Yes, it's possible to boot straight into an application.
Yes, it's possible to boot straight into an application.
I've been developing an emulation setup for the past couple of months, designed to fit inside an arcade cabinet. I'm running Windows 10 with Big Box (Launch Box) as the front-end and currently launch it automatically when a local user logs in. My goal is to start the computer from a blank screen directly into the Big Box application. So far, I've managed this by executing a VBScript that stops explorer.exe, leaving only a black desktop before launching Big Box—this works well. The challenge remains around the transition period where the black screen is visible with the recycle bin and taskbar. I also want to skip the login screen entirely. My current setup auto-logs in without requiring credentials, but my aim is to boot straight into Big Box without any manual input. Is this possible in Windows 10? I've tried RetroPies before, which handle it similarly, yet I understand Linux offers different capabilities compared to Windows. Thanks in advance!
You already have a startup command for Big Box. Now you want to bypass the login window completely, leaving your desktop clean and showing only Big Box.
This highlights the Assigned Access functionality in Windows 10, a lesser-known but valuable tool. It lets you operate in kiosk mode for digital displays, run single apps without Explorer, or use multiple apps with a restricted Start menu. For more details, refer to the official documentation. Pair it with the Automatic logon feature for seamless access, and you'll be set to achieve your goals.
The Kiosk approach seems to work for you, but the registry changes aren’t behaving as expected. It’s possible the update didn’t fully apply or there’s a mismatch between what you expect and what actually appears. Double-check the steps and ensure the correct settings are saved before logging in again.
Certainly! Here’s a revised version of your question:
Would you still be able to run the different emulation programs you plan to use while operating in kiosk mode?
I handled this for AS400 access machines during my initial position. I directed the registry to use classic shell instead of Explorer, which caused a black screen. You’ll need to enable auto-login, as it saves a username and password in the registry for automatic login. After that, configure your emulation software to start at log on using the task scheduler.
I've completed the registration process with an auto-login setup. The login screen still appears showing my username and the "Signing in..." prompt, even though I don't need to enter credentials. It seems the system isn't fully bypassing the interface. Regarding your second question, I edited the registry correctly to disable explorer from launching automatically.