Cannot get Em to run minimized at startup

Danker · September 11, 2019, 4:41am

I run eM Client 7.2.36465.0. In Settings under General the boxes “run at system startup”, “minimize application to tray”, “close application to tray” are checked.

My question is, is it possible to have eM run on startup minimized? - like is the case with OneDrive, Google backup, dropbox etc.

In the task manager under startup eM Client is listed but there’s no option to have it run minimized.
In ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs I have set the properties for eM Client to “run minimized”.

Yet, eM Client always runs on startup with normal (inbox) window.

Is a solution for this envisaged by the developers?

Thanks and regards,
Danker

DiggerP · September 11, 2019, 6:12am

Hi Danker,

Try this :

Do you have a Startup folder in your Start menu?
If so - r-click the eM Client icon and select Properties.
For Run , change it from Normal to Minimized

or

R-click the desktop icon and select Properties
Change Run from Normal to Minimized
Put a copy in the Startup folder in your Start menu
You don’t really have to since you have eMC starting with Windows

Something I learned about 20 years ago - lol

Peter

Danker · September 11, 2019, 11:43am

Hi Peter,

No, that doesn’t work. Starting the program minimized only works if I uncheck the box “run on system start” and set the start shortcut to “run minimized”. So I can do this only manually, I don’t see a way to start the program at startup in minimized mode.
Any other solutions?

Cheers,
Danker

DiggerP · September 11, 2019, 7:02pm

Hi Danker,

It works for me, but may mean that it doesn’t work for you
because of a different system configuration

For one - I don’t have an entry for eM Client under
ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs.

What I do have is ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows/Start Menu\Programs\Startup
Notice the syntax   instead of /
but that’s the path for All Users
(In Run >type shell:common startup to get to this folder

Individual User
the MailClient.exe shortcut for a User is in
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows/StartMenu\Programs\Startup
That’s where you can also change the Run properties to Minimized

(To quickly get to this Startup folder: use Run and type shell:startup )

The shortcut points to C: ** Program Files (x86) ** eM Client ** MailClient.exe target
If it doesn’t exist. you can create the shortcut in this Startup folder
and then edit it

You will have to reboot to make it work…

If you notice a lag starting Windows. it’s because eMC starting characteristics.
You may want to put in a delay for starting eMC. (I use Anvir for that - if necessary)

There is already a built-in delay in Win 10 see
Change which apps run automatically at startup in Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026268/windows-10-change-startup-apps

I also make extensive use of AnVir Task Manager Free
https://www.anvir.com/
https://www.anvir.com/download.htm also portable version.
but for continuous use, install the program

Peter.

Danker · September 12, 2019, 12:31pm

Hi Peter,

What I have is:

C:\Program Files (x86)\eM Client\MailClient.exe
No eM in C:\Program Files
C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ the shortcut is here. The folder …\Programs\Startup\ is empty
C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\ The shortcut is here. Upon installing the program it creates a desktop icon. I always do “add to start menu” and delete the desktop icon.
At no point did I see the / instead of \ in the path names

So there are two shortcuts. Both are set to “run minimized”. Maybe I should delete the shortcut in Program Data?
Yet it runs not minimized but normal.

FYI:
run— shell:common startup opens C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, folder is empty
run — shell:startup refers to C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, the folder that is mainly empty.

Thanks for the Anvir hint, but my computer/ browser rejects www.anvir.com “cannot provide a secure connection”.

Danker

DiggerP · September 12, 2019, 2:21pm

Hi Danker,

Thanks for your extensive reply.

The failure - such as it is - is in part due to sloppy coding by eM Client for not providing shortcuts in the right places.

That can be overcome by simply creating them yourself.

eg. eMC doesn’t create a shortcut in
C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup when you tick the box “Run on Windows Startup”
in eMC

No eM in C:\Program Files

No, because eMC is a 32 bit program

At no point did I see the / instead of \ in the path names

I simply copied what you wrote in your opening post:

In
ProgramData/Microsoft/Windows/Start Menu/Programs

Please follow the instructions as I wrote them.
I did say to create the shortcut if it doesn’t exist.
"The shortcut points to C: __ Program Files (x86) __ eM Client __ MailClient.exe target
_ If it doesn’t exist. you can create the shortcut in this Startup folder _
_ and then edit it" _

BTW - if you also tick “Minimize to tray” in the eMC settings, it will do that on Startup as well, instead of to the Taskbar.

