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autorun
About this tag
Autorun refers to the mechanism by which Windows automatically launches programs, services, and scripts at system boot, user logon, or when certain events occur. On WindowsForum.com, discussions cover using Microsoft Sysinternals Autoruns to view and manage all autostart locations, including those hidden from Task Manager. Topics include troubleshooting startup errors, auditing persistence points for security, and speeding up boot times by disabling unnecessary entries. The tag also covers clean boot procedures, registry autostart keys, and practical guides for safely trimming startup items to improve performance without breaking essential functionality.
Microsoft released a broad Sysinternals update on May 7, 2026, refreshing Autoruns, ProcDump, ZoomIt, DebugView, NotMyFault, Process Explorer, Process Monitor, and several Linux-oriented tools used by administrators, developers, incident responders, and Windows power users. The headline is not...
Fix Windows 10/11 Startup App Errors with Clean Boot + Autoruns (Step-by-Step)
Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 20 minutes
Startup app errors—pop-ups like “Application failed to start”, missing DLL messages, repeated installer prompts, or apps that instantly crash after sign-in—are...
I cut a handful of apps from my Windows startup list and my PC went from sluggish to immediately usable — a change that’s small to perform, reversible, and one of the highest-return tweaks most Windows users can make today. The simple act of pruning programs that auto‑launch at sign‑in reduces...
I ran a careful, full security audit of a Windows PC and found that the machine remembered — and trusted — far more than I expected, leaving behind autostarts, services, scheduled tasks, and privileged listeners that quietly persisted long after the associated apps were gone. What looked like a...
When Windows takes forever to boot, the visible culprits in Task Manager are only the beginning — Autoruns from Microsoft’s Sysinternals suite exposes every autostart location Windows checks and gives you the control to disable, audit, and triage the exact items that are adding seconds (or...
Hidden startup apps are one of the easiest causes of sluggish boots — and also one of the easiest to fix if you know where Windows hides them and what tools to use. In this practical, step‑by‑step feature we walk through four reliable ways to detect and stop hidden apps that slow Windows...
Autoruns from Sysinternals gives you the most complete view of everything Windows starts automatically, and when used carefully it’s the single best free tool to diagnose and shrink the work Windows does during boot and sign‑in.
Background / Overview
Boot time is a chain of stages: firmware...
Waiting for a Windows PC to crawl through POST, driver initialization, and a crowded startup queue is one of the small but repeated frustrations of daily computing — and it turns out the biggest wins rarely come from uninstalling apps or buying new hardware. Enabling a few built‑in features...
Speed Up Windows 10/11 by Managing Startup Apps
Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 15 minutes
Are you tired of staring at a blank desktop while Windows drags itself into readiness? Many Windows 10/11 machines feel slower to boot because startup programs wake up and grab memory right away. The...
Windows already does most of what “optimizer” and “cleaner” apps promise — and in many cases it does it more safely.
Background / Overview
For decades a cottage industry of “PC optimizers,” “tune‑up suites,” and “registry cleaners” has promised faster boot times, reduced RAM usage, and a...
The “EA AntiCheat has detected an incompatible driver” block is one of the most common hard-stops gamers see on Windows 11: the game launcher refuses to start, the anti-cheat refuses to load, and the only diagnosis shown is a driver filename or a terse popup. This is usually fixable without...
autoplay
autorun
batch file
command line
drive root
file explorer
shortcut creation
shortcut customization
shortcut icon
usb automation
usb device management
usb shortcut
usb tips
user engagement
user interface
autoexec
autorunautorun configuration
autorun restrictions
autorun.inf
bootable usb
device autorun
drive autoplay
executable autoplay
startup script
usb automation
usb autorun
usb script
usb security
windows security
I am trying to clear off my Logon tab under Autoruns.exe. I clicked Run as Administrator, and every time I try to de-select anything, this message pops up: "Error changing item state: Access is denied" What do I do?
access denied
application issues
autorun
configuration
error message
logon tab
run as administrator
troubleshooting
user account control
windows permissions
Hi
I have a batch file command set up in a folder on my PC of which creates a new subfolder fine but what im trying to do is to be able to auto run that batch file when I click on the folder icon on the desktop.
What I need to do then if poss for a message box or something come up to tell me...
Afternoon all , Happy new year one and all , I bought a version of Nero Platinum 2018 . I tried to copy the installation disk for a spare . I used Nero 2018 I had on here but when I put the dvd in the player instead of the open exe to run the software I got , files on this disk 8 with auto-run...
I've been trying to make a batch or shortcut to autorun with system to open the Task Manager in the Performance Tab with no luck.
Is there a way we can do this that I'm missing?
I can no longer boot 64-bit Win 7 Pro in normal or Safe Mode on ANY disk due to BSOD: STOP 0x0000007B (0XFFFF880009A97E8, 0XFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0, 0). The motherboard is an Asus Z-87A.
NOTE: I profusely apologize, but since I can't even boot in Safe Mode, I cannot run the "W7F Diagnostic Tool"...