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In version 9 this feature was disabled by default. This feature worked flawlessly under Windows 7.Īnother change in Autoruns 10 is that Windows entries are not displayed by default. Unfortunately, in my test the browse-to-folder function that enables you to navigate to the system root folder and user profile did not work in my test on Windows PE 3.0. All you have to do is specify the system root folder of the Windows installation and the profile path of the user account you want to examine. You'll find the new feature that allows you to scan an offline Windows installation in the File menu. In most cases you don't want to manage the startup programs of Windows PE but of the Windows version that is installed on the PC. I recommend maximizing the Autoruns window because otherwise it is difficult to use the tool. That is, even the smallest window size doesn't fit completely on the screen. The default screen resolution of Windows PE is 800圆00, and Autoruns is not really prepared for that. I have tried Autoruns with Windows PE 3.0 and I just have one complaint. The most interesting new feature of Autoruns 10 is the ability to run the tool on Windows PE and scan startup programs of an offline Windows installation. Since some startup program options are user dependent, you can switch the user account easily through the User menu. For example you can get an overview of Explorer extensions, codecs, and Sidebar gadgets. The majority of startup programs can be found there.Īutoruns not only allows you to manage startup programs but also all kinds of additions that third-party applications have added to Windows. However, in most cases it is enough to check the first five folders in the Everything tab, the Winlogon tab, the Scheduled Tasks tab, and the Services tab. It displays so many different entries in numerous different locations that you easily lose track of things. The only disadvantage of Autoruns is its complexity.
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Many spyware programs are not smart enough to hide from Autoruns and can be easily removed with the tool. I also launch Autoruns if I suspect that a computer has been infected with spyware. With Autoruns you can easily disable these startup programs and, if you realize later that you want to activate them again, it only costs you a mouse click. Often they only eat resources and slow down the computer without being really useful. Whenever I install a new application, the first thing I do when the setup program is finished is to launch Autoruns to see what startup programs have been added. Windows offers many options to auto-start applications, and Autoruns knows them all. Autoruns is the most comprehensive auto startup managing tool.
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