Forum Discussion
How can I find what is opening an app on boot, got a strange app issue?
I have an Asus Proart Studiobook Laptop with Windows 11 on it. Until recently it was all fine, and I think after a recent update to one of the ASUS apps called Dial and Control Panel, it now opens every time I restart.
The laptop has a dial which can be used to scroll, or adjust zoom or sound volume, or basically what ever you want it to do in each app.
The app never used to open on boot until now, as there is no need for the app to open.
The app its self doesn't have an option within it to start on boot, the app isn't listed in my startup apps.
And the strange thing is, I am finding when I restart, if i just leave the laptop nothing happens, until i make one move with the mouse, then the Dial and Control Panel app opens up. Its a bit odd.
I was going to set the service to manual start, but then that's a bit annoying as the dial is supposed to just work with each app automatically, and if I set the service to manual start, it doesn't work until I open the app, but that's not the way its supposed to act, the app has always just started in the background until recently.
I wondered if theres a way for me to monitor how and what is triggering the app to open, especially given the odd behavior that the Dial software doesn't seem to start until I move the mouse when i restart.
1 Reply
hey LindaHamilton,
from what you’re describing (it only launches after you move the mouse), it sounds like it’s being triggered by a hidden auto-start entry or an event-based task rather than the normal “startup Apps” list.
Here are a few things you can check:
Task Scheduler
Open Task Scheduler and look under Task Scheduler Library → ASUS or similar vendor folders. Sometimes ASUS apps set up scheduled tasks that run “on logon” or “on event” (like when you move the mouse/unlock). If you see a Dial/Control Panel entry there, you can disable it.
Autoruns (Sysinternals)
Startup Apps in Windows Settings won’t show everything. Grab Microsoft’s Autoruns tool, run it as admin, and search for “ASUS” or “Dial.” It’ll show hidden auto-start entries in the registry, scheduled tasks, services, and shell extensions. This is usually the quickest way to find what’s really causing it.
Process Monitor (Procmon)
If you really want to see what’s actually launching it when you move the mouse, Procmon can help. Filter by the Dial/Control Panel exe name, restart your machine, then move the mouse and check the Parent Process column. That’ll tell you exactly which service or task is spawning it.
Services
If you don’t want to break the dial functionality, don’t set the whole service to manual. Instead, see if you can switch the ASUS Dial service to Automatic (Delayed Start) in Services.msc, or disable just the UI startup while leaving the backend service running.tldr
Check Autoruns first that’s the easiest way to find the hidden startup entry. If that doesn’t show anything obvious, use Procmon to catch the parent process when it launches.
