Delay Program Launches From the Command Line
When Windows starts up, it often launches multiple programs at once -- email clients, chat applications, cloud sync tools, and more. This simultaneous rush can overwhelm the system, causing slowdowns, failed connections, and programs that do not initialize correctly. The same problem occurs with network login scripts that try to map drives and launch applications before the network is fully ready.
DelayExec solves this by letting you specify exactly how many seconds to wait before launching a program. Add it to your Windows Startup folder, login scripts, or batch files, and it will pause for the configured delay before executing the target application. You can also control whether the launched program starts minimized, maximized, or in its normal window state.
There is no user interface -- DelayExec runs completely hidden from the command line, waits the specified number of seconds, launches the target program, and then automatically closes itself. This makes it ideal for unattended startup sequences, login scripts, and scheduled tasks where you need precise control over when programs start.
Who Is This For?
- IT administrators -- Stagger program launches in login scripts and Group Policy startup sequences to prevent resource contention and failed initializations.
- System integrators -- Ensure dependent services and applications start in the correct order by adding precise delays between each launch.
- Developers -- Orchestrate the startup order of development tools, local servers, and test environments using simple batch scripts.
- Power users -- Control your Windows startup sequence to prevent boot slowdowns by spacing out when each application launches.
Key Features
Configurable Delay
Specify exactly how many seconds to wait before launching the target program. Supports short pauses and long delays alike for any startup scenario.
Window State Control
Launch the target application minimized, maximized, or in its default window state using the -min and -max command-line flags.
Completely Hidden
DelayExec runs with no window, no tray icon, and no visible user interface. It operates entirely in stealth mode, invisible to the user.
Script-Friendly
Works seamlessly in batch files, login scripts, Windows Startup folders, Group Policy startup sequences, and scheduled tasks.
Self-Closing
DelayExec automatically exits after launching the specified program. No process left running, no memory consumed, no cleanup needed.
Fully Portable
Single executable with no installer, no registry modifications, and no dependencies. Copy to a USB drive or network share and run anywhere.
Command Line Options
Usage:
delayexec.exe [filename] [delay in seconds] -min -max
The filename is the full path to the program you want to launch.
The delay is the number of seconds to wait before launching the file.
Use -min to launch the file minimized or -max to launch it maximized.
Examples:
delay.exe "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\OUTLOOK.EXE" 60 -max
This example delays 60 seconds before launching Outlook, maximized.
delay.exe "C:\Windows\notepad.exe" 10 -min
This example delays 10 seconds before launching Notepad, minimized.
Windows Compatibility
Win 11
Win 10
Win 8
Win 7
Vista
XP
Win 2k
NT
ME
98
95
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