An Autorun CD is a CD that will automatically start a program when the CD tray closes with the duplicated CD inside the tray. Autorun is a good feature for the less computer savvy users. It eliminates the steps for the user to click on “My Computer”, the CD-ROM drive, and then the program to be run. You will be surprised that many causal computer users don’t even know these few simple steps to invoke a program on a CD-ROM. An Autorun CD hides all these “complexities.”
It’s quite simple to make a CD autorun on a PC. All you need is to include a file call “autorun.inf” in the root directory of the CD-ROM. You can create the file with a simple text editor such as Notepad. If you use Notepad, make sure to quote your filename when you save the file otherwise Notepad will save the file as “autorun.inf.txt” instead of “autorun.inf”. In its simplest form the file only needs two to three lines. For example:
[autorun]
open=program_to_be_run.exe
icon=icon_to_be_shown.ico
You should replace “program_to_be_run.exe” with your own program and “icon_to_be_shown.ico” with your own icon. The requirement for this to work is that program_to_be_run.exe must be a self-executable file. Simply put “open=index.html” trying to open up a webpage won’t work.
Autorun of a CD is now the norm. If you offer CD Duplication to your clients they will expect autorun as standard. A CD with autorun looks more professional. Combine this with a sharp clear printed image and your next CD duplication project will be a great success.Also remember that the same applies for CD Replication,it pays to take that extra time to make your CD master autorun.