Autoruns — The Ultimate Startup Manager, Not a Single One Missed

एक शब्द में: The most well-known startup item management उपकरण from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite, showing all programs that auto-start with Windows — covering 20+ startup points including logon items, services, scheduled tasks, browser प्लगइन्स, drivers, codecs, known DLLs, और अधिक. पूरी तरह से मुफ्त, helps you discover hidden auto-start programs deep in your system. ---## Have You Also Experienced “Slow Boot But Don’t Know What’s Causing It”? परिदृश्य 1: Your computer takes 2 minutes from pressing the power button to being able to use the desktop. You only have a few icons in your system tray — QQ, WeChat, input method — looks normal. But you don’t know that there might be dozens of “invisible” startup items ruthlessly slowing down your boot time. परिदृश्य 2: You suspect your computer has malware or rogue software — it runs automatically every time you boot. You open टास्क मैनेजर’s “Startup” tab and only see a few normal startup items. But you know malware can hide in services or scheduled tasks — things टास्क मैनेजर can’t see. परिदृश्य 3: You see a startup item called “Helper Service” — you’re not sure if it’s legitimate software (like a graphics driver helper service) or malware. You want to quickly check its file path, digital signature, and search for information online. Autoruns is designed for these “comprehensive startup item investigation” scenarios — टास्क मैनेजर’s “Startup” tab only shows 1 out of 20+ startup points. Autoruns shows them all. ---## What Is Autoruns? Autoruns is a startup item management उपकरण from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite, from the same team as Process Explorer. Its function is extremely focused: shows all programs registered to “auto-start with Windows.” Windows has 20+ ways to auto-start:

• Registry startup items (RUN keys, RunOnce, etc.)
• Windows Services
• Scheduled Tasks
• Startup Folders
• Browser Helper Objects and एक्सटेंशन
• Drivers
• Winlogon Shell/Notify
• AppInit DLLs
• Known DLLs
• Codecs
• … टास्क मैनेजर monitors only 1 of these (registry RUN keys + startup folders). Autoruns monitors all 20+. It doesn’t monitor “how much memory a startup item uses” — that’s टास्क मैनेजर’s job. Autoruns does only one thing: lists all programs that run automatically at startup, letting you decide whether to “keep” or “disable.” ---## मुख्य विशेषताएं

1. 20+ Startup श्रेणी Tabs — Sees 20x More Than टास्क मैनेजर

Autoruns’ main interface has multiple tabs, each corresponding to a startup point श्रेणी: | | Tab | What It Shows | Can टास्क मैनेजर See It? | | |-----|--------------|--------------------------| | | Everything | Consolidated view of all startup items (default) | Only a small portion | | | | Logon | Programs that start at login (RUN keys) | Yes | | | | Scheduled Tasks | Tasks triggered at specific times/events | No | | | | Services | Windows services set to auto-start | No | | | | Winlogon | DLLs loaded by the Winlogon process | No | | | | Boot Execute | Programs executed at system boot | No | | | | Image Hijacks | Image hijack points — can be exploited by malware | No | | | | AppInit | DLLs loaded into all processes | No | | | | Known DLLs | DLLs already loaded by the system | No | | | | LSA Providers | सुरक्षा authentication providers | No | | | | Winsock Providers | Network service providers | No | | | | Print Monitors | Print monitoring drivers | No | | | | Browser Helper Objects | IE/Edge browser helper objects and प्लगइन्स | No | | The “Everything” tab merges all content together — this is the most commonly used view. You can browse all startup items at once.

2. Detailed Information for Each Startup Item — Far Beyond “Disable Startup”

Autoruns displays the following information for each startup item: | | Column | विवरण | | |--------|-------------| | | Name | Startup item name | | | | विवरण | विवरण (from file version info) | | | | Publisher | Publisher/company name | | | | Image Path | Full exe/DLL file path | | | | Entry Location | Registry path or startup folder location | | | | Entry | Registry key value name | | | | Enabled/Disabled | Whether currently enabled | | | | Launch Time | When during boot phase it starts (some items only) | | File path is the most महत्वपूर्ण information — if a startup item claims to be “Microsoft Windows Update” but its path is in C:\Users\xxx\AppData\Local\Temp\ — it’s almost certainly malware.

