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How can I disable/turn off the AutoPlay feature in Windows XP/Vista/7 that displays a list of options when I insert a CD or DVD or install a USB flash drive/memory stick?

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CD/DVD/Blu-ray drive/writer problem: How can I turn off the Autoplay feature in Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7?

My computer is running Windows XP. Every time I insert a CD or DVD or install a USB flash drive it presents a list of options, including Open folder to view files and Edit pictures. I want to do my own thing via Windows Explorer, so is there any way to turn off this list, or modify it so that it has options that I can use.

Answer

This feature is called AutoPlay. You can use Microsoft's TweakUI utility to turn it off.

Visit this page to obtain TweakUI for Windows XP, which is part of the PowerToys:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/...

Click the + beside the My Computer category in TweakUI, and then click the + beside AutoPlay. Select the Types category. It presents the enabled options, which are Enable AutoPlay for CD and DVD drives and Enable AutoPlay for removable drives [USB flash drives, etc.) Remove the check marks in their boxes to disable AutoPlay for those types of drives.

To modify what each option does on the AutoPlay list itself, or remove and entry, select the Handlers category.

If you want a specific AutoPlay option to be selected automatically, the setting for each device has to be set individually by clicking on the entry for the device (e.g., a DVD drive) with the right mouse button in My Computer, and then clicking Properties. The settings are under the AutoPlay tab.

You can choose the listed options to set for a number of categories of files, such as Music files, DVD movie, Music CD, etc.

Note that you may have to activate the Removable Storage service in order to make the changes stick.

To do that follow this clicking path: Start => All Programs => Administrative Tools => Component Services => Services (Local). In the right window, scroll down to Removable Storage. Double-click on it. Under Startup type, you can choose the Manual or the Automatic option. Choose the latter option.

How to disable Autoplay in Windows Vista

At the time of writing (March 2009), TweakUI and the other Powertoys were not available for Windows Vista. They probably never will be. However, you can make use of a free/paid-for product called TweakVI for Windows Vista:

http://www.totalidea.com/product.php?Product=TweakVI

Alternatively, you can disable Autoplay manually as instructed on this page:

Disable AutoPlay in Windows Vista -

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/...

At the time of writing (April 2010), there was no AutoPlay Repair Wizard for Windows Vista or Windows 7, but there are these pages:

Troubleshoot [Vista] AutoPlay problems -

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/...

Troubleshoot AutoPlay problems [Windows 7] -

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/...

Computer diagnostics: How to solve or fix common desktop and laptop PC problems

Click a link below to visit the described category of computer problems and solutions addressed on this website:

1. - Recovering and repairing Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Recovering and repairing Windows Vista when a computer crashes or fails to boot

3. - Windows Vista problems: How to fix problems with Windows Vista

4. - Recover, restore and repair Windows 7 (Win7) when a computer crashes or fails to boot

5. - Windows 7 problems: How to diagnose and fix problems with Windows 7

6. - Windows XP: How to troubleshoot and fix shutdown, restart (reboot), and startup problems

7. - Typical DLL (Dynamic Link Library) device driver problems

8. - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities

Also visit the Software pages on this site for more information on specific software-related information and problems.

9. - Motherboard and power supply problems: How to fix common problems with faulty motherboards (mainboards) and power supplies (PSUs)

10. - RAM memory problems: How to fix problems with the Random Access Memory

11. - Hard disk drive problems: How to fix computer hard disk drive (HDD) problems

12. - CD/DVD drive problems: How to fix problems with CD and DVD drives and discs

13. - Processor problems: How fix common processor (CPU) problems

14. - Video/graphics card problems: How fix common computer video and graphics problems

15. - USB and FireWire problems: - How to fix common USB and FireWire problems

16. - Network problems: How to fix common wired and wireless networking and internet problems

17. - Laptop/notebook problems: How to address or fix the most common laptop/notebook problems

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