Autoruns for Windows Overview
Autoruns is a free Windows utility from Microsoft's Sysinternals suite that shows the most comprehensive view of everything configured to run automatically on your system — far more than Task Manager's startup tab. It lists auto-start programs, services, scheduled tasks, drivers, browser helper objects, codecs, and many other 'autostart extension points,' showing exactly what launches at boot or login and where it is configured. This makes it an essential tool for troubleshooting slow startups and for spotting and removing malware that hides in obscure autostart locations. It can verify digital signatures and check entries against online threat databases. Because the download is a complete installer, Autoruns for Windows installs without needing a connection during setup. A 'Jump to Entry' feature opens the exact registry key or folder where an item is configured, which speeds up investigation and cleanup. You can reach the official Autoruns for Windows download from Learn Microsoft via the link on this page.
