Autoruns vs WinSW

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.

WinSW is a free, open-source Windows service wrapper licensed under MIT. It hosts any executable as a Windows service, with behavior defined in a required XML configuration file. Command-line controls cover installation, removal, starting, stopping, restarting, status checks, and configuration refreshes. The configuration can direct WinSW to restart a failed process or reboot Windows. It captures standard output and error streams, offering append, reset, ignore, and log-rotation modes. Before launch, it can download resources from URLs with authentication and proxy options. Service settings include service accounts and an SDDL security descriptor; documentation warns that Basic credentials over HTTP are sent in clear text. WinSW 3 runs with .NET Framework 4.6.1 or later, or through supplied native 32-bit and 64-bit .NET 7 executables. Binaries are distributed through GitHub Releases, with other packages and CI builds listed.