Help with autorun

At one time, it was so easy...

Back then, a CD inserted in a CD-ROM drive started automatically if the CD was programmed to do so. However, increasingly this is no longer true. What to do?

Here's the summary advice for opening CD-ROMs:

For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users the AutoPlay options window will usually open. In this case, simply select the file named “index.htm” to open and the CD will start correctly.

For Windows XP users, the CD-ROM will usually start by itself in a few seconds. Then follow the on-screen instructions.

If you're using a different operating system (e.g. Linux or one of the Macintosh operating systems, or a older Microsoft operating system) or if this summary advice did not work for you, read on....

If you're running Windows 7 or Windows Vista:

Step #1 -- Reload the CD-ROM.

Step #2 -- Instead of checking the "autorun" option, select the option that permits you to select a file on the CD-ROM to run.

Step #3 -- The file you will want to run to start the CD is called "Index.htm" -- click it to proceed

Still getting that message?

Then, the next place to check is your Antivirus or other computer security program. We can offer very little help here because there are so many different programs in this category, and they are continually changing their products to keep pace with the bad people. However, we received a recent report that some Norton products were blocking our CD-ROMs.

The best way to investigate this possibility is to open your antivirus or other security solution and look at the incident log or report of problems (you may have to look around in your security program to find this). In the case of the Norton product, our customer found a message that there was a "Suspicious CD-ROM". She told the program to disregard the warning, and the CD worked as expected.

Have you had a similar experience? Let us know about it so we can help others!

Users of other operating systems (such as Windows XP, Windows 98, and Windows 95):

IStep #1: Remove the CD-ROM from the drive, replace it in the drive, close the drive, and wait 30 seconds. Sometimes that makes all the difference, especially for Windows 98 and Windows 95 users!

Step #2: If step #1 didn’t work, try this: (What we'll be doing is telling the computer where to look for the CD.) Leave the CD in the CD-ROM drive for this step.

Open your Internet Browser (usually Internet Explorer) by clicking the icon. It probably looks something like this on your screen.

Internet Explorer icon

Then, find the "address bar" on your screen and click once on it:

(That's the place at the top of your screen where the addresses of websites you visit appear)

(We used our own website, www.betweenthelakes.com, as an example)

Highlighted address

After you click on the address, it will light up as shown above.

Then, type the letter of your CD-ROM drive, followed by a colon (usually D:) in the address line you just clicked on.

Showing D: typed in bar

Internet Explorer will add a "\" character to complete the address

Now, double click on the address bar (or click on the "Go" button on the right side of the screen). Your screen now will look something like the example below:

Folders and files on the CD

You'll then see a list of files or symbols (called "icons") that represent files. One of them will be named "index.htm" or just plain "index".

Double-click on the "index" icon.

The CD should open, and you should be underway.

Step #3: Even if step #2 did not work, we're a long way from being out of bullets. This time, leave the CD-ROM in the drive. Locate the program called "Windows Explorer". This program has been more or less hidden since the days of Windows 98, so you will need to do some looking to find it. If you're using Windows XP, here's where it's hiding.

Click "start"

Click "All programs"

Click "Accessories"

Click "Windows Explorer" which will open. In Windows Explorer, locate your CD-ROM drive, and click on it. You'll then see a list of files or icons for files. One of them will be named "index.htm". Double-click on it, or click the "Go" button. The CD should open, and you should be underway.

Step #4: If step #3 didn't work, the problem does become a bit more complex. The possible reasons include the following: (1) The CD-ROM could be defective (this is unlikely since we test most CDs before we ship them. If they don't start, we don't ship it. We replace it with a CD that does work. However, CDs can be damaged in shipping, and handling can also make them unreadable). (2) The CD-ROM drive could be defective. They are mechanical devices and they do break and just plain wear out. However, they are inexpensive to purchase, and not difficult to install. (3) You have been locked out of the capability of running CD-ROMs on your PC.

We will need to test each of these possibilities, at least until we have a definitive reason why it doesn't work (or it starts to do what it is built to do). Here's how to test each of them:

--How to tell if the CD is bad: The easiest way is to try it in a different PC (ideally one running Windows 98 that is not part of a local area network (LAN)). If you are at home, possibly there is a second PC in the house you can try it on. If you're at work, possibly you can try the CD at home. In any case, there's usually a public library somewhere nearby. Do their public access PCs have CD-ROM drives? Try it on one of them.

Another way is to try a known good CD in the drive. Does it work in this drive where ours does not? If that's true, there may indeed be a problem with our CD. Please let us know if that is the case.

--How to tell if the CD-ROM drive is bad: The easiest way once again is to try a CD that you know is good. If that CD doesn't work for that CD, you've demonstrated that the problem is with the drive, not with the CD. However, the problem may either be with the drive itself, OR it may be with controls that prevent you using CDs in the CD-ROM drive (i.e. you are locked out). We'll eliminate that possibility next.

--How to tell if you are locked out: Unfortunately, if you are trying to use the CD at work, this is a reasonable possibility. Some clues to look for:

Do you have to get someone with an "Administrator" sign-on to work on your PC for complicated tasks like installing new programs?

Do you receive frequent warnings from your management or your technical staff that all activity on your PC is monitored?

Do you work in an organization that is subject to such regulatory requirements as HIPAA? Military or law enforcement security constraints?

If any of these apply to your workplace, you may need to confine your use of the CD to your home or other place where you have PC access.

Some general information about turning the CD/DVD autoplay function on and off -- this applies to Windows XP Home and Professional editions particularly. (Fair warning: this is going to get a little technical, so you may want to check with your favorite PC expert before undertaking this!)

"GPE" -- short for the Group Policy Editor -- has a setting that controls autoplay (as well as numerous other fairly arcane functions). To access it, click "Start" and "Run". Enter gpedit.msc. For this setting, you will need to expand the "Computer Configuration" folder. Here you will go to Administrative Templates | System and locate the "Turn off autoplay" option. If it says "not configured" your system is set to autoplay CDs (at least as far as this control is concerned). It it is set to anything else, this could be the source of your problem. (Thanks to PC Magazine for this useful tip!).

Here's a variation on this theme you may find at the office, especially if your office network is running one of the Windows Server operating systems. Just as you can affect the "policy" setting for autoplay on your own non-networked PC, the system administrator of the network can set policy for the whole network. It's done through the "Active Directory Users and Computers" console of the "Active Directory" on the server -- something your administrator is very familiar with, and which you're unlikely ever to see. All the administrator needs to do is turn off autoplay for the entire domain via a Group Policy setting. Unless you are the administrator, or you have some great influence over him or her, you're not going to be able to override this setting at your client PC. Sorry!

Want to discuss any of this with us at Between the Lakes Group? Here's contact information.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. Please let us have your suggestions for how we can improve this page. Contact us!

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