Autoruns vs WinContig

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.

WinContig defragments selected files or folders, so you can process frequently used items without defragmenting an entire disk. It is a Windows standalone executable: no installation or additional DLLs are required, and its files and settings stay in one folder. It supports FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, and ReFS on internal and external HDDs and SSDs. You can save groups of files and folders as profiles, use command-line switches in scripts or scheduled tasks, and add optional analyze and defragment commands to File Explorer. WinContig can also scan for file-system errors, retrieve S.M.A.R.T. data, and remove temporary files before defragmentation. It supports Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11, along with Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019, in 32-bit and 64-bit editions. It needs 6 MB of free disk space and administrator access. The Freeware plan costs nothing, with personal and commercial use on unlimited Windows computers and no registration or payment.