Question : How to stop Windows from opening an explorer window when a CD is inserterted?

Hi Experts,

I know this issue has been touched quite often, but I have never found an adequate answer to my problem: Whenever I insert a CD with a few normal binary files on it (used for backups), Windows opens up an explorer window on that drive. (It is not the kind asking me what I want to do with the data on the medium, just a plain vanilla explorer window.) I do not want to turn off autorun or autoplay - I just don't want the explorer window to come up if Windows doesn't find autorun information, pictures, etc. on the disk.

Can anyone help me turn that particular function off?

Thanks you for any hints,

Thomas

Answer : How to stop Windows from opening an explorer window when a CD is inserterted?

I don't have Windows Vista, but I am wondering if the registry is anything like XP with regard to where the details of the AutoPlay Handler descriptions, details, and commands are stored:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers]

in particular, the sub-key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\EventHandlers

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\Handlers

Example:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\EventHandlers\MixedContentOnArrival
which on my system has the value "MSOpenFolder"

It would be particularly risky to start deleting keys and values in the registry, but if the registry of Vista is like XP, then I would assume that by deleting the actual values that specify the Handlers, then any user settings under:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers

wouldn't (or shouldn't) do anything.

Personally speaking, I think that messing with the registry this deeply would be asking for major trouble, and I won't even try testing this even though I am usually prepared to delve deeply for tweaks on a regular basis.