Powershell starts up every time on startup.

Hello Robert,

Hope you are doing well!

May I know the latest status of the issue?

Hope the above information is helpful! If it helps you getting more insight into the issue, It is appreciated to consider clicking "Accept Answer". Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message.

Hello Robert,

Thank you for posting question on Microsoft Windows Forum!

Based on your query of getting PowerShell command on every start up. Well! A PowerShell window appearing at startup highly likely indicates a script is being triggered by a startup application, a scheduled task.

Some apps use PowerShell to check for updates or configure settings when you log in. The suggestion here is to check the Task Manager Startup List by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Click on the Startup apps tab. Look for anything named "Windows PowerShell," or any app/script that looks suspicious or unfamiliar. Right-click the item and select Disable.

Another point worth mentioning here is to inspect the Task Scheduler by pressing the Windows Key, type Task Scheduler, and hit Enter. Click on Task Scheduler Library on the left. Look through the list in the center. Look for tasks that mention "PowerShell" or have triggers set to "At log on" or "At startup." If you find one that should not be there, right-click it and select Disable.

Windows has a specific folder where shortcuts can be placed to run at boot. Try to check the "Startup" Folder by pressing Windows Key + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. If you see a PowerShell shortcut or a .bat / .ps1 file here, delete it if you do not recognize it.

In case, you find a weird script launching PowerShell (especially with encoded/obfuscated arguments), it might be malicious. Run a full antivirus scan. Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Full scan or Consider an offline scan by navigating to this path: Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options → Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Hope the above information is helpful! If it helps you getting more insight into the issue, It is appreciated to consider clicking "Accept Answer". Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message.

If PowerShell is starting up automatically every time you boot your computer, it could be due to a few reasons. Here are some common causes and how to address them:

1. Startup Folder: Check if there is a shortcut to PowerShell in your Startup folder. You can find this by navigating to C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. If there is a PowerShell shortcut, you can delete it to prevent it from starting automatically.
2. Task Scheduler: Sometimes, PowerShell scripts can be scheduled to run at startup via the Task Scheduler. Open Task Scheduler and look for any tasks that trigger PowerShell to run at startup. If you find any, you can disable or delete them.
3. Registry Settings: There may be registry entries that are configured to launch PowerShell at startup. You can check the following registry paths:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run If you see any entries related to PowerShell, you can remove them.
4. Profile Scripts: If you have custom profile scripts that are set to run PowerShell commands at startup, review those scripts to ensure they are not causing PowerShell to launch unexpectedly.

By checking these areas, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue of PowerShell starting up automatically every time you boot your computer.

References:

• Troubleshoot PowerShell startup issues