How Do I Make CD Drive do 'Autoplay'?

I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

Jethro wrote:
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

First, make sure that your system has all current updates.

If WMP doesn't show as an option under Autoplay, then this part of the
system isn't aware of WMP, which suggests a corrupted or missing
registry key. Try: uninstall WMP, clean the registry, then reinstall.
Update WMP. Then try Autoplay selection again.

Another poster may give you a more direct fix. Good luck.

"Jethro" wrote in message
...
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:


"Jethro" wrote in message
.. .
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

Thanks

Jethro

Jethro wrote:
On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:

"Jethro" wrote in message
...
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro
You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

Not really. Autoplay and Autorun are functions of the operating system
-- not the driver or hardware. If the file structure can be seen on the
disc, then autoplay and/or autorun has what it needs to perform.

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:11:29 GMT, Jethro
wrote:

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:


"Jethro" wrote in message
. ..
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

No, the OS looks for the files same as if it were accessing
the drive through any other initiated read request.

You may have autorun disabled in the OS settings, check
this:
http://autorun.moonvalley.com/enable.htm
http://forum.tweakxp.com/forum/shwme...ssageid=146482

See this page for more info on autorun options,
http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/autoplay_vcd.htm

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:22:53 GMT, Grinder
wrote:

Jethro wrote:
On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:

"Jethro" wrote in message
...
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro
You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

Not really. Autoplay and Autorun are functions of the operating system
-- not the driver or hardware. If the file structure can be seen on the
disc, then autoplay and/or autorun has what it needs to perform.

It's just that the video disk in question is in standard VCD format,
which has no 'autorun'.

Jethro

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:55:41 -0400, kony wrote:

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:11:29 GMT, Jethro
wrote:

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:


"Jethro" wrote in message
...
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

No, the OS looks for the files same as if it were accessing
the drive through any other initiated read request.

You may have autorun disabled in the OS settings, check
this:
http://autorun.moonvalley.com/enable.htm
http://forum.tweakxp.com/forum/shwme...ssageid=146482

See this page for more info on autorun options,
http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/autoplay_vcd.htm


This site leads me to conclude that I cannot autoplay the VCD disk
without re-making it.

It says:
A pure Video CD (VCD) will not Autoplay (automatically play the video
on an inserted disc) in Microsoft Windows without some sort of
"helper" application.

I'll see if I can make an autoplayable disk as described:
AUTORUN.INF

The contents of the AUTORUN.INF text file are always (assuming the
..ASX file is named VCD.ASX):
Method 1 Comments

[autorun]
ShellExecute=VCD.ASX

The 2nd line (ShellExecute) uses the registered .ASX file
association to process the .ASX Windows Media Metafile. The registered
application is usually (but not necessarily) the current version of
Windows Media Player; if so, playback begins in a default window.
Method 1 is preferred unless you want playback to begin full screen,
in which case use Method 2.
Method 2 Comments

[autorun]
ShellExecute=mplayer2 /fullscreen VCD.ASX

Method 2 is used to begin playback full screen. It should
explicitly invoke the older version (6.4) of Windows Media Player,
which (unlike the latest version) supports the "/fullscreen"
parameter. The older version apparently remains installed even when
the newer version is installed (on Windows XP at least).

Thanks

Jethro

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:55:41 -0400, kony wrote:

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:11:29 GMT, Jethro
wrote:

On Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:50 -0500, "Ken Maltby"
wrote:


"Jethro" wrote in message
...
I have an older system that has a CD-R drive in which I can play a
video clip just fine. However I want to make it work using 'autoplay'
feature. That is, I want the disk to activate my video player
software (MS Media Player) automatically. I have found no way yet to
do that. It is not a choice under autoplay.

I am running XP PRO SP2.

Thanks

Jethro

You can turn the Autorun and AutoPlay features on
and off in XP. I think it is by drive, even.

http://www.soniacoleman.com/FAQs/FAQ00158.htm


If you are creating these CDs (or DVDs) then you could
use Autorun instead of depending on AutoPlay. Just put an
autorun.inf file in the root directory of the CD or DVD.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa969330.aspx


Luck;
Ken

I did all this and still get same result. It just may be that the
CD-R drive itself and/or its driver is not capable of 'autoplay'. Is
this possible?

No, the OS looks for the files same as if it were accessing
the drive through any other initiated read request.

You may have autorun disabled in the OS settings, check
this:
http://autorun.moonvalley.com/enable.htm
http://forum.tweakxp.com/forum/shwme...ssageid=146482

See this page for more info on autorun options,
http://navasgrp.home.att.net/tech/autoplay_vcd.htm


I created an autorun file and a .asx file, created a disc with them
and the clips, and it autoplayed fine

Thanks

Jethro

Man - I wish I could make sense out of all this.
I have a VCD disk containing two video clips. The files thereon a
EXT
LOT_X.VCD
PSD_X.VCD
SCANDATA.DAT
MPEGAV
AVSEQ01.DAT
AVSEQ02.DAT
SEGMENT
ITEM0001.DAT
VCD
ENTRIES.VCD
INFO.VCD
LOT.VCD
PSD.VCD

The disk plays on all three of my stand-alone Disk Players, as well as
on my two machines using VLC Media Player and Windows Media Player.
However, naturally, the disk will not auto play on either machine.

In an effort to make the disk auto play, and in order to understand
things, I added these two files to the root directory of a new VCD
disk containing all of the old disk plus the two files.
AUTORUN.INF
[autorun]
ShellExecute=VCD.ASX

VCD.ASX
ASX Version = "3.0"
TitleMY TITLE/Title

Entry
TitleMOVIE CLIP 1/Title
Ref href = "MPEGAV\AVSEQ01.DAT" /
/Entry

Entry
TitleMOVIE CLIP 2/Title
Ref href = "MPEGAV\AVSEQ02.DAT" /
/Entry

/ASX


Guess what -

On both machines, the disk now auto plays using Windows Media Player,
but VLC Media Player will not play the disk at all. The disk will not
play on any of my stand-alone Disk Players!

So - as I see it, the addition of commands to render the disk auto
playable on my machines rendered the disk unplayable on my stand-alone
players!

Where oh where have I gone wrong?

Jethro