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Select the Drive Types to Start Automatically (All Windows)
Category: Home > Windows > File System

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When using AutoRun Windows can detect and automatically start programs when new media is inserted into a drive. By default, CD-ROM and hard drives will automatically launch, but removable and network drives will not.

Open your registry and find or create the key below.

Create or modify a DWORD value for Windows 2000 and XP or binary value for Windows 95, 98 and Me called "NoDriveTypeAutoRun". This value is an 8-bit number that specifies which drive types AutoRun is disabled on. Each bit represents a different drive type.

BitDrive Types
0Unknown drives
1No root directory
2Removable drives (Floppy, ZIP)
3Hard disk drives
4Network drives
5CD-ROM drives
6RAM disk drives
7Reserved

The default value is "149" (decimal) which is equal to "95" (hex) and "10010101" (binary). In binary this specifies that AutoRun should be disabled on Unknown (bit 0), Removable (bit 2), Network (bit 4) and Reserved (bit 7) drive types. (i.e. REG_DWORD: "0x00000095 (149)" or REG_BINARY: "95 00 00 00")

Therefore to disable AutoRun on CD-ROM drives as well you would set enable bit 5 so that the value becomes "10110101" (binary), "181" (decimal) or "B5" (hex). (i.e. REG_DWORD: "0x000000B5 (181)" or REG_BINARY: "B5 00 00 00")

To disable AutoRun on all drive types you would set this value to "11111111" (binary), "255" (decimal) or "FF" (hex). (i.e. REG_DWORD: "0x000000FF (255)" or REG_BINARY: "FF 00 00 00")

To enabled AutoRun on all drive types you would set this value to "10000000" (binary), "128" (decimal) or "80" (hex). Bit 7 is left enabled because it is reserved. (i.e. REG_DWORD: "0x00000080 (128)" or REG_BINARY: "80 00 00 00")

Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Registry Editor Example
|NameTypeData|
|(Default)REG_SZ(value not set)|
|NoDriveTypeAutoRunREG_DWORD0x00000095 (149) [Windows 2000, XP]|
|NoDriveTypeAutoRunREG_BINARY95 00 00 00 [Windows 95, 98, Me]|
-
|HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Exp...|
-

Settings:
User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]

System Key: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\
Explorer]

Name: NoDriveTypeAutoRun
Value: Bit-mask of Drive Types

Related Tweaks

Disclaimer: Modifying the registry can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. We cannot guarantee that problems resulting from modifications to the registry can be solved. Use the information provided at your own risk.

Last Modified: August 20, 2002

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