[FIXED] Windows 10 Automatic Startup Issue

azroachazroach
in VPN Setup Support
Hi,


I'm very excited to share with you this good news.

I found a working fix for the issue with pia_manager not being able to start up with Windows 10 at startup.  This is very simple to do and anyone can set it up until you find a way to integrate it into your program.

1.  Go to settings in pia_manager and uncheck the box that says "Start application at logon" 

(since this setting just adds the program to the registry key location:

"hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run"

as we already know this will NOT enable the program to startup automatically with Windows 10)

2.  Hold the windows key+R and bring up the run dialog box and type in "regedit" and hit enter

3.  Navigate to this registry key location:

"hkey_local_machine\software\wow6432node\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run"

4.  Right click on the right side of the panel and go to New->String value and that will create a new string value that you can rename to "pia" for example.

5.  Double click your new string value and under where it says "value data" type in the dialog box the location of pia_manager.exe.  The default location should be:

"C:\Program Files\pia_manager\pia_manager.exe"

6.  That's it!  You're done.  And now you can restart your PC to check and see that private internet access (pia_manager) now starts up automatically with Windows 10!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and you can share this information with your customers and/or integrate it into your program in an update or new version.

Please do email me back as I would like to know if this helped you in any way and if you are going to utilize my tutorial!


Thanks for reading!!
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Comments

  • azroachazroach
    Be sure to tell everyone you know how to fix this automatic startup issue with windows 10!

  • greenmangreenman
    While it works to start the application it breaks my windows network and I can't see my other computers on the network.  I remove the registry key and my network comes back.
  • SeaninNSSeaninNS
    Maybe the original poster or a mod could edit the original posting title to [NOT FIXED YET]. It might save someone a little grief.
  • azroachazroach
    It is fixed.  It starts the program.  As for not being able to view the computers on your network that is a whole other problem.  Doesn't have anything to do with running a program at startup.

    By the way, if you guys have trouble starting the program by unchecking the box that starts the program in settings and then adding the new registry key, try removing the old registry key for pia in:

    "hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run"

    Then remove the registry key for pia in:

    "hkey_local_machine\software\wow6432node\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run"

    Then restart computer and once you are restarted, re-create the key for pia in:

    "hkey_local_machine\software\wow6432node\microsoft\windows\currentversion\run"
  • azroachazroach
    Anyone else have success with this new fix/work-around?
  • bracketsbrackets
    It worked for me, thanks for your help! However after a Windows Update, it no longer worked... The solution is to put the pia_manager.exe file in Windows 8 compatibility mode.
  • azroachazroach
    I have the latest updates as of this very moment and it still works for me without compability mode. But I like your method too. You should send an email to the help desk so they can refer customers to your workaround since it does not deal with editing the registry at all.
  • SvbHvmanSvbHvman
    I implemented this and it worked exactly as described. It automatically launched the PIA manager at startup. However; I was not protected. I still had my IP from my ISP despite the status of the app. So I caution anyone who may rely on this as a fix to auto start PIA, make sure you verify your IP with a third party site. I had to remove this 'FIX" to have any protection at all.
  • azroachazroach
    I have tried this fix for all three of my computers. Works 100%. The reason you were not protected is a problem with your setup and has nothing to do whether the application is running in the wow32node in your registry or not... Contact support for these issues with the app since my method is foolproof as it has been tested multiple times and always worked.
  • azroachazroach
    I don't have windows 10 installed anymore I don't give two shits if this fix worked for anybody or not
  • rrichards5547rrichards5547
    I'm really new here so forgive what may be a simple question -- I am running Windows 10 with all the updates (it is what it is.)  Frankly, everything seems to be running well with PIA except for a DNS leak.  In the advanced set-up area, there's a check box for "enable DNS leak protection" which, when checked, gives a warning about changing system settings, only use if . . .yada yada.  Is it safe/OK to check this regardless? otherwise, everthing seems to run perfectly.
  • azroachazroach
    Yes its ok to check that box. But how did you know there was a DNS leak?
  • YN1FYN1F
    azroach, thanks for posting the Windows 10 Automatic Startup Issue-fix. I had 10 installed last week and wish I'd seen this thread then, because I had the same issue with PIA never running at startup even though I set it to run and connect at startup. Then, when I'd manually launch it, my connection would break and stay broken until I fiddled with the "Troubleshoot problems" thing via right-clicking the network icon on the taskbar....Then it would report that DHCP was disabled for my ethernet connection, would I like to try to fix it as Admin, blah, blah, blah. After applying the Troubleshooting fix it would slowly connect...eventually. So I uninstalled 10, rolled back to 8.1.
    On my 8.1 everything just seems to work. But I want to be able to upgrade to 10 and use PIA of course....So I'm HOPING that either your fix or the one posted by brackets (running PIA in compatibility mode) does indeed work.
    I used the term "upgrade" when talking about 10, but I'm actually of the opinion that 10 is anything but. More like NSA-grade. And I've been very outspoken at other forums about that fact, under different usernames of course. That being said, however, I still want to tinker with 10 and have PIA running without major issues.
    Just wondering: why did you quit running 10?  
  • azroachazroach
    edited September 2015
    I quit because windows 10 is spyware in itself.

