How to keep a CD/DVD from playing automatically when you insert it
When you insert removable media, Windows has a function called “AutoPlay” that will automatically try to start some action, depending on the type of file that Windows detects on the disk. There is also an automatic action that is referred to as “AutoRun,” which is governed by a special file named “autorun.inf” that is placed in the root directory of the disk. Sometimes you want to insert a CD or DVD and look over the contents without having the disk play or open some file automatically. To prevent the automatic action, hold down the Shift key when you insert the disk.
If an optical disk is already inserted, double-clicking the disk icon in My Computer will invoke Autoplay or AutoRun instead of allowing you to read the contents. If you wish to check what’s on a disk, right-click the disk icon in My Computer and choose “Explore”.
If you want to permanently disable AutoPlay, the accessory TweakUI can be used. Open TweakUI, expand the entries under “My Computer”, click “AutoPlay”, and then select “Drives”. Uncheck each drive letter for which you want AutoPlay disabled.
If you are an experienced PC user, AutoRun can be permanently disabled by a Registry edit. Open Regedit and navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CDRom. Find the value “AutoRun” and set it to 0. Back up the Registry first before trying any editing. One side effect of this Registry edit is that you may have to refresh the view in My Computer when you insert a new optical disk before Windows recognizes it.
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