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- Windows Server 2008/2003/2000/XP/NT Administrator Knowledge Base
  - Windows Vista
    - User Tips
      - Shell (GUI)
        Disable AutoPlay in Windows Vista & 7

Section(s): Shell (GUI)
Published on Aug 26, 2010.
Last Modified on Sep 09, 2009.
Last Modified by Eric Geier.
Rated 1 out of 5 based on 1 votes.

Stop pop-ups when you insert a CD or media.

Don’t want to be bugged by the AutoPlay dialog that pops up when you insert a CD, flash drive, or other media? There are a few ways to disable it.

From the Control Panel in Vista, click the Play CDs or other media automatically link. From the Control Panel in Windows 7, click the AutoPlay icon. Then on the AutoPlay window, uncheck the Use AutoPlay for all media and devices option or set each device type individually.

If you have a business or professional version of Vista or Windows 7, you can completely disable it via the Group Policy settings:

Open the Group Policy editor by running gpedit.msc from the search field on the Start Menu.
Navigate to Computer or User Configuration / Windows Components / AutoPlay Policies.
Set Turn off Autoplay to Enabled.

About Eric Geier

Eric Geier (Dayton, Ohio) is a tech writer and author specializing in computer networking.

He's also the founder and CEO of NoWiresSecurity, which provides an outsourced RADIUS/802.1X service to help businesses secure their Wi-Fi networks with the Enterprise mode of WPA/WPA2 encryption.

Additionally, he’s a Field Technician for Fast-Teks, an on-site computer services company that has hundreds of locations across the US.