How to customize Auto-Play in Vista and Windows 7

Auto-Play is a Windows feature that lets you automatically play a CD or DVD media when it is inserted.  Notice when you insert an Audio CD that Windows will begin playing the CD using Media Player?

Or when you insert a DVD movie it gets played using PowerDVD or a software that came with your computer?  In this post we will show you how to customize the autoplaying programs so you can have more control over your media.

· Click Start button and type the word Auto-Play in the search box and hit enter.

· In the Auto-Play window, check the Use Auto-Play for all media devices check box and click on the Save button to enable Auto-Play option.

· In the Auto-Play window click on the drop down menu and select the program to be associated to corresponding media.

· For example you inserted an audio CD and you want Auto-Play to run audio CD’s using the windows media player, click on the drop down menu for Audio CD and select Play Audio CD using Windows Media Player and click on Save button.

· Do the same steps for other media devices listed on the Auto-Play window.

· Windows does not have a tool to add specific programs to be listed on the drop down menu. However some programs prompts you if you would like to add the program to be added on the Auto-Play menu during installation.

· If you want to restore default programs on the Auto-Play menu scroll down to the bottom of the window and click on Reset all defaults.

· If you don’t want to use the Auto-Play option, just uncheck the Use Auto-Play for all media devices check box and click Save.

Holding down the Shift key when you insert devices or media into your computer will open Auto-Play regardless of the default setting.

Use the tips above to get more control over your media.

Ben Carigtan shows you how it’s done.