How to Analyze Startup Programs with Autoruns - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
How to Analyze Startup Programs with Autoruns
Understanding how startup programs affect your computer’s performance is crucial in optimizing your system's speed and efficiency. One of the best tools for undertaking this analysis is Autoruns, a Sysinternals tool from Microsoft. In this article, we will guide you on how to analyze startup programs using Autoruns.
Understanding Startup Programs
Startup programs are applications that automatically run when you boot your computer. They can either be essential system software or non-essential software such as apps regularly used or those that a new software installation sets to launch automatically during startup. While they can be convenient, unnecessary startup programs can slow down your system or even cause crashes. It’s therefore important to manage them, and Microsoft’s Autoruns is a tool built for this purpose.
What is Autoruns?
Autoruns is a free Sysinternals utility developed by Microsoft. It provides detailed information about programs, drivers and services configured to run during system bootup or login. With Autoruns, you can view what programs are configured to start automatically when your system boots and the order in which Windows processes them. You can download Autoruns from the following link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
How to Use Autoruns to Analyze Startup Programs
Once you have downloaded and installed Autoruns, follow the steps below to analyze your startup programs:
1. Run Autoruns: Locate the Autoruns.exe file in your installation folder and run it. The Autoruns interface will appear showing all the programs, services, and drivers that start up with your system. It may take a few moments for all entries to load.
2. Examine the Entries: Autoruns splits entries into several tabs corresponding to the different registry locations for autostart configurations. The “Everything” tab displays all entries.
3. Decipher the Colored Codes: Autoruns color-codes entries to make identification easier. Yellow entries are problems related to a program or service, while pink entries are unsigned, which could pose a security risk.
4. Analyze Autorun Entries: To understand the function of each entry, right-click on an entry and select "Search Online." This will search for information about the entry online, which can help you decide whether to disable it.
5. Disable Unnecessary Entries: To disable an entry, uncheck its box. It is recommended to only disable entries you have researched and understood. You can re-enable a disabled entry by checking its box again.
By properly analyzing and managing your startup programs with Autoruns, you can improve your system’s boot time and overall performance. This detailed visibility into your autostart configuration gives you the power to manage your system more effectively and keep your computer running smoothly.
Remember, while Autoruns is a powerful tool, it should be used with caution. Always ensure that you research every entry before disabling it to avoid unintended consequences.
Conclusion
Autoruns is an expert’s tool that, with the right knowledge, can also be used by a novice to manage and optimize their computer's startup programs. With its level of detail and comprehensiveness, Autoruns is one of the best utilities available for analyzing startup programs.