Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Autoruns VS madCodeHook

Compare Autoruns VS madCodeHook and see what are their differences

Autoruns logo Autoruns

See what programs are configured to startup automatically when your system boots and you login.

madCodeHook logo madCodeHook

"madCodeHook" offers everything you need to hook code (mostly APIs).
  • Autoruns Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-16
  • madCodeHook Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-04

Autoruns features and specs

  • Comprehensive
    Autoruns provides an exceptionally detailed view of all programs that start automatically with Windows, including those in startup folders, Run, RunOnce, and other registry keys.
  • Ease of Use
    The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, making it easy even for less experienced users to manage startup programs.
  • Free of Charge
    Autoruns is available for free, making it accessible to anyone without financial constraints.
  • Updated Regularly
    The tool is regularly updated by Microsoft, ensuring compatibility with new versions of Windows and incorporating the latest features and bug fixes.
  • Portable
    Autoruns does not require installation and can be run as a portable application, adding convenience for IT professionals who need to manage multiple systems.
  • Advanced Features
    It includes advanced options like virus total integration, allowing users to check startup items against multiple antivirus engines.

Possible disadvantages of Autoruns

  • Complexity for Novices
    While the interface is user-friendly, the vast amount of information presented can be overwhelming for those who are not familiar with Windows internals.
  • Risk of Critical Changes
    Modifying or disabling certain startup items without proper knowledge can lead to system instability or prevent essential services from running.
  • Lack of In-depth Documentation
    Although there is documentation available, it may not be sufficient for users who require more detailed instructions or case-specific guidance.
  • Manual Process
    Autoruns does not provide an automated way to clean or optimize the startup items; users must manually review and make decisions.
  • No Real-time Monitoring
    The tool does not offer real-time monitoring or alerting capabilities; it can only provide a snapshot of the current startup configuration.

madCodeHook features and specs

  • Functionality
    madCodeHook offers comprehensive API hooking capabilities, allowing developers to intercept, manipulate, or extend existing Windows API calls. This can be valuable for debugging, monitoring, and extending software functionality.
  • Compatibility
    madCodeHook supports a range of Windows operating systems and is generally compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit applications, providing flexibility for developers working across different environments.
  • Efficiency
    The tool is known for its efficient operations, consuming minimal CPU resources, which is crucial when applications require consistent performance without additional overhead.
  • Documentation
    madCodeHook includes robust documentation which helps developers understand and implement API hooking effectively, reducing the learning curve and facilitating quicker integration into projects.

Possible disadvantages of madCodeHook

  • Cost
    madCodeHook is a commercial product, and its licensing costs may be prohibitive for individual developers or small companies with limited budgets, especially if only used occasionally.
  • Complexity
    Implementing API hooks can be technically complex, posing challenges especially to less experienced developers. This complexity can lead to longer development times and potential errors if not handled correctly.
  • Legal and Ethical Concerns
    API hooking can potentially be used for malicious purposes such as intercepting sensitive data or modifying software behavior without consent. Developers must ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards while using such technologies.
  • System Stability
    Improper use of API hooks can lead to system instability, crashes, or unpredictable application behavior. Developers need to rigorously test implementations to ensure stability and reliability.

Analysis of Autoruns

Overall verdict

  • Autoruns is considered a good tool for both IT professionals and advanced users who need a deeper insight into what processes and services are set to start automatically on a Windows computer. Its detailed interface and robust feature set make it a preferred choice for system diagnostics and optimization.

Why this product is good

  • Autoruns, developed by Microsoft, offers a comprehensive way to manage and understand the programs that automatically start on your Windows computer. It provides detailed information about what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and it allows for easy management of these startup processes. This can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues related to system performance, security threats, or simply reducing the clutter of unnecessary programs.

Recommended for

  • IT professionals
  • System administrators
  • Advanced Windows users
  • Security analysts looking to detect and disable malicious startup items
  • Users seeking to improve system performance by managing startup applications

Autoruns videos

How to use Microsoft Autoruns

More videos:

  • Review - Make Your Computer Boot Fast for Free with AutoRuns | Autoruns Review
  • Review - Using Autoruns to optimize your computer & find viruses

madCodeHook videos

No madCodeHook videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Autoruns and madCodeHook)
Utilities
97 97%
3% 3
Monitoring Tools
97 97%
3% 3
OS & Utilities
100 100%
0% 0
Tool
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Autoruns seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 306 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Autoruns mentions (306)

  • Microsoft wants Windows Update to handle all apps
    When I was using Windows many years ago, there used to be Sysinternals Autoruns[1] which could control your context menu entries. I have no idea whether it continues to work under Windows 11 though. [1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Office is too slow, so Microsoft is making it load at Windows startup
    Autoruns utility still exists. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Booting an OS from a Preserved .E01 (EWF) Disk Image File Using Arsenal Image Mounter
    For example, when I want to actually run malware on the investigation target environment and observe its behavior, or when I want to run investigation tools (like Autoruns). - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Firefox 127
    To Firefox's credit, they are the last major browser to inject themselves into our computer's startup (and at least they are providing notice and a way to disable it). I find it not only annoying but arrogant how most other software companies assume our lives revolve around their particular tool. So much so that, obviously, we must want their software to leech our time, bandwidth and power running its setup... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • The Windows Context Menu โ€“ Is It a Lost Cause?
    Also Autoruns from SysInternals ( https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns ) "Explorer" tab lets you un-check / check individual entries. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

madCodeHook mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of madCodeHook yet. Tracking of madCodeHook recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Autoruns and madCodeHook, you can also consider the following products

Process Explorer - The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'lโ€ฆ

EasyHook - The reinvention of Windows API Hooking

Tron Script - Tron is a glorified collection of batch files that automate the process of cleaning up Windows systems.

Code Project - Developers' community

Tech Tool Store - Tech tool store is an IT professional application which contains more than 600 free technician tools packed in a simple, fully featured interface.

Deviare API Hook - Deviare is a professional open source hooking engine for instrumenting arbitrary Win32 functions, COM objects, and functions which symbols are located in program databases (PDBs).