Windows guide · KnobMixer 3.0.9 or later

Start KnobMixer as administrator without a Windows prompt

Keep knob controls working when an administrator app is in focus. Set this up once, then KnobMixer starts elevated when you sign in.

Use your own Windows administrator account. Windows may ask for permission during setup; the scheduled startup does not ask each time. KnobMixer does not need administrator mode for ordinary apps.

1Turn off the existing startup option

Open KnobMixer → Settings → General.
Turn Launch with Windows off.
Right-click KnobMixer’s icon in the Windows system tray and choose Quit. Closing its window alone may leave it running.

The scheduled task will handle startup instead. “Start minimized to tray” can stay on or off, whichever you prefer.

2Create the task

Open Start and search for Task Scheduler.
Right-click it and select Run as administrator. If Windows asks for permission, select Yes.
Select Task Scheduler Library, then Create Task… in the right-hand panel. Use Create Task, not Create Basic Task.
On General, name it KnobMixer — Administrator.
Keep your own Windows account selected.
Select Run only when user is logged on and check Run with highest privileges.
Leave Hidden unchecked. Leave Configure for at its default.

General tab with KnobMixer — Administrator as the name, Run only when user is logged on selected, and Run with highest privileges checked. — Your account name will differ. Select the image to enlarge it.

Keep the Create Task window open while completing the remaining tabs.

3Start it when you sign in

Open Triggers and click New….
Set Begin the task to At log on.
Select Specific user and keep your own account.
Leave Enabled checked and all other options unchecked.
Click OK in New Trigger.

New Trigger set to At log on for the specific user, with Enabled checked and additional options unchecked. — At log on—not On a schedule.

4Choose KnobMixer

Open Actions and click New….
Keep Start a program selected.
Fill in the three fields below, then click OK.

Program/script — include the quotation marks

"C:\Program Files (x86)\KnobMixer\KnobMixer.exe"

Add arguments

--autostart

Start in — folder only, without quotation marks

C:\Program Files (x86)\KnobMixer

If KnobMixer is installed somewhere else, use Browse… to find its KnobMixer.exe. Put the full program path in quotation marks, and enter its containing folder in Start in.

The argument makes KnobMixer follow “Start minimized to tray”: tray-only when on, or a quiet window when off.

5Remove startup restrictions

Open Conditions. Leave these options unchecked:

Start the task only if the computer is idle for
Start the task only if the computer is on AC power
Stop if the computer switches to battery power
Wake the computer to run this task
Start only if the following network connection is available

If the battery option is greyed out and checked, temporarily check the AC-power option, clear the battery option, then clear AC power again. The greyed-out idle sub-options can stay as shown.

Conditions tab with idle, AC power, battery stopping, wake and network requirements disabled. — KnobMixer can start on battery power and without a network connection.

6Keep it running

Open Settings:

Check Allow task to be run on demand.
Uncheck Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed.
Uncheck If the task fails, restart every.
Uncheck Stop the task if it runs longer than.
Leave If the running task does not end when requested, force it to stop checked.
Leave If the task is not scheduled to run again, delete it after unchecked.
At the bottom, select Do not start a new instance.

Settings tab with on-demand running enabled, the three-day time limit disabled, and Do not start a new instance selected. — Make sure the three-day stop is unchecked.

Click OK to save the whole task.

7Check that it works

In Task Scheduler Library, right-click KnobMixer — Administrator and choose Run.
Open Task Manager → Details.
Right-click a column heading, choose Select columns, enable Elevated, and click OK.
Find KnobMixer.exe. Elevated should say Yes.
Restart Windows and sign in. Check that KnobMixer starts automatically and that your knob works with the administrator app in focus.

Elevated: Yes confirms the scheduled task is running KnobMixer as administrator.

Keep KnobMixer’s own “Launch with Windows” switch off while using this task.

Help and undo

Windows suggests running “C:\Program”

Cancel that warning and put quotation marks around the entire Program/script path, as shown in step 4. Keep --autostart in the separate Add arguments field.

The task runs, but no window appears

Check the system tray first. With “Start minimized to tray” on, no main window is expected. If KnobMixer is not running, check the action path and that the trigger uses your own account.

Elevated says No

Quit KnobMixer from its tray icon. Confirm its “Launch with Windows” switch is off and the task has “Run with highest privileges” checked under your administrator account. Then start it using the task’s Run command.

Return to normal startup

In Task Scheduler Library, right-click the KnobMixer task and select Disable. Quit the running KnobMixer, open it normally from Start, and turn Launch with Windows back on if desired.