The "a" in autoruns64a stands for (or more broadly, x64 architecture). The version without the "a" is compiled for the Itanium (IA-64) architecture.
Functionally, both files are identical. They both serve as powerful diagnostic tools that display the most comprehensive list of auto-starting locations on a Windows system—from standard startup folders and registry keys to complex entry points like browser helper objects (BHOs), scheduled tasks, and AppInit DLLs . Security and Maintenance autoruns 64 vs autoruns 64a
Aside from their underlying architecture, the two files offer identical features for managing startup locations: autoruns64.exe autoruns64a.exe Full Graphical User Interface (GUI) Full Graphical User Interface (GUI) 64-bit Windows (x64) 64-bit Windows (ARM64) Scans registry, services, and tasks Scans registry, services, and tasks Supports VirusTotal hash checks Supports VirusTotal hash checks Which One Should You Use? The "a" in autoruns64a stands for (or more
| Feature | Autoruns 64 (x64) | Autoruns 64a (ARM64) | |---------|------------------|----------------------| | | AMD64 / Intel 64 | ARM64 (e.g., Snapdragon) | | Runs on x64 Windows | ✅ Native, best performance | ❌ Won’t start (invalid image) | | Runs on ARM64 Windows | ✅ Via emulation (Prism) | ✅ Native, no emulation | | Registry/WOW64 access | Full native x64 registry view | Full native ARM64 registry view | | Driver scanning | Sees x64 kernel drivers | Sees ARM64 kernel drivers | | Memory footprint | ~3–4 MB | ~2.5–3 MB | | Startup speed (ARM64 host) | ~1.2 seconds (emulated) | ~0.6 seconds (native) | They both serve as powerful diagnostic tools that