Autoruns: Advanced Startup Monitor Tool for Windows: This powerful and free portable startup monitoring tool displays all programs configured to run automatically during system boot. Unlike the basic MSConfig utility that shipped with Windows XP, it provides comprehensive insight into every auto starting component across numerous system locations; all presented in the order Windows processes them.

Autoruns Portable Startup Monitor

Autoruns is part of the Sysinternals suite developed by Microsoft and offers an extensive set of features to identify, analyze, and manage auto-starting entries on a Windows system.

Key Features

Comprehensive Auto Start Locations: Scans the Windows Registry, startup folders, services, driver services, scheduled tasks, and more to provide you with a full view of what runs at boot.
Detailed Information: Displays the program name, path, publisher, description, and other metadata for each entry.
Color Coding for Clarity: Highlights system entries, third-party apps, and suspicious or unverified items using color-coded labels.
"Search Online" Integration: Right-click any entry to search the web and quickly determine if it’s safe or potentially malicious.
Powerful Filter & Search: Narrow results by location, publisher, or specific keywords to quickly find what you’re looking for.
Disable or Delete Entries: Temporarily disable or permanently remove startup entries to improve boot speed and reduce system load.
Startup Summary Report: View a categorized breakdown of startup entries by type: file system, registry, tasks, services, etc.
Export to File: Save the complete list of auto-start entries in formats like TXT, CSV, or the tools specific format.
Digital Signature Verification: Validate file signatures to confirm the authenticity of startup programs.
Integration with Sysinternals Tools: Launch related utilities directly from it for deeper system diagnostics and analysis.

Specifications & Download

Author’s Website: Project Page
License: Freeware
Supported OS: Windows
Extracted Size: Once extracted, the tool uses just 1.1MB of disk space.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)
Download: Autoruns Portable ZIP

Final Thoughts on Autoruns

Autoruns is a must have utility for power users, IT professionals, and anyone concerned with Windows system performance or security. Its unmatched visibility into auto start mechanisms and the ability to easily disable, analyze, or research entries makes it far superior to traditional startup managers.

Whether you're trying to optimize boot time, clean up unnecessary software, or hunt down malware, this tool delivers precision control with minimal system overhead. Pair it with other Sysinternals tools for a complete system diagnostics toolkit.