Autoplay on DVD/CD drives

Hi folks - can anyone help?

My Dell computer running Windows XP will no longer autoplay discs of any kind. I have gone into the properties for the drives in Explorer and ensured the Autoplay TAb has the button at "prompt" selected but this has no effect. When I insert a disc, be it a Music CD or a Video DVD, the drive reads it and the egg timer cursor appears on the screen but that is all that happens. I then have to open the CD or DVD using the program I want such as Power DVD. In every other respect the drives (one is a DVD - one is a DVD/RW) work normally. I didn't notice when this started to be a problem and I wonder if anyone has a solution?

Edited by Giovanni MPM, 26 July 2009 - 06:08 AM.

If it has been awhile since the case has been opened I would do so, ground yourself on the chassis then pull and reinsert the cable at both ends and maybe do a little house cleaning while you are in there.

Phil

Hi Phil
Thanks for your reply. I opened the case and did as you said and at the same time I carefully vacuumed the dust. I was surprised to see just how much dust had gathered in there. Anyway, no progress. However, in reading more of the forum entries, I read that some other members have had the same problem. It might stem from using Combo FIx and I had cause to do just that when I had a maleware problem a while back. I followed the link to microsoft's site and downloaded the autorun fix tool. After a couple of attempts, my system is back running as it should.

I see that it is not now recommended that auto run is used as some malware uses it to attack the computer. Whilst I understand the risks, I prefer to have autrorun enabled for perhaps no good reason other than the comfort of knowing that the computer is doing what it is designed to do. Poor logic I know, but there you are.

Meantime, thanks again.

Giovanni