Prevent AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client from launching at startup

[ASF_CE]

I have Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 4.6 installed on a Windows Server 2019 machine. When installing, I selected only core and VPN for installation, as that's the only part I need. At startup, it automatically loads and shows up in my taskbar. It does not connect automatically; it just loads, and I can right click and quit it at any time. However, I want to stop it from loading automatically at startup. I have half a dozen different VPN clients to support different customers, and if they all launched at startup it would have a noticeable impact on boot time. I have not been able to find any way to prevent it from launching at startup. There is no checkbox to disable it in Preferences, startup items are not even enabled on my system, and setting the Service to manual doesn't stop it from attempting to launch, it just gives a failure message when it tries and prevents it from working when I try to launch it manually. How can I do this?

[Marvin Rhoads · Accepted solution]

Have you tried using the Microsoft Sysinternals tool autoruns?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

According to it, the Anyconnect User Interface starts due to a key in 

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

...on my Windows Server 2016. (I don't have a Server 2019 but I believe it would be set in the same place.)

[ASF_CE]

I've not come across that tool before, that's very useful to know about!

The registry key was exactly where you suggested it would be - deleted that key and the application no longer launches at startup. I can still open and run it as normal when I need it.

Thanks a lot!