If War Thunder, its launcher or a small Gaijin icon in your system tray appears every time you turn on your PC, you’re not imagining it. The game itself doesn’t normally launch with Windows — what starts is the Gaijin.net Agent (also called the Gaijin updater, file name gjagent.exe), a background program that keeps War Thunder patched. The good news: you can switch it off in under a minute, and the game will still update the next time you open it.
This guide covers every method that works on Windows 11 and Windows 10, plus Steam and Mac, and explains what you lose (and don’t) by turning auto-start off.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, go to Startup apps (Windows 11) or the Startup tab (Windows 10), right-click Gaijin.net Agent (or any War Thunder / Gaijin entry) and choose Disable. Restart your PC to confirm it no longer opens.
Why War Thunder opens when your PC starts
When you install War Thunder from the official site — and often after a big patch — Gaijin adds its updater to your Windows startup list. Its job is to download updates in the background so you don’t wait for a patch when you want to play. The trade-off is that it:
- Starts with Windows and sits in the system tray
- Uses some bandwidth and disk activity when a patch is available
- Can make it look like “War Thunder opens on startup”, especially if the launcher window pops up to install an update
Turning it off is safe. It doesn’t uninstall the game or delete progress, which is stored on your Gaijin account, not on your PC.
Method 1: Disable it in Task Manager (fastest)
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc (or right-click the Start button and choose Task Manager).
- On Windows 11, click Startup apps in the left menu. On Windows 10, click More details if needed, then open the Startup tab.
- Look for Gaijin.net Agent, gjagent, Gaijin.net Updater or War Thunder.
- Right-click it and choose Disable. The status column changes to “Disabled”.
- Restart your PC to check.
Tip: the Startup impact column shows how much each app slows boot time. If you see other game launchers you don’t need at startup, you can disable them the same way.
Method 2: Use Windows Settings
Windows 11 and recent versions of Windows 10 also list startup programs in Settings:
- Open Settings (Windows key + I).
- Go to Apps > Startup.
- Find the Gaijin / War Thunder entry and switch the toggle Off.
This does exactly the same thing as Task Manager — use whichever you find easier.
Method 3: Turn off background updates in the launcher
If the entry keeps coming back after every patch, change the setting that adds it in the first place:
- Open the War Thunder launcher.
- Click the settings (gear) icon.
- Untick the option to check for updates in the background / auto-update (the exact wording depends on your launcher version).
- Close the launcher. The tray icon should disappear and the agent should remove itself from startup.
- Restart your PC to confirm.
After this, the game only updates when you open the launcher yourself.
Method 4: Close the Gaijin agent from the system tray
To stop it for the current session only, click the ^ arrow next to the clock, right-click the Gaijin icon and choose Exit. This won’t stop it next time Windows starts, so combine it with Method 1 or 3.
If you play War Thunder on Steam
The Steam version is updated by Steam, so the Gaijin agent isn’t needed for it. If War Thunder seems to open with your PC on a Steam install, check two things:
- Steam itself is starting with Windows. In Steam, go to Steam > Settings > Interface and turn off Run Steam when my computer starts.
- A Gaijin entry was added anyway (for example, if you ever installed the standalone launcher). Disable it in Task Manager as in Method 1.
Steam has a known quirk with War Thunder where the game still shows as “Running” after you quit, and clicking Stop does nothing. If that happens, open Task Manager, end the aces.exe process (War Thunder’s game executable), or exit and reopen Steam, then press Stop again.
On a Mac
- Open System Settings > General > Login Items.
- Under Open at Login, select any Gaijin or War Thunder item and click the minus (–) button.
- Under Allow in the Background, switch off the Gaijin entry if one appears.
Remove the updater completely (optional)
If you’ve uninstalled War Thunder but the agent is still there, you can remove its leftovers:
- Disable it in Task Manager first (Method 1) and restart.
- Press Windows key + R, type
%localappdata%and press Enter. - Delete the Gaijin folder.
Only do this if you no longer play Gaijin games — the launcher will simply reinstall the updater next time you install War Thunder.
What happens after you disable auto-start?
| Auto-start ON | Auto-start OFF | |
|---|---|---|
| Boot time | Slightly slower | Faster |
| Updates | Downloaded in the background | Downloaded when you open the launcher |
| Game progress | Saved to your Gaijin account | Saved to your Gaijin account |
| Tray icon | Always visible | Only while playing |
The only real downside is that a big patch has to download when you next launch the game, so start the launcher a few minutes early on patch days.
Still opening on startup?
- It came back after a patch: do Method 3 so the launcher stops re-adding it.
- You can’t find it in the list: sort Task Manager’s Startup list by name and look for “Gaijin”. Some antivirus tools also have their own startup managers — check there.
- The launcher won’t start at all now: disabling auto-start doesn’t affect launching. If the game won’t open, verify the game files (in Steam: right-click War Thunder > Properties > Installed Files > Verify) or delete the cache folder in the War Thunder install directory — the game rebuilds it on the next launch.
FAQ
Is it safe to disable Gaijin.net Agent?
Yes. It’s only an updater. War Thunder will still launch and update normally when you open it yourself.
Will I lose my War Thunder progress?
No. Vehicles, research and Golden Eagles are tied to your Gaijin account and stored on Gaijin’s servers.
Why does it keep re-enabling itself?
The launcher can re-add the agent after updates while background updating is switched on. Turn that option off in the launcher settings (Method 3).
Does this work for Enlisted and Crossout too?
Yes. Gaijin’s other games use the same Gaijin.net Agent, so the same steps apply.
Want to make the most of your playtime once it’s set up? See our guides on how to rank up in War Thunder and how to get squadron points.
Hi, I’m Emam Hasan — an English teacher and the founder of Anirban Lexicon Center in Mirpur, Dhaka. I run Takedownloads to share honest game guides, tips and app reviews that help players choose well and play better. Alongside teaching, I work in digital marketing and SEO, and I enjoy turning complex topics into simple, helpful lessons anyone can follow.
