Complete guide to clean your PC from startup programs with Autoruns

This guide will show you how to use Autoruns, an advanced Microsoft tool, to optimize Windows startup by identifying and disabling hidden processes that slow down your PC. Autoruns is particularly useful for those who want more in-depth control than the Task Manager, revealing all applications and services that start automatically with the operating system.

Autoruns is part of the Sysinternals suite, a collection of advanced tools freely distributed by Microsoft. This tool is essential for technical users, system administrators, and anyone who wants to improve their PC's performance by removing unnecessary processes or remnants of uninstalled software.

With Autoruns, you can view a complete list of everything that Windows loads at startup, including elements hidden from the Task Manager such as scheduled tasks, system services, Explorer extensions, and deep registry keys. This will allow you to identify and remove obsolete or harmful entries, significantly improving your system's performance.

Prerequisites

• Operating System: Windows
• Tool: Autoruns (available here)

PROCEDURE: How to use Autoruns to optimize Windows startup

By the end of this guide, you will be able to use Autoruns to identify and manage programs that start automatically with Windows, improving your PC's performance.

• Step 1: Download Autoruns
• Step 2: Run Autoruns
• Step 3: Filter system entries
  • Go to the Options menu.
• Step 4: Analyze highlighted entries
  • Carefully examine the pink entries, which indicate software not verified by Windows. Evaluate case by case whether to disable them.
• Step 5: Disable unnecessary entries
  • Select the entries you want to disable.
  • Right-click and choose Disable.

Verification and Troubleshooting: How to test if it works and what to do if it fails

By the end of this guide, you will be able to verify the correct operation of Autoruns and solve any problems during use.

Testing Autoruns functionality

• Autoruns startup: After downloading and installing Autoruns from here, launch the program.
• Displaying entries: Check that Autoruns shows a complete list of everything that Windows loads at startup, divided into thematic tabs such as Logon, Scheduled Tasks, Services, Explorer, Drivers, and others. The "Everything" tab should collect all entries in a single list.
• Filtering entries: Go to the Options menu and check both "Hide Windows Entries" and "Hide Microsoft Entries" to hide entries belonging to Windows and Microsoft.
• Identifying problematic entries: Look for entries highlighted in yellow (File not found) and those in pink (software not verified by Windows).

Troubleshooting

• Entries highlighted in yellow: These entries point to files that no longer exist. You can safely remove them by selecting them and clicking the "Delete" button at the top.
• Entries highlighted in pink: These entries indicate software not verified by Windows. Carefully evaluate whether to disable or remove them, as they may be necessary for the operation of some programs.
• Performance issues: If Windows 11 seems slower than usual at startup, use Autoruns to identify and disable unnecessary entries that may be slowing down the system.

Educational Summary and Call to Action

By the end of this guide, you will have learned to use Autoruns to gain complete control over what starts with Windows, going beyond the limitations of the Task Manager. This tool will allow you to optimize your PC's performance by removing unnecessary and potentially harmful entries.

• Fundamental steps:
  • Download and run Autoruns.
  • Filter non-essential entries using the "Hide Windows Entries" and "Hide Microsoft Entries" options.
  • Identify and remove entries highlighted in yellow ("File not found").
  • Carefully evaluate entries in pink (unverified software).
• Immediate practice: Apply these steps to free up system resources and improve your PC's performance.

Autoruns is a powerful and free tool that should be part of every technical user's toolkit. Try it now to discover what it can do for your system.