Assign Computer Startup Scripts

Updated: July 27, 2012

Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012

To assign computer startup scripts

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). Right-click the Group Policy object (GPO) you want to edit, and then click Edit .

  2. In the console tree, click Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) . The path is Computer Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\Scripts (Startup/Shutdown) .

  3. In the results pane, double-click Startup .

  4. In the Startup Properties dialog box, click Add .

  5. In the Add a Script dialog box, do the following:

    • In Script Name , type the path of the script, or click Browse to search for the script file in the Netlogon shared folder on the domain controller.

Warning

You must enclose the script path and script name with double quotes when specifying a script name or script path that includes spaces, in order for the scripts extension to correctly run all scripts.

  - In **Script Parameters** , type any parameters that you want, exactly as you would type them on the command line. For example, if your script includes parameters called //logo (display banner) and //I (interactive mode), type **//logo //I** .  
      
  1. In the Startup Properties dialog box, specify the options that you want:

    • Startup Scripts for <Group Policy object> : Lists all the scripts that currently are assigned to the selected GPO. If you assign multiple scripts, the scripts are processed in the order that you specify. To move a script up in the list, click it, and then click Up . To move a script down in the list, click it, and then click Down .

    • Add : Opens the Add a Script dialog box, where you can specify any additional scripts to use.

    • Edit : Opens the Edit Script dialog box, where you can change script information, such as name and parameters.

    • Remove : Removes the selected script from the Startup Scripts list.

    • Show Files : Displays the script files that are stored in the selected GPO.

Additional considerations

  • To complete this procedure, you must have Edit setting permission to edit a GPO. By default, members of the Domain Administrators security group, the Enterprise Administrators security group, or the Group Policy Creator Owners security group have Edit setting permission to edit a GPO.

  • Startup scripts are run under the Local System account, and they have the full rights that are associated with being able to run under the Local System account.

  • In Windows® 7 and Windows Vista®, startup scripts are run asynchronously, by default. This is a different behavior from earlier operating systems.

  • Setting startup scripts to run synchronously may cause the boot process to run slowly.

  • In Windows 7 and Windows Vista, startup scripts that run asynchronously will not be visible. Enabling the Run Startup Scripts Visible Group Policy setting has no effect when you are running startup scripts asynchronously.