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Autorun, or "Autoplay", are extended automatic
functions associated with removable media such as CDs and
DVDs. The foundation of this feature is the insert notification
support in the device driver. Most, if not all, removable
devices available today support this feature. After
Windows detects that a disk has been inserted, it looks in
the disk's root directory, finds, reads, and follows
specific instructions defined in a text based configuration
file, Autorun.inf.
In short, a computer looks for an "autorun.inf"
file within any removable media inserted into it, such as
a floppy, CD, or DVD, and if such a file is found, treats
the media as an Autorun device. This is the essense of applications
automatically launching when a CD/DVD is inserted into a computer.
An prime example of this would be the "setup" application
executing when a product's CD is inserted.
The Autorun.inf file defines the process or application that
will automatically run when a disk is inserted. The
Autorun file can also define the following, among other things:
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The Icon that will represent your application's
CD or DVD when the drive is viewed with My Computer
or Explorer. |
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Menu commands displayed when the user right-clicks
the CD-ROM icon from My Computer or Explorer. |
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Note: Autorun can be disabled by the user through
the device manager or with an entry in SYSTEM.INI. Click here
for more information on enabling/disabling autorun.
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