If it doesnt work, you security settings (AV program or similar) are preventing you
from making the changes.

The notice about not a secure website means nothing
the actual URL is https://www.anvir.com but your browser should have “translated it”
Which security progam are you using?

Peter

Danker · September 12, 2019, 4:48pm

Peter,

What I did is this:

Settings in eM Client: run on system start and minimize to tray
I deleted all shortcuts wherever I had them
Restart, brought up the program in full screen, closed the program
Then I created a shortcut directly from the program (eM Client.exe), and placed that on the desktop, settings “run minimized”. Clicking on the desktop icon brought up the program minimized to the tray/ taskbar
Restart, brought up the program maximized
Put the desktop icon on the start menu screen. Clicking on it brought up the program minimized to the tray/ taskbar
Restart, again brought up the program maximized
Apparently, when I created the desktop icon shortcut, the program automatically put the shortcut in C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup

So, I think for the time being it is possible to run the program minimized only by clicking on the shortcut, at startup/ reboot it runs in normal screen.

BTW: I use Malwarebytes and, of course, Windows Defender.

Best,
Danker

Danker · September 12, 2019, 5:08pm

In addition: when opening www.anvir.com all browsers I tried (Chrome, Opera, Edge, Firefox) brought up the following response:

This site can’t provide a secure connection

www.anvir.com sent an invalid response.

Try running Windows Network Diagnostics_._
ERR_SSL_PROTOCOL_ERROR

DiggerP · September 12, 2019, 5:36pm

Hi Danker,

Thanks again for the extensive report on what you did.
You didn’t exactly follow my instructions, but maybe that might make no difference in your case.

"The program still starts up Normal of full screen - not minimized

What I wrote/suggested was:
If the eMC icon doesn’t exist in
C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup -

create it by r-click in the Startup folder and choose New - Shortcut
fill in the location by navigating to
C: ** Program Files (x86) ** eM Client ** MailClient.exe

When you’ve got that in place, r-click the icon and chose Properties
and change Run from Normal to Minimized

if your eMC icon in the user Startup folder has the same properties
set as Minimized, then eMC is still starting from another instance of MailClient.exe

In eMC I have both ticked - Run on System Startup and Minimize to tray

I’ve tested this at least half a dozen times and performs as expected (on Win 10 (1903)

Windows Defender causes no problems.
Don’t know about Malwarebytes if it is on demand or as resident scanner,
meaning always active…

Will check in my Registry or via Anvir what eMC uses…

Re: Anvir do you type the URL ?
You keep referring to http://www.anvir.com/
The correct URL is https://www.anvir.com/ and previously so mentioned in several posts.
All you had to do is click on the link in my post,

Even so - my browser - Slimjet -chrome based automatically goes to the correct address regardless…

Peter.

Danker · September 12, 2019, 6:41pm

Hi Peter,

I was wrong: I said quote “Apparently, when I created the desktop icon shortcut, the program automatically put the shortcut in C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup”

That should have been without the word Startup. The startup folder is almost empty, there’s only a link to “send to OneNote”. All programs that I install or get installed automatically have a shortcut in C:\Users\User name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs. That includes eM Client.

Right-clicking IN the startup folder doesn’t help, there’s no “new”. So again I created a shortcut and put that in the Startup folder.

I have deleted one by one all shortcuts (on desktop, in folder Startup/ and in folder Programs/ again, first the one on the desktop, reboot, the program does start minimized, then I deleted the shortcut in the folder programs, reboot, still ok, then lastly I deleted the shortcut in the startup folder, reboor, then it ran the program maximized/ normal. So the shortcut mist sit in the folder Startup. I put it back there, and after reboot the program starts minimized.
I have now only 2 shortcuts, one in the startup folder and one in the programs folder. I use the latter when I have closed eM Client and want to start it again.

