AutoRun and AutoInf

Have you ever wanted to have a HTML file or a Word Document open automatically when you put a CD in the drive? If so these programs are most definately for you.

Usage Instructions

The following example, of an autorun.inf file, shows just how easy it is to open a HTML file and a plain text file using the autorun facilities in Windows.

[autorun]
open=AutoRun.exe "ReadMe.html"
icon=AutoRun.exe, 1

shell\Version\command=AutoRun.exe "Version History.txt"
shell\Version=&Version History

The open command simply passes the filename of the file you wish to open to the AutoRun application and hey presto! the file is opened. You can also see the AutoRun application being used to open a text file from the Version History context menu entry which is cretaed by this file.

The usage instructions for both the AutoRun and AutoInf programs are very simply indeed and are detailed in the box below (for AutoInf simply replace AutoRun by AutoInf in the following).

open=AutoRun.exe <DOS Filename> | "<Windows Filename>"

   OR

shell\<Menu Name>\command=AutoRun.exe <DOS Filename> | "<Windows Filename>"

The two utilities are actually very simple to understand. AutoRun takes the supplied file and executes the command associated with the Open action for that file type (i.e. usually means opening the file in an associated application). AutoInf executes the command associated with the Install action for the file type, which is why it is usually used with INF files as they always have an install action.