The settings on this page let you set Opus to run automatically when Windows starts up. You can also control what Listers are opened automatically when Opus starts, and whether Opus stays running in the background when no Listers are open.
The Startup settings section controls whether Opus runs on start up.
Windows 8 and above add a significant delay before launching applications at startup. The Remove Startup Delay button lets you remove this delay. Changing this option affects all programs launched via the Start Menu startup folder, not just Opus, and the setting is in the registry rather than the Directory Opus configuration (so you'll need to change it on individual machines if desired). It's a Windows setting, not an Opus one - we just provide a convenient way to change it in Preferences. You can use the Restore Startup Delay button to turn it back on again if you've previously removed it.
The Listers opened automatically when Directory Opus starts section lets you control what Opus does when it starts. This applies when Opus runs on system startup and also when you run Opus by double-clicking the shortcut icon on the desktop or in the start menu. It doesn't affect what happens if Opus starts because of another action - e.g. double-clicking the desktop uses the settings in the From the Desktop page, whether Opus is already running or not.
The Shutdown Directory Opus when the last Lister closes option lets you configure Opus to shutdown automatically once you close the last Lister. This makes Opus behave more like a traditional application that you run, use and then exit when finished with. We recommend that you keep Opus running in the background even when you're not using it as it makes it much quicker to open Listers, and means things like system-wide hotkeys and floating toolbars can work, but if you don't want to use it like this you can turn this option on.