Task scheduler vs shell:Startup

Question

Is creating a task on the task scheduler to run a particular application/script at a startup good or should use shell:startup?

I have an old unused computer, am planning to use it to run some python scripts and anydesk. (Anydesk as a display on my phone)

Which one shall I use task scheduler or startup folder? or any other smart alternative?

Answer 1

Both are options but they have different applications.

Running a script from shell:startup

Here are 3 things that are typical for using this method.

• When you place a shortcut or script in shell:startup, the script is always executed when your user logs in. It is not executed when another user logs in though, and neither is it executed at the logon screen.

• The script will always open a visual window that the user can see and interact with.

• It is extremely easy to setup.

Running a script through Task Scheduler

Here are 4 things that are typical for using this method.

• The script can be configured to launch on startup for any user, not just yours, and even before the user is logged in, although it cannot do anything in the user's context then. This allows for a script to do something to files from a user that normally would be locked but aren't in this case, such as backups.

• If configured properly, the script does not show any interactive window, so the user is not bothered by a flashy scripting window. The user cannot interact with the window in that case (this is typical for computer scripts, not user scripts, but a user script is also possible if you use a different user, such as SYSTEM.

• It can be configured to have multiple triggers, not just at startup, but also at a specific time, or even when the user locks or unlocks the computer.

• Its harder to setup.

• A script started by Task Scheduler will always create more impact on the system partition (disk read/write) as opposed to running the script manually or through shell:startup. If the script is expected to perform a task and ends in less than a minute after startup, this is nothing to worry about. If the script runs and is running while the user uses their computer, it will cause a slowdown on disk access.

Conclusion

It really matters what you are going to do. If the script can be created as shell:startup and is going to be executed really briefly, such as making some network connections, etc... then using shell:startup is going to be the preferred method.

If you want to create a system that causes absolutely no inconvenience to the end user, then scheduled tasks is going to be a better option.

Bonus mention

Keep in mind that these are just 2 methods, there are more. For example, if you have a professional edition of your windows, you can use Group Policy (either local or through a domain) to setup scripts there. It is as stealthy as Task Scheduler, but it is as fast as shell:startup, and allows both user login scripts, and computer startup scripts.