The genuine Autoruns.exe file is a software component of Autostart Program Viewer by Sysinternals. This executable is a Sysinternals untility that allows the user to see what programs and processes are set to start automatically with the operating system. User controls are included to modify these processes. Autoruns is commonly packaged with 72 other utilities that perform a variety of system actions for Windows. Originally called Winternals, Sysinternals was acquired by Microsoft in 2006 and is now part of Microsoft TechNet.
The .exe extension on a filename indicates an executable file. Executable files may, in some cases, harm your computer. Therefore, please read below to decide for yourself whether the Autoruns.exe on your computer is a Trojan that you should remove, or whether it is a file belonging to the Windows operating system or to a trusted application.
Description: Autoruns.exe is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. Autoruns.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's profile folder or sometimes in a subfolder of C:\—in most cases C:\Users\USERNAME\Desktop\ or C:\Users\USERNAME\Downloads\Autoruns\.
Known file sizes on Windows 10/11/7 are 2,502,032 bytes (12% of all occurrences), 680,600 bytes and 12 more variants.
The program has a visible window. The Autoruns.exe file is not a Windows core file. The Autoruns.exe file is digitally signed.
Autoruns.exe is able to monitor applications, connect to the Internet, record keyboard and mouse inputs and manipulate other programs.
Therefore the technical security rating is 21% dangerous; however you should also read the user reviews.
Uninstalling this variant:
You can uninstall the program autoruns or Sysinternals Utilities, or ask the software vendor [1][2] for support. Click on autoruns or Sysinternals Utilities in Windows Control Panel (Software or Programs section) to uninstall it.
If Autoruns.exe is located in a subfolder of Windows folder for temporary files, the security rating is 26% dangerous. The file size is 716,456 bytes (20% of all occurrences), 723,104 bytes, 666,816 bytes, 746,128 bytes or 591,040 bytes.
The program has a visible window. Autoruns.exe is not a Windows system file.
Autoruns.exe is able to monitor applications and connect to the Internet.
If Autoruns.exe is located in a subfolder of the user's "Documents" folder, the security rating is 11% dangerous. The file size is 661,184 bytes (40% of all occurrences), 593,080 bytes or 660,160 bytes.
The program has a visible window. The Autoruns.exe file is not a Windows core file. The file has a digital signature.
Autoruns.exe is able to monitor applications.
Uninstalling this variant:
You can uninstall Sysinternals Utilities, or ask Support team for help. Go to Sysinternals Utilities in the Windows Control Panel (Software or Programs section) to uninstall it, or go to technet.microsoft.com for Customer Support.
If Autoruns.exe is located in a subfolder of "C:\Program Files", the security rating is 11% dangerous. The file size is 671,904 bytes (25% of all occurrences), 670,880 bytes, 650,392 bytes or 646,264 bytes.
If Autoruns.exe is located in a subfolder of C:\Windows, the security rating is 0% dangerous. The file size is 755,576 bytes (50% of all occurrences) or 716,448 bytes.
Important: Some malware camouflages itself as Autoruns.exe. Therefore, you should check the Autoruns.exe process on your PC to see if it is a threat. We recommend Security Task Manager for verifying your computer's security. This was one of the Top Download Picks of The Washington Post and PC World.
Score
User Comments
autoruns.exe is a process associated with Sysinternals autoruns from Sysinternals Robert (further information)
VHS Player Niel Patterson
Summary: Average user rating of Autoruns.exe:
based on 3 votes with 2 user comments.
2 users think it's probably harmless.
One user thinks Autoruns.exe is dangerous and recommends removing it.
One user is not sure about it.
Best practices for resolving Autoruns issues
A clean and tidy computer is the key requirement for avoiding problems with Autoruns. This means running a scan for malware, cleaning your hard drive using 1cleanmgr and 2sfc /scannow, 3uninstalling programs that you no longer need, checking for Autostart programs (using 4msconfig) and enabling Windows' 5Automatic Update. Always remember to perform periodic backups, or at least to set restore points.
Should you experience an actual problem, try to recall the last thing you did, or the last thing you installed before the problem appeared for the first time. Use the 6resmon command to identify the processes that are causing your problem. Even for serious problems, rather than reinstalling Windows, you are better off repairing of your installation or executing the 7DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth command. This allows you to repair the operating system without losing data.
To get your computer running as fast as it did on day one, you can 8reset your PC. Your personal files will remain intact, but any programs you installed will need to be reinstalled.
To help you analyze the Autoruns.exe process on your computer, the following programs have proven to be helpful: ASecurity Task Manager displays all running Windows tasks, including embedded hidden processes, such as keyboard and browser monitoring or Autostart entries. A unique security risk rating indicates the likelihood of the process being potential spyware, malware or a Trojan. A good Bantivirus software detects and removes sleeping spyware, adware, Trojans, keyloggers, malware and trackers from your hard drive.
Score
User Comments
Robert (further information)
Niel Patterson
Summary: Average user rating of Autoruns.exe: based on 3 votes with 2 user comments. 2 users think it's probably harmless. One user thinks Autoruns.exe is dangerous and recommends removing it. One user is not sure about it.