3. Signature Verification and Online Search — Quickly Judge if It’s “Good”

Autoruns’ status column uses colors and markers to help you judge: | | Status Marker | Meaning | | |--------------|---------| | | Normal | File exists + digital signature valid + from trusted publisher | | | | Not Verified | File exists + no digital signature | | | | File Missing | Startup item registered, but the referenced exe doesn’t exist (software uninstalled but startup item remains) | | | | Yellow | Suspicious — no signature or publisher info | | राइट-क्लिक a startup item → select Search Online → automatically opens a browser search for that file name (helps you quickly check “why is svchost.exe starting here?”). Practical उपयोग: For every “suspicious-looking” startup item → राइट-क्लिक → Search Online → check if the result is malware → if yes → disable + delete file.

4. Disabling Is Not “Deleting” — Can Be Reverted at Any Time

Autoruns’ “disable” is simply unchecking:

• Uncheck → startup item is commented out, won’t run next boot
• Re-check → restores normal startup
• Delete → permanently removes from registry (recommended to disable first, confirm no issues, then delete) “Disable first, confirm no issues, then delete” — this is the best practice for using Autoruns. ---## पेशेवर मीडिया और उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं | | Source | Review | | |--------|--------| | | TechSpot | “Autoruns is the definitive उपकरण for managing startup programs — nothing else comes close to its comprehensive coverage of every autostart location” | | | | CNET | “The most thorough startup manager available for Windows — shows you every program that runs automatically, even those hidden deep in the system” | | | | How-To Geek | “If you want to गति up your Windows boot time, Autoruns is the first उपकरण you should reach for — it reveals startup entries that टास्क मैनेजर misses” | |

वास्तविक उपयोगकर्ता क्या कहते हैं

“After using Autoruns, I discovered my computer had over 70 startup items! टास्क मैनेजर only showed 8. The ‘Everything’ tab listed services, scheduled tasks, drivers… all invisible. After disabling the unnecessary ones, boot time dropped from 2 minutes to 45 seconds. I had no idea there were so many ‘hidden auto-start’ items on my computer.” — Software Engineer, Zhihu “Every time I help a friend fix their computer, I first scan with Autoruns — then disable all kinds of junk startup items. Some software’s ऑटो-अपडेट services, input method background processes, even malware startup items. Autoruns’ ‘File Missing’ column (red marker) is especially useful — it directly tells you which startup items reference programs that no longer exist. Those are residual entries from software that was uninstalled but left behind.” — IT Operations, V2EX “When investigating malware, Autoruns is essential. Once I found a startup item under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run with the path C:\Windows\svchost.exe — but the real svchost.exe is at C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe. The path didn’t match, immediately identifying it as an imposter.” — सुरक्षा Researcher, Zhihu ---## तुलना with समान उपकरण | | आयाम | Autoruns | टास्क मैनेजर (Startup) | CCleaner (Startup) | | |-----------|-------------|-----------------------|-------------------| | | मूल्य | पूरी तरह से मुफ्त | System Built-in Free | Free/Pro $29.95 | | | | Developer | Microsoft Official (Sysinternals) | Microsoft | Piriform/Avast | | | | Startup Points Covered | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 20+ types | ⭐⭐ 1 type | ⭐⭐⭐ 3-4 types | | | | Number of Items Shown | All (70-200+ startup items) | Several to a dozen | Dozens | | | | View File Path | Yes, full path | Yes | Yes | | | | Verify Digital Signature | Yes Exclusive | No | No | | | | Online Search | Yes, राइट-क्लिक Search Online | No | No | | | | Disable/Restore | Yes, toggle checkbox | Yes, enable/disable | Yes, disable/restore | | | | पोर्टेबल संस्करण | Yes (Recommended) | N/A | No | | | | इंस्टॉलेशन Required | No, run directly | System built-in | Yes | | चयन सलाह:

