Windows XP Service Pack 2 - CD/DVD autostart no longer works with SP2

You find it very annoying that since Service Pack 2 the autostart (autorun) of CDs and DVDs no longer works after insertion. Many CD/DVD-ROM autorun applications are based on HTML scripts, which are no longer executed automatically since Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Solve the problem as follows:

Install the correct drive drivers

1. start Internet Explorer and click on "Tools/Internet options. Switch to the "Advanced" tab and scroll down to "Security", under which you activate the two points "Execution of active content in files... and "Execution of active content on CDs...".

2. press "Windows key+R and enter "regedit" in the "Run" dialog. Expand the key path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom, double-click on the value "AutoRun and enter a "1. If the value does not exist, you can create it by right-clicking in the right-hand pane and selecting "New/DWORD value. The autostart mechanism should work again after the first restart. At the same time, check in this key whether your drive is listed under AutoRunAlwaysDisable - if so, remove the corresponding entry!

3. now open the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Expl orer and search for the value "NoDriveTypeAutoRun. This must have the value "95 (hexadecimal) so that the setting is deactivated and autostart is therefore activated. The same applies to the NoDriveAutoRun value; however, this must be set to 0. The following also applies here: If the values do not exist, they must be created via a New/DWORD value! Although this key (if it does not exist) should have no effect, readers have already reported success with this method. It should therefore not go unmentioned here!

Activate AutoPlay under XP

4. open "My Computer" and right-click on the desired CD/DVD drive. Select "Properties" from the context menu that appears and assign a program to each file type under "AutoPlay". For example, select "Pictures, select "Select action to be performed and assign "Show slideshow of pictures.

5. if everything fails, we recommend reinstalling the drive, as in some cases the Service Pack 2 CD/DVD driver is not installed correctly: Open the "Device Manager (right-click on "My Computer/Properties/Hardware/Device Manager) and expand "DVD/CD-ROM Drives. Right-click on your drive(s) and click on "Uninstall. After a restart, the drive will be automatically remounted.

6. continue to check whether the "Shell hardware detection" service is activated - in conjunction with some CD/DVD drive drivers, this is necessary for correct autostart. To do this, open the "Control Panel" and navigate to "Services" via "Administrative Tools". Double-click on "Shell hardware detection" and set the "Startup type" to "Automatic". A restart completes
the process.

7. some programs such as CloneCD, DirectCD, VirtualCD, Easy CD Creator, Nero Burning Rom, Office 2000 or VMware deactivate the CD/DVD autostart by default. We recommend that you locate the function in the relevant programs and switch it off or uninstall the troublemaker (if you no longer need the application).

NOTE FOR NEW PUBLICATION: This article was produced by Sandro Villinger and comes from the Windows Tweaks archive, which has been built up since the late 1990s.