Guides & Help / Setup

Set up your workflow

Choose a game, configure what should start, and test the complete routine before launch day.

1. Open Settings

After extracting the Portable ZIP, run Star-Launcher.exe and select Settings. On a new computer, begin on the Setup tab.

Star-Launcher works alongside your existing game launchers.

It coordinates your preparation tools and can bring supported launchers into the workflow, but it never replaces account login, updates, or security checks.

2. Choose and configure a game

  1. Select a native game tile on Main or in Settings.
  2. Use Add game for a title without native support.
  3. Configure the Steam or local launch methods you use.
  4. Name the primary keybind chart and add separate aircraft- or module-specific charts when needed.
  5. Add any game-specific companion apps.
  6. Add or hide Game Web Resources as needed.

Each game saves its settings automatically. Use Reorder on Main to arrange the game tiles with the left and right controls.

3. Set up controller preparation

Controller preparation is optional. If you use vJoy, HidHide, or Joystick Gremlin, create a controller preset that captures your known-good setup and prepares only the tools you enable.

Open the controller setup guide →

4. Choose what launches

On Main, check only the items you want included for the selected game:

  • Configured Steam or local launch methods.
  • Game-specific companion apps.
  • One or more named local or web-based keybind charts.
  • Universal Utility Apps such as head tracking, voice control, or DCS-SRS.

Game Web Resources open separately through your configured browser. Web addresses must use HTTP or HTTPS, while keybind charts can use images, PDFs, direct web addresses, and Windows internet shortcuts.

5. Test, then launch

  1. Select Pre-flight checks and correct any missing paths or unavailable tools.
  2. Select Launch with all selected.
  3. Follow the progress window as Star-Launcher works through each selected step.
  4. Use Stop if you need to cancel. Review and acknowledge any completion or error details before trying again.

Retries are conservative: Star-Launcher avoids repeating external actions it already completed.

Universal Preferences

The Preferences tab contains app-wide launch options and can start Star-Launcher with Windows. Preferences are saved for the user rather than inside an individual game. Automatic profile launch at startup is not part of 5.0.

Some selected controller tools may request Windows administrator approval. Star-Launcher does not bypass UAC prompts, launcher authentication, CAPTCHA, or two-factor authentication.