diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c00b805..a811bd3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -161,10 +161,10 @@ or after declining:
 powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\install-autostart.ps1
 ```
 
-That registers PM2 for both processes and two scheduled tasks — one to start
-everything at logon, one to check `master` for updates every 5 minutes. It needs
-no elevation and is safe to re-run; it replaces the tasks rather than stacking
-them up.
+That puts the dashboard, the clicker and an update checker under PM2, adds a
+Startup-folder entry so PM2 comes back at logon, and lets PM2's cron restart run
+the update check every 5 minutes. It needs no administrator rights, changes
+nothing machine-wide, and is safe to re-run.
 
 ```powershell
 pm2 list                 # what is running
@@ -172,11 +172,14 @@ pm2 logs autofirmer      # dashboard output
 pm2 logs clicker         # runner output
 ```
 
-**Why scheduled tasks and not a Windows service.** The clicker sends real mouse
-and keyboard input and has to own a desktop. A service runs in session 0, which
-has none, so the clicks would go nowhere. Both tasks therefore run as you with
-"run only when user is logged on" — which also means an unattended reboot leaves
-the instance down until somebody logs in.
+**Why not a Windows service.** The clicker sends real mouse and keyboard input
+and has to own a desktop. A service runs in session 0, which has none, so the
+clicks would go nowhere. Everything therefore runs in your logged-in session —
+which also means an unattended reboot leaves the instance down until somebody
+logs in.
+
+To stop it starting at logon, delete the `AutoFirmer.cmd` shortcut from your
+Startup folder (`shell:startup` in the Run dialog).
 
 To start everything by hand without waiting for a logon:
 
diff --git a/scripts/install-autostart.ps1 b/scripts/install-autostart.ps1
index 28d9263..f440bb8 100644
--- a/scripts/install-autostart.ps1
+++ b/scripts/install-autostart.ps1
@@ -6,13 +6,22 @@
     The only Windows-specific piece of the setup. Everything it schedules is
     plain Node, so porting to macOS or Linux means replacing this file alone.
 
-    Two scheduled tasks are created, both running as the current user with
-    LogonType Interactive. That is not incidental: the clicker drives real mouse
-    and keyboard input and must own a desktop, which a Windows service (session
-    0) does not have.
+    Deliberately needs no administrator rights, and changes nothing
+    machine-wide:
 
-    Idempotent - re-running replaces the tasks rather than duplicating them.
-    No elevation required.
+      * PM2 supervises the dashboard, the clicker and the update checker.
+      * A Startup-folder entry runs scripts\start-all.bat at logon.
+      * PM2's own cron restart drives the update checks.
+
+    Task Scheduler is avoided on purpose - Register-ScheduledTask needs
+    elevation to write to the root task folder.
+
+    Everything runs in the logged-in user's interactive session. That is not
+    incidental: the clicker sends real mouse and keyboard input and must own a
+    desktop, which a Windows service (session 0) does not have. The trade-off
+    is that an unattended reboot leaves the instance down until someone logs in.
+
+    Idempotent - safe to re-run.
 
 .PARAMETER IntervalMinutes
     How often to check master for updates. Default 5.
@@ -28,8 +37,6 @@ param(
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
 $Root = Split-Path -Parent $PSScriptRoot
-$StartTask  = 'AutoFirmer Start'
-$UpdateTask = 'AutoFirmer Update'
 
 function Info($m) { Write-Host "  $m" }
 function Warn($m) { Write-Host "  ! $m" -ForegroundColor Yellow }
@@ -127,46 +134,50 @@ try {
         }
     }
 
-    if ((Invoke-Pm2 @('save')) -ne 0) { throw 'pm2 save failed' }
-    Info 'pm2: process list saved'
 } finally {
     Pop-Location
 }
 
-# -- Scheduled tasks ---------------------------------------------------------
-# LogonType Interactive is what grants the desktop the clicker needs.
