Overview

Readers will learn how to automatically start the Ubiquiti mFi (or any other program) at computer start up without a logged in user.

Steps

Copy the Application Target Path

After installing the mFi application and verifying that you have it working view the properties for the startup shortcut and copy the target path

Create a New Scheduled Task

Open the Task Manager in windows and create a new Scheduled Task, Call it mFi

Modify the General Settings of the Task

Set the task to run as the local System Account and check the Run with highest privileges box

Create the Trigger

Create a Trigger event and set it to "At startup" so it starts with the computer

Create the Action

Create an Action event. Set it to start a program and past the Application Target Path from step one into the Program/Script field and hit OK

Task Scheduler Prompt

you will be prompted to split the command we pasted in the last step into a program and its arguments. Click yes to allow this

Don't Stop the Task!

by default a scheduled task is set to stop after a certain period of time.

Go to the settings tab and make sure to de-select the "Stop the Task if it runs longer than" option

Save your Task

Save your task we are finished creating it

Test your Task

Restart your computer to test your task. After Restarting your computer the task should show as running in the task manager.

Login to the mFi managment page

give the mFi management software a couple of minutes after the computer starts to make sure it is running. then try logging into it. If you can login then you completed the above steps correctly!

Let it run to collect data

Enjoy your mFi software and all that lovely data it will collect for you!

It would be best if this software package ran as a service out of the box, but currently this is the best method to work around this limitation that I have found. As a side note this process could be used for almost any program you wish to have running at startup.