Windows Autorun, U3, and DOpus

Help & Support
#1

I have a U3 USB drive. Inserting it makes a DOpus lister and the U3 Launchpad run. If I disable Autorun for the drive, neither runs on insertion.

What I'd really like is for a DOpus lister to NOT start and the Launchpad to start.

I can't find a setting in Opus, nor could I find anything searching here, to help. Only reference to disabling Autorun completely with TweakUI, or having it ON completely!!

I'd really like to have some setting in DOpus to make it not start a lister on USB key insertion!! There's really nothing on the thumb drive that should invoke autorunning DOpus, so it must all have to do either with DOpus or Windows.

My IPod acts the same, inserting it opens a DOpus lister, another thing I'd like to NOT happen.

Is there a solution?

#2

Try "Settings > Misc. > Explorer replacement"* and exclude the folder/path of the USB-Drive by adding it to the list. Or deactivate full replacement by DOpus.

Don't know if it works but this activates normal windows behaviour (for defined paths/folders or even full).

Sasa

*I use german language, don't know the english labeling.

#3

None of this is being casued by Opus. If you disable Explorer Replacement in Opus then I bet you'll see Explorer windows open when you insert the devices.

Go to My Computer, right-click the drives in question and choose Properties, then see what's set on the AutoPlay tab.

Alternatively, you can disable AutoPlay completely for everythong, or for specific drive ltters, or for types of drives, using Microsoft TweakUI.

#4

@Nudel: I don't think so. With "launchpad" he means either the explorer autorun-popup or a special tool that comes with the drive. If first, either DOpus should open or the launchpad, but not both. If it's a tool it will be deactivated when disabling autorun (as he wrote).

If diabling autorun you can use (run) "gpedit.msc > administration > system > deactivate autoplay" and activate it. The advantage of this is that autorun is deativated but the labels (from CD-Rom, USB-Drive, etc.) will be shown if inserted.

Sasa

#5

I'll save further judgement until thosj can report back when happens when Explorer Replacement is disabled.

I'd be incredibly surprised if the problems are caused by Opus, though. Opus doesn't ever open a new lister because a drive has been inserted; it only opens then when instructed to do so by something else (e.g. the AutoPlay system in Windows).

Note: I'm not talking about AutoRun, which is where a disk with AutoRun.ini is inserted and Windows automatically launches a program. AutoPlay is different: It's where Windows sees a new disk, looks at what kind of files are on the disk and performs some kind of action, which could include opening the default folder handler (i.e. Opus or Explorer, depending on settings).

Of course, AutoRun could also create an Opus or Explorer window if that's what the executed program asks for.

The key thing is, it's never Opus itself triggering any of this.

#6

I meant Autoplay, of course. Sorry, but English isn't my mother language.

#7

Don't worry your English is fine! :slight_smile:

#8

Wow, lots of activity here.

OK, disabling Opus from replacing explorer. This acts like nudel says, now I get an explorer window and the U3 Launchpad instead of Opus and Launchpad. So that's no help.

Autoplay for the drive, all are set to prompt, nothing set to happen automatically. I don't get a prompt, just a lister and the Launchpad. There is no autorun.ini on the U3 drive.

I'll read more in this thread when I have a moment and see what I can learn, but it appears there is no way to run Launchpad and also not have Opus/Explorer start.

OH, and sorry I wasn't clear, the Launchpad is the U3 tray app that somehow launches upon inserting the USB key.

Another aside, this U3 drive, my first one, also sets itself up as a CD drive as well as a Removable Drive. Still learning about this stuff.

Thanks for the help.

#9

When you insert the U3 drive do you get one new drive letter or two? I think some of them may appear as two partitions, so maybe the app is appearing for one partition and the AutoPlay stuff is what's going on with the other one?

#10

Windows Autoplay is the most poorly designed feature I have ever seen in any software package that has persisted from version to version.

You have to configure the damned thing for each type of content the inserted media/drive might contain, and then on each drive letter, or in the case of USB devices, for each data port.

So say you have two front-side USB ports on your PC and you insert a USB CD-DRIVE drive into the left port containing pictures. You will be prompted for Autoplay, and the Pictures option will be selected. Any change you make (like to do not autoplay on this drive) will only affect when you insert this type of device (as determined by its hardware vendor ID) with a content of pictures.

You have to repeat the process if the same device is inserted into the same port with a different content type. You have to repeat the process if the same device is inserted into the right USB port with the same content type. You have to repeat the process if the same device type, but a by a different hardware vendor is inserted into the same USB port with the same content type.

If you own more than one device and could plug any of them into any ports, you will spend the rest of your life configuring Autoplay.

Better to download TweakUI and disable Autoplay on all drive letters.

#11

I get two, one for a CD and one for a removable.

Upon looking closer, the CD does have an autorun.inf file on it. Here it is:

[AutoRun]
open=LaunchU3.exe -a
icon=LaunchU3.exe,0

[Definitions]
Launchpad=LaunchPad.exe
Vtype=1

[CopyFiles]
FileNumber=1
File1=LaunchPad.zip

[Update]
URL=http://u3.sandisk.com/download/lp_installer.asp?custom=1.1.0.2&brand=cruzer

[Comment]
brand=cruzer

Funny how a file called Launchpad.zip shows on the CD, but not on the removable. Obviously some stuff going on here that's new to me and so far I haven't been able to dig any info up on these U3 drives and how they work. I'll try selectively turning autorun off for each of the drives and see if I can get the behavior I'm looking for, didn't try that, just turned if off for I:\ on up.

I'd guess you're right thinking one partition is doing Launchpad and one is opening an explorer window! I was hoping there was something in DOpus that would let me choose not to open a lister, if it was set to replace Explorer, upon inserting a USB drive.

Not a big deal, I just click the new lister away and proceed.

#12

The U3 drives work by creating two partitions on the USB key. The first tricks the PC into thinking it's a CDRom - and hence autorun's the U3 launcher. The second partition is the user writable section of the key and is just like a normal USB key.

Each program installed to the U3 drive has a "start on insertion" setting in the "Manage U3 Programs" dialog. Make sure you don't have this set for anything which would result in an explorer window opening.

When I insert a U3 drive it just runs the launcher and the 'content autoplay' dialog from windows. As others have pointed out, disabling autoplay for the drive letter which this 'normal' partition uses prevents the autoplay dialog too.

#13

Yup, disabling autoplay on the "normal" drive stops Opus/Explorer from opening, leaving autoplay enabled on the "CD" drive lets the U3 Launchpad run. That's all I wanted!!

I have to agree about this Autoplay thing in Windows. A modern motherboard has 6 or 8 USB ports. If you plug something in one port one time and a different one a different time, you might get different behavior. If you have something that runs all the time with a USB connection, like my Davis weather station, and you take the computer apart to do something and plug it in the 'wrong' usb port when you put it back together it won't run and you'll scratch your head until you figure it out. You have to plug it back in it's 'installed' port or reinstall the usb driver so it sees it on the other port!! I have a couple things like this!

Alas, it's still better that two serial ports and 5 things you wanted to run!!