How do I *really* disable auto-play in Windows XP?

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I downloaded the tweakUI program, and I was wondering how do I move it into the control panel section of my computer, since to my knowledge I'm not able to just do the typical "drag and drop" method.

As I understand it TweakUI for XP can no longer be put into control panel. Previous versions were in control panel by default. Not sure why the change.

my sister burned a cd now i keep seeing autoplay being canceled out im freezing up and im unable to stop the cd burner from my pc from opening up its doing it for the last hour every 10 seconds

Dear Leo,
> Seems fair enough - except that when I encountered it for the first time, it kept forgetting the settings, and would always ask. From my perspecitive that's worse that not having auto-play at all. And then I couldn't turn it off. If that sounds familiar, then you know my frustration.

Yes I do Leo. thanks for the heads up on how to REALLY disable XP autoplay on specific drives. I have a second HDD with several partitions and hate XP asking what to do with each partition when I insert it into my laptop. I have been a long time user of TweakUI but never cottoned on to that feature.
Thanks again,

Dave Morgan (Australia)

PS I found your solution using Google.

And for those wanting to add TweakUI to their Control Panel you can find a great little utility here

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_addtweak.htm or download it from here http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_addtweakui.zip

Ok I installed tweakUI.
now, how do i use the darn thing? or even find it!
thanks
jim

Heh ... yeah, it's a little non-obvious.

Look for a new item on your All Programs menu called "PowerToys" or some such. Underneat there you should find TweakUI for Windows XP.

Another useful tip is to make sure you run tweakui with admin permissions, otherwise it won't give you all the autoplay options.

Well, I downloaded TweakUI and tried to install it. I got an installation wizard which gave me no options on where to install it. The wizard said it was installing it and then disappeared without a trace. (Not a very wise wizard) So I don't know whether this thing is in my system and if so, where.

Your instructions do not say where it should be either.

Any advice?

Either in your control panel (non XP), or look for a new item on your All Programs menu called "PowerToys" or some such. Underneath there you should find TweakUI for Windows XP

I want to turn it autoplay off - permanently - for all users - for all drives. Reason?

I have a laptop: I have to use external drives - Firewire and USB. I have more disk drives than I have enclosures to hook them up to - so my external HDD situation can be highly dynamic. And each HDD change seems to screw up the autoplay options I've already set.

And as I'm a relatively functional adult, I am well and truly capable of invoking for myself the programs I deem are needed at any given instance. But Autoplay thinks it knows better than I. Even though it farts around, then asks me what to do anyway.

[This is highly frustrating, and an insult to my intelligence. If I want my intelligence insulted, I will watch the Fox News channel.]

If you have a solution for Windows XP (SP1 or 2), please let me know.

If your best solution is to harass MS about it: that's fine, I'll do it. After all, MS is the exception that proves the rule: Do not shoot the MESSENGER. (It's the first thing I kill when re-installing XP)

Cheers and many thanks for the help you give to the dazed and confused. I want a one-step process to kill autoplay for every possible attached drive, and if the answer obviously exists in the posts I am commenting on, then yes I deserve to be condescendingly referenced as stupid, a bonehead, and worthy of a political career.

Thanks for reading this far,

terry

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