On Windows, the Private Internet Access (PIA) app's built-in Launch on System Startup option works for administrative accounts but may not work for standard (non-administrative) user accounts due to limited system permissions.
If you are signed into a standard user account and the PIA app does not launch automatically at login, you can use Windows Task Scheduler to set this up manually.
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Before You Begin
Before following these steps, make sure:
- The latest version of the PIA app is installed.
- Launch on System Startup and Connect on Launch are enabled in PIA’s settings. To enable them:
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Tap the three dots in the top right corner in the PIA app and select Settings.
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Select General and tick the boxes next to Launch on System Startup and Connect on Launch.
Create a Scheduled Task
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Open the Start menu, type “Task Scheduler” into the search bar, and open it.
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Select the Action tab, and then click Create Basic Task.
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Enter a name for the task, such as “PIA Auto-start”, then select Next.
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Under Trigger, select When I log on, then select Next.
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Under Action, select Start a program, then select Next.
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For Program/script, browse to the PIA executable. By default, it's located at:
“C:\Program Files\Private Internet Access\pia-client.exe” -
Select Next and then select Finish.
The PIA app will now launch automatically whenever you sign in to that Windows user account.