Frequently Asked Question
By default, DeskCamera is installed to start automatically when Windows users sign in. On shared PCs, Remote Desktop hosts, or terminal server environments, an administrator may want DeskCamera to start automatically only for one specific Windows user.
If your goal is to choose whether multiple Windows users appear as one camera or separate cameras in the NVR/VMS, see Multi-user Mode and Lock Settings and Using DeskCamera with Multiple Windows Users.
1) Disable automatic startup for all users
Sign in with an administrator account.
Open Task Manager and go to Startup apps. Select DeskCamera and click Disable.
If DeskCamera Watchdog is also listed, disable it as well. The watchdog monitors DeskCamera and can restart it if needed, so it should not remain enabled for all users when DeskCamera itself is limited to one user.
If DeskCamera still starts for other users, check the all-users Startup folder as well. Press Win + R, type shell:common startup, and press Enter. Remove DeskCamera startup shortcuts from that folder if they are present.
2) Add DeskCamera startup for the required user
Sign in to Windows as the user account that should start DeskCamera automatically.
Press Win + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter. This opens the Startup folder for the currently signed-in Windows user.
Copy the DeskCamera shortcut into this Startup folder.
If you want watchdog monitoring for this user, also copy the DeskCamera Watchdog shortcut into the same Startup folder.
3) Check the result
- Sign out from this Windows user and sign in again.
- Confirm that DeskCamera starts automatically.
- Sign in as another Windows user and confirm that DeskCamera does not start automatically there.
Important notes
This change controls only automatic startup. Other Windows users can still start DeskCamera manually unless Windows permissions or local policies prevent them from doing so.
If DeskCamera is upgraded or reinstalled, check Task Manager > Startup apps again and confirm that the startup entries are still configured as expected.
Full video with the process: