How to Disable Autorun

Autorun is a feature that's been included with Windows since 1995, and what it does is looks for a file on an inserted CD called Autorun.inf. If it finds it, then it executes any program associated with it. This is fine for trusted software, but it can also execute malicious programs like viruses and spyware, too. The safe computer user disables Autorun altogether.

Steve's Warning: Messing around in your registry is risky business! Worldstart cannot be held responsible for any damage done to your computer or operating system from editing your registry. That is all. :)

Here's how you do it in Windows XP.

Click: Start>Run and type in "Regedit" without the quotes.

You're now in the Registry Editor, a dark and scary place within Windows. Be ye not afraid, though. We'll only be here a moment!

Click: HKEY_LOCALMACHINE>SYSTEM>CurrentControlSet>Services>Cdrom Then double click "Autorun". Don't worry about anything else in here except the number. Change the value from 1 to 0.

Click OK and Restart your computer. See? Wasn't that easy?

Okay, so what about Vista?

The same process applies here with a slight twist at the end:

Type "Regedit" into the Search Bar, minus the quotes.

Click : HKEY_LOCALMACHINE>SYSTEM>CurrentControlSet>Services>Cdrom, then double-click "Autorun" and change the value from 1 to 0. Click OK just like before.

Here's the M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end. Click your Start button and type "Autoplay" into your Search Bar and hit Enter.

Uncheck the box that says "Use AutoPlay for all media and devices".

Restart. Just to be thorough.

Pat yourself on the back, you've successfully edited the registry and are safer as a result! :)

~Andrew

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