Autorun.inf – Create CD Autorun With CDStart

Create a CD autorun with the free CDStart application! CDStart also lets you create an Autorun.inf, the primary instruction file associated with the CD Autorun function.

Autorun is a feature in windows introduced as early as in Windows 95.When an appropriately configured CD is inserted into a CD drive, Windows will automatically detect it and check the contents for a special file called autorun.inf, containing a set of instructions. Autorun.inf is a simple text based configuration file that tells the windows operating system, the executable to start, the icon to use, and which additional menu commands to make available. In simple words, autorun.inf tells Windows what to do, when a CD is inserted in the CD drive.

When the “disk change notifcation” event detects a CD or DVD in the CD or DVD drive, Windows looks for the autorun.inf file, if the “Auto insert notification” feature is enabled. If if finds the autorun.inf file, Windows processes the instructions in the file. If it does not find an autorun.inf file, Windows refers to the new disk by its serial number and executes the default actions associated with the contents of the disk.

Windows autorun.inf file defines the following.

• The process that will automatically run when a disk is inserted
• It also optionally defines the process or application that will run for specific Operating environments.
• It will also define the icon that will represent your application’s CD or DVD when the drive is viewed with My Computer or Explorer and
• the menu commands displayed when the user right-clicks the CD-ROM icon from My Computer or Explorer

The autorun.inf file is the key to getting the CD drive perform certain actions automatically and customize its look in My Computer.

CDStart application has three modes. There is a design mode, where you can create CD profiles, booted graphical CD and a multiboot mode, where the user can switch between profiles! Every profile has three function buttons, Install, Readme and close buttons. It is a very intuitive application, with a graphical interface. Clicking on any of the textbox within the CDStart GUI shows a corresponding help text.There are also sample image files (for install, readme etc.) included in the test folder within the downloaded zip file.

We downloaded and created a sample profile “techblissonline” using the icons bundled within the application zip file (under test folder).It also created an autorun.inf file in the process!!

Free download CDStart from here and create autorun.inf files easily.

You can also read on how to remove autorun virus and on removing autorun virus with Ninja Pendisk.

You can also read this on how to disable autorun.

Filed under: Software Tips Windows Tips