I run BOINC as a service, and like to move the BOINC Manager shortcut out of the BOINC folder in the Start menu to another folder. However, when I do this I need to grant BOINC Manager permission to start each time I reboot my PC. In other words, I have to leave the shortcut in its original location in the BOINC folder to prevent the request for permission. I am currently using 7.0.27 (x64) under Win7 64-bit, but this has been the case for many versions back as I recall.

Can this behavior be changed to allow for moving shortcuts to any folder?

EDIT: It seems to be related to a registry cleaner I use (CCleaner). If I exclude that key, the problem does not happen.

Installer Reference Issue
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\BOINC
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Folders

BOINC 7.0.27 doesn't use the shortcut from the Start Up folder. If you have one there, it's either that you put it there yourself, or a left-over from an ancient BOINC 5, as since BOINC 6 the start-up of BOINC Manager at Windows log on is done by the registry.

As such, you can easily delete this shortcut.

Leave the shortcut to BOINC Manager in the All programs->BOINC folder intact though!

Then if you want to start BOINC Manager at Windows log on, use the check mark for it in Advanced view->Tools->Options->Run Manager at login?



(Per user, the boincmgr key is at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ .. the key will be there whether you have the 'at login' option checked or not. Do not remove!)

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I run BOINC as a service, and like to move the BOINC Manager shortcut out of the BOINC folder in the Start menu to another folder. However, when I do this I need to grant BOINC Manager permission to start each time I reboot my PC.

Two things to add to what Jord said.

1) When you're running as a service, you don't have to grant BOINC Manager permission to start each time - in fact, you don't have to start BOINC Manager at all. BOINC itself - the part that does the processing - should start silently, and you only need to start the Manager (in addition) if/when you want to look at what it's doing.

2) If you want a BOINC Manager shortcut somewhere else - on the desktop, say - the easiest way is to *copy* (Ctrl-drag) the one in the BOINC program group in the start menu. That gives *you* a shortcut with all the same attributes and permissions where you like it, and *anybody else* who uses the machine can find the original where they expect it to be.

Doesn't matter much for BOINC, of course, but when I'm called in to fix other people's machines, it's a real *#@$^&* when I find that some silly b***** has moved windows component shortcuts out of their natural place in the order of things....

BOINC 7.0.27 doesn't use the shortcut from the Start Up folder. If you have one there, it's either that you put it there yourself, or a left-over from an ancient BOINC 5, as since BOINC 6 the start-up of BOINC Manager at Windows log on is done by the registry.

No, not the Start Up folder, it is the BOINC shortcut in the BOINC folder in the Start menu. (I use a Classic desktop, so the terminology may be a little different that what Win7 is using now.)

Leave the shortcut to BOINC Manager in the All programs->BOINC folder intact though!

Actually, I can now move that one to another folder, and if I do not delete the registry key, it will work OK. But I don't have to do that with any other program, so I was taken a little by surprise that it was a problem in BOINC.

Then if you want to start BOINC Manager at Windows log on, use the check mark for it in Advanced view->Tools->Options->Run Manager at login?

I always have that one checked. But unfortunately it does not work if I move the shortcut, as noted above, if I delete the registry key. So I will not remove it. It is no big deal now that I know to exclude it from the registry cleaner.

Thanks for your input.