In Windows XP, when you plug in an external USB hard drive, USB flash drive or even memory card, you’ll get a prompt that says “Windows can perform the same action each time you insert a disk or connect a device with this kind of file type: What do you want Windows to do?“.
You can open folder to view files, take no action and etc… If you check the “Always do the selected action” checkbox, Windows will perform the same action whenever you connect the same external USB disk. It works fine at first when all the files are intact but when I formatted and copied other types of files to the drive, the default action is useless.
You can easily restore the AutoPlay prompt with a few simple step.
1. Right click on the drive letter that is created by the external USB device
2. Select Properties
3. Go to AutoPlay tab
4. Select “Prompt me each time to choose an action” and click OK
The 4 easy steps above should be able to bring back the prompt the next time you plug in your USB flash drive. But there are many cases I’ve seen that this simple steps doesn’t work. This problem usually happens on Windows that has a lot of software installed and somehow corrupted the registry. If the method above doesn’t work, then you can try using this fix as it worked for me.
Microsoft has created a tool called “Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard” to fix this problem. Some people call it AutoFix.exe or AutoFix. Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard scans your computer devices to find defective AutoPlay settings and attempts to fix those it finds.
Many people tried this autofix tool and complaint that it didn’t work. Actually there is an extra step that needs to be done in order to bring back the autoplay dialog box. Here is how to use Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard to repair the problems that is causing the AutoPlay dialog box from not appearing.
1. Plug in your external USB hard drive, USB flash drive or card reader
2. Download and run AutoFix.exe
3. Click Next
4. Make sure that both of the Global Checks are OK. If there are problems, click the Repair button
5. Choose the drive where AutoPlay is not working correctly and click Next
6. Make sure that all policies are OK, if not click the Repair button
7. Now try to reproduce the problem by unplugging and plugging it back.
8. Click the Repair button if found any Problems.
9. Click Next and Finish
10. Unplug your USB flash drive and restart computer
11. When Windows is booted up, plug in your USB flash drive. AutoPlay dialog box should appear.
If the AutoPlay dialog box still doesn’t appear after fixing it with Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard, then please go through this step again. Right click on the drive letter that is created by the external USB device, select Properties, go to AutoPlay tab, Select “Prompt me each time to choose an action” and click OK.
There is another tool called AutoPlay Repair. It doesn’t really fix the AutoPlay dialog problem, but it can help you repair your AutoPlay handlers.
For example when you plug in your USB flash drive, the AutoPlay dialog box appears but it contains a lot of invalid entries on Windows XP’s autoplay sections. This usually happens after several uninstallation of media players applications. You can easily delete those invalid entries with AutoPlay Repair.
[ Download AutoPlay Repair ]
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is this working on windows 7?
re: autorun.inf
A lot of my students were getting a malware autorun.inf written to their flash drives when they used them on my school’s computers. It was a hidden file and would be impervious to a delete command.
My idea was to put an aurorun.inf FOLDER on their flash drives. My thinking is that malware would not be able to put the autorun.inf FILE on the flash because it would get an error and a file cannot overwrite a folder. Any comments?
Is there an autoplay fix.exe for windows 7 (64)
it worked for me! thanks a lot.
Absolutely wonderful — autofix help sovled my autoplay dialog box problems. Thanks a million !
it worked for me! thanks a lot. wonder why it happened. do yo guys know why?
it worked for me! thanks a lot.
The above suggested methods of maintenance did absolutely nothing to solve the problem I am currently experiencing. I am displeased by the author’s ignorance.
The “Autofix.exe” Auto-play repair tool you recommend we download and utilize merely spat out the following error message: “This AutoPlay setting cannot be fixed. Either the device is malfunctioning, or the wizard cannot determine the problem”.
I am quite certain my USB device is functioning properly, and vehemently suspect it is this guide that is erroneous.
Thanks – the first procedure fixed the issue I was having with my flash drive.
jst download the driver wil try if the problem is fix will let you know. tanx
what do you mean install frostwire everwhere?
I’ve tried the autofix several times to no avail. Any other suggestions? I’m trying to help a friend that can not funtion without the AutoPlay window.
Hey, thank u VERY MUCH!!! This amazin’ little proggy (Microsoft AutoPlay Repair Wizard) did just the trick for me! My USB-dongle is ALIVE again! YAHOO!!!
tnx a lot man it really work……
I have tried all and my autoplay still doesn’t work.
Hey Ray, u r really a genius…the AutoFix.exe fixed my problems…thanx a tonn or say 1000000000 times…but still incomplete to say thank u.
me podrian mandar un email con todo el procedimiento detallado por favor, como en q momentos debo sacar la usb….pues aun no consigo resultados…
i want to edit my autorun.inf so i can plug in my flashdrive and run a program without a prompt
hola yo tengo un problema la lectora no me abre con autorun cuando qiero usar el autofix me salta un error y me lo cierra que puedo aser
My problem: I have Two Pen stik 256MB Emtec, but in one pen after I
formatted it on Win XP2, and reinsert it to the port USB, it won\\\’t work with Autoplay, while instead if I insert the other pen it works fine.
I have tried to copy all the sector with the soft WinHex 14.9, and transfer
it to the formatted pen, but still the same it wont start it in Autoplay,
WHY???
Can you help me? Please….!!!
hi! im having the same problem as Harsh, but i don’t understand the procedure you are talking about. sorry but can someone explain it to me step by step?
Harsh:
if using winxp..
try this.. go to start -> run -> and type ‘cmd’
or just open the ‘cmd’ from its original location c:\windpws\system32\cmd.exe
type ‘attrib -r -s -h c:\autorun.inf’ and then
type ‘ren c:\autorun.inf autorun.txt’
finally, log off your computer…
when i double click my C drive a open with program opens.. how do it make it normal..??
please help me here..
thank u very much it realy worked with me
Pay attention: a lot of viruses duplicate themselves on usb disk and place in them autorun.inf, so autoplay on usb disk could be very dangerous!
I did already know AutoPlay Repair, but I want to thank you for the AutoFix.exe that I didn’t know!
Sorry for my english and be aware of autoplay on usb!
Ha. That did it! You are a genius. Thanks for the info.