Autoruns vs D-Secure File Eraser

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.

D-Secure File Eraser overwrites file data at the sector level with the aim of making it unrecoverable. It can target files and folders, unallocated space and MFT data, cached cloud-sync copies, network shares, archives and full volumes. The product lists more than 27 sanitization algorithms, including NIST Clear/Purge, DoD, Gutmann, HMG IS5 and RCMP standards. Erasure jobs can run through CLI or REST API, webhooks, Windows Task Scheduler, cron and Group Policy hooks. Administrators can remotely execute and monitor jobs across endpoints with the Cloud Console. Each erasure produces a digitally signed PDF report containing a file hash, algorithm, pass count, operator ID and UTC timestamp; the maker also describes WORM-compliant audit logs. It says AES-256-CBC encryption is applied before overwriting, and interrupted erasures leave data cryptographically inaccessible. Windows, macOS and Linux are supported. The annual subscription starts at $40 a year, and a 30-day trial is available; there is no free plan.