What is Autoplay?

Autoplay is a feature found in Windows® (OS) operating systems (OS) from Windows XP® that allows you to automatically play the media to a drive or connected to your computer. This feature usually creates a window that asks if one wishes to use a certain program to play the files on the disk that has been inserted into the unit. The options provided will usually depend on the file types on a disk or device connected to a computer. Autoplay also allows the user to indicate that all similar media in the future should also be open using a selected program. Before adding, whenever a compact disk (CD) or similar medium has been placed in the disc, the user would have to select this unit and tell the system what to do with it. With the advent of Autoplay, the OS will search the media to find out what types of files are on it, and then recommend or use any program suitable for playing these files.

For example, if a CD with music files is inserted into a computer with a suitable Windows® operating system, OS detects these music files on the disk. The Autoplay window then pops up a suitable program that is used to play these music files, usually Windows Media Player®. The user can then easily choose to play music through this program. A computer user may also indicate that in the future, whenever a similar disk with music files is inserted into the computer, it should use Autoplay to play these files through this program without any prompt.

6cutable found on a disk or other media accessible by computer. Authorun is usually used to find executable files on the installation disk for a new program and automatically start the installation procedure to facilitate users. While many computer users enjoy the ease of autoplay, there are also users who prefer to manually select PRogram and files they want to play. Since the autoplay opens in a separate window, it is usually quite easy to simply close the window and then approach the files on the medium directly to play them as fit.