Autorun.inf

A simple example

This simple autorun.inf file specifies setup.exe as the application to run when AutoRun is activated. The first icon stored within setup.exe itself will represent the drive in Explorer:

<span id="mwfw"></span><span class="k" id="mwgA">[autorun]</span> <span class="na" id="mwgQ">open</span><span class="o" id="mwgg">=</span><span class="s" id="mwgw">setup.exe</span> <span class="na" id="mwhA">icon</span><span class="o" id="mwhQ">=</span><span class="s" id="mwhg">setup.exe,0</span> <span class="na" id="mwhw">label</span><span class="o" id="mwiA">=</span><span class="s" id="mwiQ">My install CD</span>

Sections

Following are the sections and keys allowed in a valid autorun.inf. There also exist architecture specific section types for systems such as Windows NT 4 running on RISC. However these are long outdated and not described here.

[autorun]

The autorun section contains the default AutoRun commands. An autorun.inf file must contain this section to be valid. Keys allowed are:

action=text

action=@[filepath\]filename,-resourceID

Windows XP SP2 or later; drives of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE and DRIVE_FIXED

Specifies text used in the AutoPlay dialog to represent the program specified in the open or shellexecute keys. The text is expressed as either text or as a resource reference. The icon is displayed next to the text. This item is always first in the AutoPlay dialog and is always selected by default.

If the (action) key does not appear on drives of type:

DRIVE_REMOVABLE

the AutoPlay dialog appears but without additional menu items. Essentially, the AutoRun task is omitted. This makes the action key mandatory for drives of this type.

DRIVE_FIXED

default text is created and used in the AutoPlay dialog.

On all other drive types the key is ignored.

icon=iconfilename[,index]

The name of a file resource containing an icon. This icon replaces the standard drive icon in Windows Explorer. This file must be in the same directory as the file specified by the open key.

label=text

Specifies a text label representing the drive in Windows Explorer.

open=[exepath\]exefile [param1 [param2 ...]]

Specifies the path, file name and optional parameters to the application that AutoRun launches when a user inserts a disc in the drive. It is the CreateProcess function that is called by AutoRun. Note that if the application name includes spaces the path should be enclosed in double quote, e.g. open=""spread sheets.exe""

shellexecute=[filepath\]filename [param1 [param2 ...]]

Windows 2000, Windows ME or later

Similar to open, but using file association information to run the application. The file name can therefore be an executable or a data file. It is the ShellExecuteEx function that is called by AutoRun.

UseAutoPlay=1

Windows XP or later; drives of type DRIVE_CDROM

Use AutoPlay rather than AutoRun with CD-ROMs. The action taken on CD-ROM insertion will depend on the version of Windows being used.

On versions of Windows earlier than XP, this key has no effect and actions specified by open or shellexecute are performed.

On Windows XP and later, the user will be presented with the AutoPlay dialog and any actions specified by open or shellexecute are ignored.

shell\verb\command=[exepath\]exefile [param1 [param2 ...]]

Adds a custom command to the drive's shortcut menu. verb is a string with no embedded spaces. verb is also the text that will appear in the shortcut menu unless specifically altered to some other text. See below for an example.

shell\verb=menu text

Optionally specify the text displayed in the shortcut menu for the verb above. Use an ampersand (&) to select a hotkey for the menu. See below for an example.

shell=verb

Defines the menu command referred to by shell\verb as the default command in the shortcut menu. The default command is the command executed when the drive icon is double-clicked. If missing, the default menu item will be "AutoPlay", which launches the application specified by the open entry.

Example:

<span id="mw7Q"></span><span class="na" id="mw7g">shell\readme\command</span><span class="o" id="mw7w">=</span><span class="s" id="mw8A">notepad readme.txt</span> <span class="na" id="mw8Q">shell\readme</span><span class="o" id="mw8g">=</span><span class="s" id="mw8w">Read & Me</span> <span class="na" id="mw9A">shell</span><span class="o" id="mw9Q">=</span><span class="s" id="mw9g">readme</span>

[Content]

The Content section allows authors to communicate the type and intent of content to AutoPlay without AutoPlay having to examine the media.

Valid keys are: MusicFiles, PictureFiles, VideoFiles. Each key can be set to indicate true or false values and values are not case sensitive.

true or (1, y, yes, t)

display the handlers associated with that content type

false or (0, n, no, f)

do not display the handlers associated with that content type

Example:

<span id="mwAQo"></span><span class="k" id="mwAQs">[Content]</span> <span class="na" id="mwAQw">MusicFiles</span><span class="o" id="mwAQ0">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAQ4">Y</span> <span class="na" id="mwAQ8">PictureFiles</span><span class="o" id="mwARA">=</span><span class="s" id="mwARE">0</span> <span class="na" id="mwARI">VideoFiles</span><span class="o" id="mwARM">=</span><span class="s" id="mwARQ">false</span>

[ExclusiveContentPaths]

Limits AutoPlay's content search to only those folders listed, and their subfolders. The folder names are always taken as absolute paths (a path from the root directory of the media) whether or not a leading slash is used.

Example:

<span id="mwAR4"></span><span class="k" id="mwAR8">[ExclusiveContentPaths]</span> <span class="na" id="mwASA">\pictures</span> <span class="na" id="mwASE">\music</span> <span class="na" id="mwASI">more music\special</span>

[IgnoreContentPaths]

AutoPlay's content search system will not scan the folders listed, nor their subfolders. IgnoreContentPaths takes precedence over ExclusiveContentPaths so if a path given in a [IgnoreContentPaths] section is a subfolder of a path given in an [ExclusiveContentPaths] section it is still ignored.

Example:

<span id="mwATI"></span><span class="k" id="mwATM">[IgnoreContentPaths]</span> <span class="na" id="mwATQ">pictures</span> <span class="na" id="mwATU">\music</span> <span class="na" id="mwATY">more music\special</span>

[DeviceInstall]

Only Windows XP

This section is used to indicate where driver files may be located. This prevents a lengthy search through the entire contents of a CD-ROM. Windows XP will fully search:

• floppy disks in drives A or B
• CD/DVD media less than 1 GB in size.

without this section present. All other media should include this section to have Windows XP autodetect any drivers stored on that media.

The section is not used with AutoRun or AutoPlay and is only referred to during a driver installation phase. The only valid key is:

DriverPath=directorypath

which lists a path Windows will search for driver files. All subdirectories of that path are also searched. Multiple key entries are allowed.

If no DriverPath entry is provided in the [DeviceInstall] section or the DriverPath entry has no value, then that drive is skipped during a search for driver files.

Example:

<span id="mwAU8"></span><span class="k" id="mwAVA">[DeviceInstall]</span> <span class="na" id="mwAVE">DriverPath</span><span class="o" id="mwAVI">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAVM">drivers\video</span><span class="w" id="mwAVQ"> </span> <span class="na" id="mwAVU">DriverPath</span><span class="o" id="mwAVY">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAVc">drivers\audio</span> <span class="k" id="mwAVg">[autorun]</span> <span class="na" id="mwAVk">open</span><span class="o" id="mwAVo">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAVs">setup.exe</span> <span class="na" id="mwAVw">icon</span><span class="o" id="mwAV0">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAV4">setup.exe,0</span> <span class="na" id="mwAV8">label</span><span class="o" id="mwAWA">=</span><span class="s" id="mwAWE">My install CD</span>