How to Fix There Are No Startup Items to Display Error in Windows 11

Getting the “There are no startup items to display error” on Windows 11?

Task Manager helps you keep a check on all programs, services, processes, and startup apps running on your system. Unfortunately, the Startup tab can, at times, show an empty list even when you know there are apps that start automatically right after your computer boots up.

When that happens, you will get a “There are no startup items to display error” on Windows 11. It can occur due to various reasons, such as corrupted system files, bugs in Windows explorer, misconfigured registry, missing startup folder, malware attack, or problems with User Account Control or with the programs.

But don’t fret, as you can resolve the issue with some troubleshooting methods discussed below. So let’s jump straight in!

1. Restart Windows Explorer.

If there happens to be a glitch, a bug, or a corruption error in the Task Manager, the best way to get rid of it is by restarting Windows Explorer. By refreshing the service, you can get the Task Manager to correctly display the startup applications running on your computer. 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. First, press the Windows + X shortcut keys from your keyboard to open the Power User menu.
  2. From there, click on Task Manager.
  3. Under the Processes section, select Windows Explorer.
  4. Then, click on Restart task at the top of the window.
Restart Windows Explorer

If there is more than one Windows Explorer process, select the one having higher memory usage. Once Windows Explorer restarts, the issue might get fixed.

2. Restart Your System.

To start with the most basic methods, we recommend you restart your system. This will eliminate any temporary glitch in your computer that might be the reason behind Task Manager not displaying the startup apps.

Follow the steps below to do it:

  1. Head over to the Start menu and click on the Power icon
  2. Then, select Restart
restart Windows PC

Once your PC restarts, check if it brings back the Startup items to display in Windows 11. 

3. Check if the Startup Folder is Missing.

The Startup folder that contains the app shortcuts may also go missing from your Windows system. Hence why your computer is having difficulty detecting the Startup apps and is showing the no items to display error on your screen.

To verify whether that’s the case follow the steps below:

  1. Click on File Explorer from the taskbar. Alternatively, press the Win + E keys from your keyboard to open File Explorer
  2. Next, enter the following path into the address bar at the top:
C:\Users\%Username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
  1. Once there, check if the Startup folder is there. If not, you’ll need to make a new Startup folder.  
Startup Folder
  1. For that, click on New from the top bar and choose Folder
create new folder Windows
  1. Now, follow the on-screen instructions to create a new folder and rename it as Startup

This should fix the There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11. 

4. Manually Add Programs to the Startup Folder.

At times, the apps inside the Startup folder may also go missing if not the folder itself. In such cases, you can manually re-add the programs back into the folder to resolve There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11.

You can do so via Windows Explorer as explained below:

  1. Go to File Explorer by clicking on it from the taskbar. 
  2. Next, go to the Startup folder location by pasting this path in the address bar:
C:\Users\%Username%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
  1. Now, locate and click on the Startup folder. 
  2. Select New from the top-left corner and click on Shortcut
create new shortcut on Windows
  1. Click on Browse to locate the item you want to add to the Startup folder and select Next
There Are No Startup Items to Display Error in Windows 11
  1. Enter the shortcut’s name and click on Finish

5. Run an Antivirus Scan.

A malware attack is responsible for so many errors reported by Windows users, especially if they lead to system file corruption. There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11 that can also result due to the same reason. 

Thankfully, you can run Windows in-built scanning tools or any third-party antivirus program, like Malwarebytes, to get rid of the culprit.

Here’s how you can use Windows Security to scan for malware and remove them immediately:

  1. Click on Search from the taskbar and type in ‘Windows Security’ in the search bar. 
  2. From the right pane, click on Open
  3. Once the Windows Security window opens, click on Virus & threat protection
virus & threat protection Windows
  1. Click on Quick Scan
There Are No Startup Items to Display Error in Windows 11
  1. Once the scan is complete, remove the detected malware and check if this fixes the There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11. 

6. Run SFC and DISM Scans.

Corrupted files may also be scanned and repaired or replaced by running Windows in-built scans such as the SFC and the DISM. The former replaces the damaged files with a cached copy, while the latter services the Windows images.

So, if there are no startup items to display error in Windows 11 is caused by damaged system files, the following steps will fix it in no time:

  1. Click on the Start menu and type out ‘Command Prompt’ in the search bar. 
  2. From the search results, select Run as administrator to launch Command Prompt with administrative rights.
  3. Enter the following command to run an SFC scan:
sfc/scannow
SFC scan
  1. Next, execute the DISM scan by copying and pasting the following commands one by one and pressing the Enter key after each:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM scan
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Ensure your computer is connected to a power source, as the DISM scan may take a while to finish. Afterward, reboot your PC to check if you can see the Startup items in Windows 11. If not, follow the next method from this guide to resolve the issue. 

7. Perform a System Restore.

If you recently changed your system settings or installed a third-party program after which you started encountering There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11, don’t fret.

With Microsoft System Restore, you can revert your system to a saved point. All changes made to the system after the specified point will be discarded, hopefully fixing the issue. However, you must have enabled System Restore to follow this method in the first place.

Here’s how to perform a system restore on your computer:

  1. Start by going to the Search icon from the taskbar. 
  2. After that, type out ‘create a restore point’ in the search bar and click on Open from the right pane. 
There Are No Startup Items to Display Error in Windows 11
  1. This will open the System Properties window. From there, go to the System Protection tab from the top. 
  2. Finally, click on the System Restore button and follow the on-screen instructions to revert your system to another saved point. 
There Are No Startup Items to Display Error in Windows 11

This concludes our guide on how to fix There are no Startup items to display error in Windows 11. If you have more questions, feel free to utilize the comments section below. We’ll try our best to assist you further. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 😊

Author

  • Aimen Choudhry

    Aimen Choudhry is an architecture student who has always been fascinated by science. She now finds her therapy researching and writing about the latest technology and the issues that come alongside. Otherwise, you’ll find her playing video games, listening to music, or watching fantasy/sci-fi movies.

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