Autoruns vs FreeDOS Defrag

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.

FreeDOS Defrag, or DEFRAG, is a free, open-source DOS utility that rearranges file fragments to improve loading times from a specified drive. It offers a menu interface and a command-line mode selected with /C. Full optimization with /F places files at the beginning of the disk without gaps, while /U unfragments files but may leave gaps. The /S option sorts files by name, extension, date and time, or size, with descending order available. Other options support quick defragmentation, rebooting after optimization, and exiting when work finishes. Its help recommends occasional use or running it after installing larger programs or creating many small files. Documented exit codes cover insufficient disk space, read, write, FAT-allocation, and memory errors. DEFRAG runs in the FreeDOS environment, whose 1.4 distribution includes LiveCD, USB, LegacyCD, and floppy editions.