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Settings window opens every time Windows starts

Antoine Aflalo5/10/26About 2 min

Settings window opens every time Windows starts

If the SoundSwitch settings window pops up on every reboot, it almost always means two instances of SoundSwitch are launching at startup. When the second instance detects that one is already running, it signals the first to open the settings window — which is what you see.

This typically happens when SoundSwitch was installed to a different location at some point (e.g. once for the current user in %LocalAppData% and once for all users in C:\Program Files\SoundSwitch), leaving behind a startup entry that now points to a path that no longer exists or a second live installation.

Where to look for duplicate startup entries

Check each of the following locations and remove any SoundSwitch entry that shouldn't be there:

1. Startup folders

Open these two folders in Explorer and delete any SoundSwitch shortcut you find:

  • User startup — shell:startup (%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup)
  • All-users startup — shell:common startup (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup)

Tips

Type shell:startup or shell:common startup directly into the Explorer address bar to open the folder instantly.

2. Task Manager → Startup apps

  1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
  2. Go to the Startup apps tab.
  3. Right-click the Name column header and enable Command line to see the full path of each entry.
  4. Look for any SoundSwitch entry with an unexpected path or a broken icon. Disable or delete it.

Warning

A broken entry (shown with a plain white icon) may survive even after uninstalling SoundSwitch. It can still trigger the issue because Windows still tries to launch it.

3. Registry run keys

Open Registry Editor (regedit) and check both locations for a SoundSwitch value:

  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Delete any SoundSwitch entry that points to a path where SoundSwitch is no longer installed.

4. Leftover installation folders

SoundSwitch can be installed per-user or for all users, so check both locations:

  • %LocalAppData%\SoundSwitch (per-user install)
  • C:\Program Files\SoundSwitch (all-users install)
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\SoundSwitch

If you find a folder for an installation you no longer want, remove it after making sure the corresponding startup entry is also gone.

  1. Uninstall SoundSwitch from Settings → Apps.
  2. Check all four locations above and remove any remaining SoundSwitch entries.
  3. Restart your computer and confirm no settings window appears.
  4. Reinstall SoundSwitch once, choosing the installation scope you want (current user or all users).
  5. Restart again to verify the problem is resolved.

Stubborn startup entries

If Task Manager won't let you delete a broken startup entry, try Microsoft Autoruns (run as administrator). If the shortcut file itself is missing, open the startup folder directly (shell:startup or shell:common startup), search for "SoundSwitch", and delete the broken shortcut from there.

Source: #1914

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