and restart Windows.

Editing malformed XML can disrupt the taskbar layout, so retain the backup and avoid changing unrelated entries. This procedure applies specifically to icons that are automatically pinned again, not applications that actually launch.^4^

References

1. Use a screen reader to navigate sign in options in Windows | Microsoft Support
2. Configure Startup applications in Windows | Microsoft Support
3. Autoruns v14.3
4. Unpinned apps are appear again in the taskbar after reboot, Windows 11 - Microsoft Q&A