The question remains why all programs get a shortcut in the Programs folder including eM Client, but to start it minimized on startup the shortcut also needs to sit in the Startup folder.

As for Anvir, I did write www.anvir.com, but I typed https://www.anvir.com. I also clicked the link you provide. Answer was always the message about not providing a secure connection. A Google search provided AnVir Task Manager at [https://www.anvir.com, same response.](https://www.anvir.com, same response.) If Malwarebytes intervenes it would say “blocked”, or “suspicious website” or similar, but nothing was reported by Malwarebytes.

Malwarebytes is a resident program.

Cheers,
Danker

DiggerP · September 12, 2019, 8:13pm

Hi Danker,

Thanks for the feedback.

What I have digesten from it is that you were succesful in the end.
I had expected a big BINGO teehee.

"I have now only 2 shortcuts, one in the startup folder and one in the programs folder. I use the latter when I have closed eM Client and want to start it again.

Both in the Start Menu -correct ?

“The question remains why all programs get a shortcut in the Programs folder including eM Client, but to start it minimized on startup the shortcut also needs to sit in the Startup folder.”

This is what I alluded to before.
eMC fails to create the icon if you select Run on system startup…in eMC settings.

The Startup folder is there for a reason.
That’s where the icons are (should be) if you choose to run a program on system (Windows) startup… after logon.

I don’t know why you don’t get the choice to directly create a shortcut in the Startup folder. What I described is the standard procedure,
Check this link
Change which apps run automatically at startup in Windows 10
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026268/windows-10-change-startup-apps

It’s slightly different from wat I described- but in principle the same.

Are you on a limited account ?- which Windows version?

Also I don’t understand that going to an https URL would give you a
“This site can’t provide a secure connection” error
Maybe clear your browser cache and see if that makes any difference,
because it makes no sense at all.

Maybe Malwarebytes is responsible after all.
Try to temporarily stop active scanning…

Peter.

Danker · September 13, 2019, 12:13am

Hi Peter, good morning,

Yes, it’s a huge BINGO - thanks to your help and patience.

“Both in the Start Menu -correct ?” No, as I said, one is in …microsoft/windows/Start Menu/Programs, the other in …microsoft/windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup. The latter one makes the whole thing work.

“That’s where the icons are (should be) if you choose to run a program on system (Windows) startup… after logon”. Not here, the program shortcuts of programs that run in startup like OneDrive, GoogleBackup etc., sit all in the programs folder, except eM that is also inthe startup folder.

I have Windows 10 (1903). What is a “limited account”, “limited user account”? I have a full administrator account.

I cleared all cache on all my browsers - doesn’t make a difference in the message when trying to access AnVir.

I also disabled Malwarebytes - same.

Cheers,
Danker

DiggerP · September 13, 2019, 3:43am

Hi Danker, Good Day…

Thanks for the feedback and appreciative words…

I had a good laugh about your Good morning…
It’ll be quite a few hours before I’ll see the morning sun or rain…

Looks like you’re half a world away from me…
I’m on US Eastern DST time UT -5

"“Both in the Start Menu -correct ?” No, as I said, one is in …microsoft/windows/Start Menu/Programs, the other in …microsoft/windows/Start Menu/Programs/Startup. The latter one makes the whole thing work.

You may be mixing 2 concepts.
Im talking about your regular Start menu on the desktop which you access via the
Windows icon in the Taskbar or via Win key.

The icons there don’t control items that start up with Windows,except for a few
that are in the All Programs (All Apps) - Startup folder

The others are either Services or started from C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows/Start Menu\Programs\Startup
plus locations specified in the Registry

Most are not visible to the average user.
You get an idea when you check in Windows Taskmanager…

Looks like there are no restrictions on your account as Admin…
You’re still one step below the System Admin unless you have activated that too
in the Welcome screen…

Yes the Anvir URL situation is a puzzle for me.
Could it be the security settings in your browsers and/or how you have set them?

Peter

DiggerP · September 13, 2019, 3:43am