Autoruns vs Corionis Service Manager.NET

Autoruns shows programs and drivers configured to run during Windows boot, login, or when certain built-in Windows applications start. It reports startup items from locations such as the Startup folder, Registry keys, Explorer extensions, services, scheduled tasks, and Winlogon entries. Users can hide signed Microsoft entries to focus on third-party items, inspect startup images configured for other accounts, and disable an entry or delete its configuration. Scan options include signature verification and VirusTotal hash checks; submitting files not previously scanned requires the upload option, and VirusTotal features require accepting its terms. The download includes Autorunsc, a command-line version that can output CSV or tab-delimited data, verify signatures, and scan an offline Windows system. The Autoruns and Autorunsc download is listed as 3 MB, and Microsoft offers a Sysinternals Live option. Autoruns costs nothing, with no limit on installation or use on devices owned or supported by the user, but no redistribution license. Microsoft says Sysinternals tools are provided as is without official support and points users to a community forum.

Corionis Service Manager.NET (CSM) is a free Windows tray application for monitoring and managing Windows services chosen by the user. It can start or stop selected services and change their startup type. When a monitored service changes state, CSM displays a notification and logs it; file logging is optional. Users can reorder the service list by dragging items and edit the names displayed in the application. An optional updater can be set to check daily, weekly, or monthly. CSM installs for the current user, so each user on a system may have a separate copy. Monitoring works without administrator privileges, but service management controls are disabled unless those privileges are available. The maker says it was tested on Windows 7 through Windows Server 2016, supports 32-bit and 64-bit systems, and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.7.2. This version is a complete rewrite of the original, written in Microsoft C# and .NET. The release is MIT licensed and provided without warranty or guarantee. There is no restart button because the application cannot accurately determine when a service has finished shutting down and is safe to start again.