    If you really want to use it then download donotspy10:


    and this:

  • azroachazroach
    edited September 2015
    i'm using win 8.1 now with no updates whatsoever (i installed it from original version with no updates included)

    and i'm a happy user once again.
  • YN1FYN1F
    I quit because windows 10 is spyware in itself.

    If you really want to use it then download donotspy10:


    and this:

    i'm using win 8.1 now with no updates whatsoever (i installed it from original version with no updates included)

    and i'm a happy user once again.
    Yes, I agree wholeheartedly about 10 being total spyware. I've written several long articles elsewhere about it, despite the name-calling (tinfoil hatter, etc.) and general ridicule I've gotten. 8 and 8.1 are almost as bad.
    But I want to still tinker some more with it, maybe as a dual-boot setup, find out some more stuff about it. 
    Thanks for the reply mate!
  • YN1FYN1F
    I'm jimbo.01 at neowin, you can see my posts about 10 here in the comments: 
  • YN1FYN1F
    neowin(dot)net/news/discuss-one-month-on-what-do-you-think-of-windows-10-so-far
  • azroachazroach
    I found some more apps that disable spyware for windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7:

    http://bgr.com/2015/08/14/windows-10-spying-prevention-privacy-tools/
  • YN1FYN1F
    You seen this one? https:/ /www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gghj03J_ri0&channel=UCJZ0ShFGmwD5C0NeRqw2jqQ
  • YN1FYN1F
    For some reason, posting links isn't working for me here unless I add a space somewhere in the URL (like between the two forward-slashes in the above post) or change the "." to (dot)....
  • YN1FYN1F
    Here's a cool script for 7, 8, 8.1: https:/ /voat.co/v/technology/comments/459263
  • azroachazroach
    Double check that YouTube link or send me the name of the video so I can find it on YouTube because the link doesn't lead me anywhere. :(
  • azroachazroach
    Thanks for the script
  • YN1FYN1F
    Here is the YT vid.
  • YN1FYN1F
    Finally figured there's a hyperlink addy in the reply function, lol.
  • azroachazroach
    So you think Microsoft still tracks your files after you watch that video on YouTube even after running all those anti spyware programs for windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10?
  • YN1FYN1F
    I'm not exactly sure what to make of the video, actually. It could be, as some commentators there suggested, that the encrypted packets are just metadata that tells MS that some image is being viewed by one of their programs, how long it took said program to respond to user-initiation, etc....But.
    I'm sure these anti-spyware things that you've linked and the one I linked are useful and good, but nothing is probably even 90% except shutting the computer OFF, haha.
    I used the script I linked to, and it uninstalled the telemetry updates, hid them, etc. just as it said and I'm ok with that plus PIA for the time being I guess....Plus I run Tor when I feel I need a little more anonymity.  
  • azroachazroach
    I asked pia about what they can do about Microsoft spying and they said absolutely nothing!

    Did you run all the other programs I linked? You should since they all have some features that are exclusive to the program itself.
  • YN1FYN1F
    Well atm I'm dual-booting KDE and Win 8.1, but I ran the script on the 8.1 and that's it. Some privacy-related settings (stuff accessed through gpedit, etc.) I've tinkered with long ago anyways. But I DID download ALL of those programs, saved them in my software-stash (a backup drive) for later use---especially if I get goofy enough to install 10 again. Which I'm doubting now that I will, lol.
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