If you are looking up Autoruns specifically, you are likely troubleshooting a slow boot or checking for something suspicious hiding in your startup list, rather than casually browsing software. It is a diagnostic tool built by Microsoft's own Sysinternals team, so there is no installer or setup wizard involved. Just download the package, extract it, and run it directly whenever you need to inspect what is launching on your system.
No Installer Needed: Autoruns Runs Portable
Autoruns is a standalone executable, not a program you install through a setup wizard, and it is distributed as part of the broader Sysinternals suite. Running it with administrator rights lets it show driver and service entries that would otherwise stay hidden from a standard user account. A command-line companion called autorunsc is included in the same download for scripting or scheduled checks.
Who ends up using Autoruns
Autoruns is built for people troubleshooting a slow boot or hunting for malware persistence, not casual users browsing startup settings.
- IT technicians diagnosing why a PC boots slowly or behaves unexpectedly
- Security researchers checking for malware persisting via startup or driver entries
- Power users auditing every service, scheduled task, and codec on a system
Before you install
A couple of things worth knowing about Autoruns before you request the link: it only ships for Windows, so double-check that's the machine you're installing it on before you request the link. And on pricing, Autoruns is free to use outright — there's no paid tier hiding behind it, so what you install is the whole app. It's developed and maintained by Microsoft Sysinternals.
System requirements
- WindowsWindows 10 or 11 (64-bit); older 7/8.1 builds usually still run but no longer get official support
It's a lightweight tool, so there's no serious CPU/RAM/storage requirement beyond what its OS already needs to run comfortably.
Quick steps
- Download the Autoruns zip package
- Extract it anywhere and right-click Autoruns.exe to run as administrator
- Review each startup tab and uncheck only entries you recognize as unwanted
Autoruns: the honest trade-offs
- Shows far more startup locations than Task Manager's basic Startup tab
- Portable, no-install executable that leaves no trace after use
- Command-line autorunsc companion enables scripting and scheduled audits
- Overwhelming, jargon-heavy interface for non-technical users
- Disabling the wrong entry can break drivers or software without warning
Autoruns here is repackaged straight from Microsoft's Sysinternals site, so the executable matches Microsoft's own release.
Other System Utilities downloads people search for
Browse the full System Utilities category →
Keeping Autoruns up to date
Autoruns typically checks for updates from inside the app, or you can just re-download the current installer from the official source periodically — reinstalling over the top keeps your settings. Sticking to the developer's own distribution channel — which is what this page links to — means you're never stuck on an old build with unpatched bugs just because a mirror site stopped updating its copy.
Features, install steps, alternatives and more detail live on the main Autoruns page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to install Autoruns like normal software?
No installation is required; it's a portable executable you extract and run directly, and it leaves no residue if you delete the folder.
Why does Autoruns need administrator rights?
Without admin rights it can't read certain driver and service entries, so some startup items would be hidden from the list.
