How do I fix autoplay on Windows XP SP2?

I've newly upgraded to XP Pro/SP2 with all of the latest updates. The feature that always asks what I want to do when I insert removeable media (USB or ZIP disk) is frustrating and un-teachable. It either won't learn when I tell it to or the option isn't there.

Dave's Answer:

My colleague Chris Buechler has certainly seen this one many a time, so I'll let him help you out here. Chris explains: "The owner of the company at my previous employer was a digital photography nut, and had this problem at least every other month or so!"

Windows contains a feature known as "autorun" that causes certain actions to be taken when you insert removable media. Unfortunately, Windows XP seems to like to repeatedly break this functionality on some systems. Luckily, there is an easy fix available from Microsoft. They provide a utility called "Autofix.exe", as described in this knowledge base article.

While the bottom of the above article claims this was fixed in XP Service Pack 2, we can attest that some of us have used this utility ourselves on SP2 to fix the exact problem you describe.

To download Autofix, go to Microsoft's download area, type
autoplay in the keywords box, and click Go. You'll see the Autoplay Repair Wizard. Download and run it, and follow the simple instructions in the program.

Then log off and log back onto your computer (restart it to be on the safe side) and it should work again.

This has worked numerous times for Chris. The only "gotcha" he's run into is forgetting to log off after running the utility, in which case the change does not take effect until you finally do remember to log out and log in again.

Alternatively, if you'd rather use something not from Microsoft, here are a couple of useful tools that can help you quickly fix the problem, both ingeniously called "Autoplay Repair":

• Autoplay Repair from Top Drawer Downloads

• Autoplay Repair from Softpedia

That should get you back and working!

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Categorized: Windows PC Help (Article 4160, Written by Dave Taylor)
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Reader Comments To Date: 12

D Sauvageot said, on May 8, 2006 3:04 PM:

I have XP PRO_SP2. When I click on a dropdown menu It closes when I move my mouse and will not let me select anything.

colin said, on February 5, 2007 9:43 AM:

Hi,
I have exactly the same problem as the above paragraph in italics, and I feel exactly the same "frustration and unteachability". Dave, I don't quite think you addressed the problem. The user tries to tell XP what to do when the "what would you like windows to do" dialogue pops up, and even if you right click the removable drive (USB in my case) and select Properties, and in the Autoplay tab choose the "Select an action to perform" radio button while choosing "take no action" choice, it still immediately reverts back to the "prompt me each time to select an action" radio button. Damn irritating and unteachable. The first link you provided doesn't work (file is gone) and the second link you provided's just taking forever to load. The windows autoplay repair doesn't fix the problem.

Steve Smith said, on December 13, 2007 3:11 PM:

Autofix.exe solved the problem. Your website was the only one that hit the nail on the head.

Steve

dl said, on September 28, 2008 5:16 PM:

dude..thanks so much for referring autofix.exe
it worked like a charm.
props to you 8)

Mujibar said, on January 14, 2009 1:48 PM:

MS auto fix failed for me as well.

Bill said, on March 16, 2009 9:43 AM:

The windows autoplay fix suggested by industy guru Dave Taylor did NOT fix the problem.

Does anyone have a better handle on the problem?

kuruvi said, on May 14, 2010 12:01 AM:

i am very seriously telling u tht u guzzzzzzzzzz really rock started working like bfore. hats of to u, thankssss a lot guyz keep up the gud wrk.

andy said, on June 6, 2010 7:32 AM:

my Problem may be differnt. When I load a compact flash I get the popup to run a program but the icon is now missing and so it will not run. I removed and re installed the program and now it wont function. I just need to somehow repoint the action that pops up to the correct executble. how do I do that?

Globinch said, on July 20, 2010 11:15 PM:

Read some alternate ways to Enable and Disable Autoplay Feature Windows..
http://www.globinch.com/2010/07/05/enable-disable-autoplay-feature-windows/

Sergiu said, on August 1, 2012 1:29 PM:

Thanks a MILLION for help!!!!!!!!
Had trouble with Autoplay,seems that is OVER.

Tammy said, on September 9, 2012 5:11 PM:

Windows xp, can't get autoplay to work in drives or when I connect camera to download pictures. Tried the autoplay fix, it didn't work.
help!!!!

jerry said, on October 28, 2012 8:36 AM:

i have windows xp when i insert my sd memory cards into the card reader i can't get the pictures to come up on the screen , i was told it may be with auto play. how do i get that. help
jerry

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

How do I fix autoplay on Windows XP SP2?

Reader Comments To Date: 12

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!

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