Find all the programs that start when Windows is loaded
AutoRuns can be used to view all the programs that load automatically on your PC during start-up.
Some programs such as anti-virus software, for example, are useful to load every time your PC starts. Others are less necessary. And if enough of them automatically load at once, it can substantially slow down your PC's start-up process.
AutoRuns quickly scans your computer and provides a list of all programs that load every time you turn your computer on. You can filter the results on AutoRuns by a number of different categories. These include print monitors, network providers, and scheduled tasks, among others. You can also just simply view everything at once.
Click on an individual program and AutoRuns will provide further information on it in a panel below the full list. The size of the program is one of the most important things to note, as it will help you determine if that particular program should not be loaded upon start-up for the best results. From there AutoRuns lets you opt to prevent certain programs from loading on start-up.
Unfortunately, AutoRuns' help file didn't work during our test, so if you have questions about how to use the program, you'll be out of luck without a further internet search.
AutoRuns provides an easy way to see what programs load during your PC's start-up.
User reviews about AutoRuns
by Anonymous
AutoRuns and then some.
An excellent program. everyone should have some idea of the registry, what it looks like, what it does, and so. That's the good news. The bad news, it's not really for the techno-mechno challanged. What exactly am I looking for? How do I tell the "good guys" from the "bad guys"? Who/what are the forces of evil and what supports the computers functionality. If I get a virus, where in the registry do I go to delete it? And so on. Computer security is too imporant to be left to by guess or by golly. Banking, paying bills, communicating with Social Security, identity, etc all can be compromised when the computer gets hijacted. So in theory Autoruns is a good idea, without a user freindly manual to interpret the data, then it's just data. I'm glad I have it and feel I better understand the computer and its operation. But it presents a sharp leaning curve. More
by Bartley Sharkey
Basic but practical utility.
Here is a tool that might double your startup time in a flash. If you don't take much notice of installation processes, then the chances are that you have a long list of un-used programs loading in to memory once Windows starts up. With AutoRuns, you can see what they are and do something about it. There are others ways to access the list, for example through the registry but this software give you a little more security that you won't bring you computer to its knees with no way back.
Pros:
Simple
Practical
Cons:
Not actually necessary, since you can do the exact same thing if you know where to look in the registry. More