# LEGO Instructions Manager - Startup Scripts

## Quick Start

1. **First Time Setup:**
   - Double-click `start_lim.bat` to test if the application starts correctly
   - This will create a virtual environment and install all dependencies

2. **Set Up Automatic Startup:**
   - Right-click `setup_startup.bat` and select "Run as Administrator"
   - This will configure Windows to start the application automatically when you log in

## Files Included

### start_lim.bat
Main startup script that:
- Creates a Python virtual environment if it doesn't exist
- Installs/updates all required dependencies from requirements.txt
- Initializes the database if needed
- Starts the Flask application

### setup_startup.bat
Configuration script that:
- Creates a Windows Task Scheduler entry
- Sets the application to run at user logon
- Requires Administrator privileges

## Manual Startup

To manually start the application, simply double-click `start_lim.bat`

## Removing Automatic Startup

To stop the application from starting automatically, open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
```
schtasks /delete /tn "LEGO Instructions Manager" /f
```

## Troubleshooting

If the application fails to start:
1. Check that Python is installed and in your PATH
2. Ensure you have internet connectivity for dependency installation
3. Verify the E:\LIM directory exists and contains the application files
4. Check the Flask application logs in the console window

## Notes

- The application will run in a console window - don't close this window or the app will stop
- To access the application, open your browser and go to http://localhost:5000
- The virtual environment and dependencies are stored in E:\LIM\venv\