Good tool for this task?

[jeffc]

You guys would probably know the answer to this, since you know so many
tools to fix virus related problems (even though this one might not be.) My
XP computer will not autoload CDs. It's not that big a deal, but I still
want to fix it, or at least have the option of turning it on or off. I
downloaded this tool from Microsoft that is supposed to test why autoload
isn't working. It found a problem (in the registry) and fixed it. It said

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore
r!NoDriveTypeAutorun to 0x000000FE.
Result: This AutoPlay setting was successfully fixed.

But I logged off and back on, and it was right back to where it started.
How can I find who's changing this registry entry?

 

[Max M.Wachtel III]

You guys would probably know the answer to this, since you know so many
tools to fix virus related problems (even though this one might not be.) My
XP computer will not autoload CDs. It's not that big a deal, but I still
want to fix it, or at least have the option of turning it on or off. I
downloaded this tool from Microsoft that is supposed to test why autoload
isn't working. It found a problem (in the registry) and fixed it. It said

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore
r!NoDriveTypeAutorun to 0x000000FE.
Result: This AutoPlay setting was successfully fixed.

But I logged off and back on, and it was right back to where it started.
How can I find who's changing this registry entry?

Are you using TweakUI? If not try it.
-max

--
Keeping Windows Clean: http://www.geocities.com/maxpro4u/madmax.html
Virus Cleaning+Fixes: http://www.geocities.com/maxpro4u/TechPros
Change nomail.afraid.org to neo.rr.com so you can reply by e-mail
(nomail.afraid.org has been set up specifically for
use in Usenet. Feel free to use it yourself.)

 

[_Vanguard_]

...
I downloaded this tool from Microsoft that is supposed to test why
autoload
isn't working. ...

"This tool"? And what might THAT be? Maybe their "Autoplay Repair
Wizard"
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C680A7B6-E8FA-45C4-A171-1B389CFACDAD)?

If you change the registry value, reboot (and not just logoff and
re-login), and the registry value is getting changed, well, then you
probably installed some fluff or auxilliary software with the install of
some product that "help" to control your CD drive(s). Have you used
msconfig to disable all startup programs (along with any non-critical NT
services), rebooted, changed the registry value (or used the tool),
rebooted again (but still with all the startup programs disabled), to
see if that registry value gets changed again?

 

[Rick]

not be.) My XP computer will not autoload CDs. It's not that big a
deal, but I still want to fix it, or at least have the option of
turning it on or off. I downloaded this tool from Microsoft that is
supposed to test why autoload isn't working. It found a problem (in
the registry) and fixed it. It said

Have you tried resetting the Autoplay through My Computer for the various
types of CD's? If not, open My Computer, right click on the CD-ROM drive
and select Properties, then go to the Autoplay tab. In there, select each
type of CD (there should be 5-6 different types), set what type of autoplay
action you want for that type, click on Apply, then move on to the next
type. It may well be that the fix you tried set the autoplay function for
Music CD's (for example) and you are testing with a Mixed Content CD which
may have it's autoplay action set to something else.

 

[kurt wismer]

You guys would probably know the answer to this, since you know so many
tools to fix virus related problems (even though this one might not be.) My
XP computer will not autoload CDs.

that's good... i intentionally turned that feature off on my computer...

It's not that big a deal, but I still
want to fix it,

it is fixed... autoplay is bad... imagine if your email client
automatically ran emails when you received them... actually, lots of
people don't have to imagine, it's happened to them - but the long and
the short of it is that it's just as bad for CD's as it is for email or
any other type of incoming material...

or at least have the option of turning it on or off.

to turn it on an off? wouldn't it simply be easier to run the
application on the cd instead of turning a feature on, inserting the
cd, letting the system automagically run the app, and then turning the
feature back off when you're done?

I
downloaded this tool from Microsoft that is supposed to test why autoload
isn't working. It found a problem (in the registry) and fixed it. It said

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explore
r!NoDriveTypeAutorun to 0x000000FE.
Result: This AutoPlay setting was successfully fixed.

i think you're probably attacking this from the wrong angle - if you
google on how to turn autoplay *off*, you'll probably find the way to
turn it back on (i seem to recall it involves the use of the group
policy editor)...

But I logged off and back on, and it was right back to where it started.

that's probably because you only turned it off for the "CURRENT_USER"...

How can I find who's changing this registry entry?

generally, i would suggest regmon from sysinternals.com, but again i
think that's probably not the best solution for your particular problem...

 

[jeffc]

Are you using TweakUI? If not try it.

I just downloaded it. It doesn't do anything other than put a checkbox next
to the CD player for autoplay, and it's already checked.

 

[jeffc]

Have you tried resetting the Autoplay through My Computer for the various
types of CD's?

Yes.

 

[jeffc]

it is fixed...

No, it's not "fixed", it's broken. I'd like to have control over how my
computer operates, and I'd like to learn why it's behaving the way it is.

i think you're probably attacking this from the wrong angle - if you
google on how to turn autoplay *off*, you'll probably find the way to
turn it back on (i seem to recall it involves the use of the group
policy editor)...

It's very easy to turn autoplay off. The problem is that turning it on
doesn't help.

generally, i would suggest regmon from sysinternals.com, but again i
think that's probably not the best solution for your particular problem...

That would be the perfect tool, but unfortunately bootup logging of registry
information is supported for NT and 2K only, and unfortunately as I said I'm
on XP. Thanks for the tip though.

 

[kurt wismer]

No, it's not "fixed", it's broken. I'd like to have control over how my
computer operates,

then you want to keep it turned off...

and I'd like to learn why it's behaving the way it is.

because there's about a million different registry keys you could
fiddle with, hoping to make global changes in the autorun behaviour of
your machine, and you chose the wrong one...

It's very easy to turn autoplay off. The problem is that turning it on
doesn't help.

you're obviously not reading what i'm saying - while you're playing in
the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch of the registry, the key you want is
almost certainly in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch... which you probably
would have seen if you'd googled on 'autoplay group policy editor' as i
just did...

That would be the perfect tool, but unfortunately bootup logging of registry
information is supported for NT and 2K only, and unfortunately as I said I'm
on XP. Thanks for the tip though.

according to the documentation that i found, bootup logging is
available for NT... it just so happens that XP is an NT based OS,
therefore it should work...