-$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "$env:USERDOMAIN\$env:USERNAME" `
-    -LogonType Interactive -RunLevel Limited
+# -- Start at logon (Startup folder) -----------------------------------------
+# Not Task Scheduler: Register-ScheduledTask needs elevation to write to the
+# root task folder, and the whole point is an install that never asks for
+# admin. A Startup-folder entry needs no privileges and runs in the user's
+# interactive session, which is exactly what the clicker requires - a service
+# in session 0 has no desktop and its clicks would go nowhere.
+$startupDir = [Environment]::GetFolderPath('Startup')
+$startupCmd = Join-Path $startupDir 'AutoFirmer.cmd'
+$startAll   = Join-Path $Root 'scripts\start-all.bat'
 
-$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries `
-    -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -StartWhenAvailable `
-    -MultipleInstances IgnoreNew -ExecutionTimeLimit (New-TimeSpan -Hours 1)
+@"
+@echo off
+REM Written by scripts\install-autostart.ps1 - delete this file to stop
+REM AutoFirmer starting at logon.
+call "$startAll"
+"@ | Set-Content -Path $startupCmd -Encoding ASCII
 
-function Register-Task($Name, $Action, $Triggers, $Description) {
-    Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $Name -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName $Name -Action $Action -Trigger $Triggers `
-        -Principal $principal -Settings $settings -Description $Description | Out-Null
-    Info "task registered: $Name"
+Info "logon entry: $startupCmd"
+
+# -- Update checks (PM2 cron) ------------------------------------------------
+# Also not Task Scheduler, same reason. PM2 is already running and already
+# comes back at logon, so it can own the schedule too: --cron-restart fires the
+# script on a schedule and --no-autorestart stops PM2 relaunching it the moment
+# it exits.
+$updateScript = Join-Path $Root 'scripts\update-check.mjs'
+Invoke-Pm2 @('delete', 'autofirmer-update') -Quiet | Out-Null
+$cron = "*/$IntervalMinutes * * * *"
+if ((Invoke-Pm2 @('start', $updateScript, '--name', 'autofirmer-update',
+                  '--no-autorestart', '--cron-restart', $cron)) -eq 0) {
+    Info "update checks: every $IntervalMinutes minutes ($cron)"
+} else {
+    Warn 'could not register the update checker - run scripts\update-check.mjs by hand to update'
 }
 
-Register-Task $StartTask `
-    (New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute 'cmd.exe' `
-        -Argument "/c `"$(Join-Path $Root 'scripts\start-all.bat')`"" -WorkingDirectory $Root) `
-    (New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn) `
-    'Start AutoFirmer and the clicker at logon.'
-
-# AtLogOn covers a reboot; the repeating Once trigger covers the rest of the day.
-$repeat = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Once -At (Get-Date).AddMinutes(1) `
-    -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes $IntervalMinutes) `
-    -RepetitionDuration (New-TimeSpan -Days 3650)
-
-Register-Task $UpdateTask `
-    (New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute 'node.exe' `
-        -Argument 'scripts\update-check.mjs' -WorkingDirectory $Root) `
-    @((New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -AtLogOn), $repeat) `
-    "Check master for updates every $IntervalMinutes minutes; rebuild and restart when it moves."
+# Save again so `pm2 resurrect` at logon brings the updater back too.
+if ((Invoke-Pm2 @('save')) -ne 0) { Warn 'pm2 save failed - processes may not return after a reboot' }
 
 Write-Host ''
-Info 'Done. Both processes are registered and will come back at logon.'
-Info "Update checks run every $IntervalMinutes minutes; see scripts\update.log"
+Info 'Done. No admin was needed and nothing machine-wide was changed.'
+Info 'Running now, and again at every logon.'
+Info "Updates checked every $IntervalMinutes minutes; see scripts\update.log"
 Info 'Useful: pm2 list | pm2 logs autofirmer | pm2 logs clicker'
+Info "To disable autostart: delete $startupCmd"