• Most comprehensive + Most professional → Autoruns (Microsoft official, ultimate startup item manager)
• Quick disable of a few common startup items → टास्क मैनेजर (Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Startup tab)
• Clean residual startup items + uninstalled software leftovers → CCleaner’s startup manager (Tools → Startup)
• Autoruns is not for “disabling QQ/WeChat auto-start” — it’s for finding “hidden startup items you didn’t know existed.” ---## डाउनलोड और इंस्टॉलेशन Guide

आधिकारिक डाउनलोड

Autoruns is part of the Sysinternals suite, distributed through official Microsoft channels: | | Channel | डाउनलोड Address | Notes | | |---------|-----------------|-------| | | Microsoft Official (Recommended) | learn.microsoft.com/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns | Direct डाउनलोड autoruns.zip | | | | Sysinternals Suite | डाउनलोड the full suite | Contains Autoruns + Process Explorer + 60+ tools | |

Safety नोट: Autoruns is a मुफ्त उपकरण published by Microsoft. No इंस्टॉलेशन required, run directly. The ZIP डाउनलोड is about 1.5MB. Extract and run autoruns64.exe (for 64-बिट systems).

It will prompt you to accept the EULA — click “Agree.”

Strongly recommended to run as Administrator: राइट-क्लिक → Run as administrator. Otherwise, many system-level startup items won’t be displayed or manageable.

उपयोग Recommendations

1. First use: Open → wait for auto-scan (about 5-15 seconds) → see the complete startup item list
2. Disable startup items: Uncheck the corresponding entry (not delete — can be re-checked to restore at any time)
3. Find suspicious startup items: Sort by the “Publisher” column → look for entries without signatures or unknown publishers
4. Delete residual items: See red markers (file missing) → select and press Delete to remove registry residue
5. Use “Hide Microsoft Entries”: Check menu “Options” → “Hide Microsoft Entries” → only show third-party startup items, reducing clutter ---## सामान्य प्रश्न Q: What’s the difference between Autoruns and टास्क मैनेजर’s startup management? A: टास्क मैनेजर can only see the most common 1 type of startup point (registry Run keys + startup folders). Autoruns can see 20+ types — including services, scheduled tasks, Winlogon, AppInit DLLs, browser प्लगइन्स, etc. A typical computer will show 80-200 startup items through Autoruns (including system built-in ones), while टास्क मैनेजर only shows 5-15. Q: Will disabling system built-in startup items with Autoruns cause problems? A: Disabling system service startup items may cause corresponding विशेषताएं to stop working. If you’re not sure whether a startup item’s “Publisher” is Microsoft or a third party — first use Autoruns’ “Hide Microsoft Entries” विशेषता to hide Microsoft’s own items, showing only third-party items. This prevents accidentally disabling critical system services. Beginners should only disable red-marked “File Missing” items — these are residuals from uninstalled software, safe to disable. Q: Can Autoruns help with antivirus? A: It can help discover suspicious programs, but cannot replace antivirus software. Autoruns can: ① Show all startup items for you to judge which are suspicious; ② राइट-क्लिक → Search Online to look up file information; ③ Verify digital signatures to determine source. But it won’t actively “alert” you. If you find a suspicious startup item — disable it and run a full antivirus scan. Q: With all these startup items listed, will my computer be faster? A: Disabling unnecessary third-party startup items → boot गति will noticeably improve. Disabling system services → may not noticeably improve गति and could cause विशेषता loss. A typical office computer has 80+ startup items, about 50 from the system and 30 from third parties. Disabling about half of those 30 unnecessary third-party ones can reduce boot time by 30-50%. Q: Does Autoruns have a पोर्टेबल संस्करण? A: Yes, it’s portable software. डाउनलोड the ZIP, extract to any folder, and run directly. To remove, simply delete the entire folder. This is standard for Sysinternals tools. ---Autoruns is the “searchlight” of startup management — टास्क मैनेजर’s little flashlight only illuminates the tip of the iceberg (logon startup items), while Autoruns’ powerful beam lights up the entire iceberg (services, scheduled tasks, drivers, AppInit DLLs…). For the two scenarios of “investigating slow boot” and “suspecting malware auto-running,” Autoruns is the only उपकरण that gives you the complete answer. Return to Tool List