The Best Free Windows Startup Manager Just Got Better

Windows 8.1’s task manager leaves a lot to be desired. In an effort to give task manager a more modern look and adding the start up manager to it, they made it less useful as well a as making the Windows configuration tool (MSCONFIG) less useful.

One would have tought that Microsoft, in its frenzied efforts to help wash away the nasty taste of Widnows 8x with Widnows 10, would have made the Windows startup manager useful again instead of the truncated joke that they used in Widnows 8.x …but NOOOOO! Windows 10 has the same set up as Windows 8x does as far as the fungled task manager goes. (So far at least. There’s still time for Microsoft to fix this in Windows 10. We’ll wait and see what happens as we get closer to the release of Widnows 10.)

But ANYWAY….

Thereá s good start up manager we use called Autoruns and it comes from SysInternals which is part of Microsoft TechNet. Odd huh? Anyway, we like Autoruns a lot because it gives us a great view of what’s starting up with Windows and what it is.. That makes it easy to disable useless startups that consume large chunks of system resources. Autoruns is a great program that just got greater.

INDEED

Now Autoruns uses Virus Total (an online site that uses 40+ differen antivirus programs) to help identify mischievious or malciouses processes churning away on computers. So now, not only does Autoruns help to identity those useless startups whcih use up system resources ofr no good reason, it now helps you identify the rascals and malicious things that may be starting up with Windows.

Why does Microsoft include Autoruns in Windows 10?

Well, rather than waiting for Microsoft, you can get Autoruns right now and use it right now. And you can use it whether you’re using Vista, Windows 7, Windoes 8x, Windows 10 – or if still slugging away on that Windows XP computer.you can use it too.

Of course, we just can resist letting the developers tell you a little something about their program, so my friends, here you go:

“This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and when you start various built-in Windows applications like Internet Explorer, Explorer and media players. These programs and drivers include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. Autoruns reports Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond other autostart utilities.

Autoruns’ Hide Signed Microsoft Entries option helps you to zoom in on third-party auto-starting images that have been added to your system and it has support for looking at the auto-starting images configured for other accounts configured on a system. Also included in the download package is a command-line equivalent that can output in CSV format, Autorunsc.

You’ll probably be surprised at how many executables are launched automatically! “

You can read more about and download the latest, greatest version of Autoruns from here.

You can tell them Cloudeight sent you if you want; it will make them scratch their heads.