Un-Block Startup Programs in Vista

Q: I downloaded and installed the latest rendition of Startup Cop Pro from PC Magazine. It works great but I am not happy with the way it interfaces with Windows Vista. I always get the bubble stating that Windows has blocked some programs from starting. The only program that is blocked is Startup Cop Pro. I have not been able to find any way to authorize this program to run without my intervention each time I start the computer. Is there a way to add it to an authorized list or does the author of the program have to create it as an authorized Windows Vista program? It would be great if the end user could modify the authorized list but I cannot find such a reference at the Microsoft site. - Gordon Gipson.





A: I recently answered a question about how to prevent that "blocked some programs" balloon when it's caused by using MSCONFIG. In that case the solution is simple - you manually let MSCONFIG run once so that you can tell it to stop trying. Startup Cop Pro is another story entirely. It's a program that must run at startup but that requires User Account Control authorization to proceed. For security, Vista just won't let such a program launch from any of the standard startup locations. So what can you do?
The solution lies in scheduling a task that runs at startup. You might think Vista would block this too, but there's a reason it doesn't. Any process can tweak the standard startup locations without triggering UAC, so those locations are considered dangerous. But launching Task Scheduler requires UAC confirmation, and thus Vista trusts scheduled tasks. Here's what you do:

Click the Start orb and enter Task Scheduler
Enter an Administrator password or click Confirm as required by UAC
Click the Create Task link (not Create Basic Task)
On the general tab name the task Startup Cop Pro
Select a user account that has Administrator privileges
Check the option "Run only when user is logged on"
Check the box "Run with highest privileges"
Click the Triggers tab and click the New button
Select "At log on" from the drop-down list at the top
Check the "Any user" option
At the bottom under Advanced Settings check the Enabled box and click OK
Click the Actions tab and click the New button
Click Browse and locate
In the "Add arguments" box enter /Startup
Click the Settings tab
Check the box "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed"
Uncheck the box "Stop the task if it runs longer than:"
Click OK, OK

Whew! Now launch Startup Cop Pro, click Settings, and uncheck the "Run Startup Cop Pro at startup" box. When you reboot Startup Cop Pro will launch at startup with no gripes from Vista. Of course you can apply this technique to any program that's blocked from ordinary startup by Vista's UAC. - Neil J. Rubenking.