Windows, more "How to..." page 3

win1-2-1: How to Create Auto-Run

Creating an AutoRun-Enabled Application

Creating an AutoRun-enabled CD-ROM application is a straightforward procedure. You simply include two essential files:

• An Autorun.inf file
• A startup application

When a user inserts a disc into a CD-ROM drive on a AutoRun-compatible computer, the system immediately checks to see if the disc has a personal computer file system. If it does, the system searches for a file named Autorun.inf. This file specifies setup application that will be run, along with a variety of optional settings. The startup application typically installs, uninstalls, configures, and perhaps runs the application.

• Creating an Autorun.inf File
• Tips for Writing AutoRun Startup Applications

Creating an Autorun.inf File

Autorun.inf is a text file located in the root directory of the CD-ROM that contains your application. Its primary function is to provide the system with the name and location of the application's startup program that will be run when the disc is inserted. The Autorun.inf file can also contain optional information including:

• The name of a file that contains an icon that will represent your application's CD-ROM drive. This icon will be displayed by Microsoft® Windows® Explorer in place of the standard drive icon.
• Additional commands for the context menu that is displayed when the user right-clicks the CD-ROM icon. You can also specify the default command that is run when the user double-clicks the icon.

Autorun.inf files are similar to .ini files. They consist of one or more sections, each headed by a name enclosed in square brackets. Each section contains a series of commands that will be run by the shell when the disc is inserted. There are two sections that are currently defined for Autorun.inf files:

• The [autorun] section contains the default AutoRun commands. All Autorun.inf files must have an [autorun] section.
• An optional [autorun.alpha] section can be included for Microsoft® Windows NT 4.0 systems running on RISC-based computers. When a disc is inserted in a CD-ROM drive on a RISC-based system, the shell will run the commands in this section instead of those in the [autorun] section.

Note The shell checks for an architecture-specific section first. If it does not find one, it uses the information in the [autorun] section. After the shell finds a section, it ignores all others, so each section must be self-contained.

Each section contains a series of commands that determine how the Autorun operation takes place. There are five commands available:

The following is an example of a simple Autorun.inf file. It specifies Filename.exe as the startup application. The second icon in Filename.exe will represent the CD-ROM drive instead of the standard drive icon.

[autorun] 
open=Filename.exe 
icon=Filename.exe,1 

This Autorun.inf sample runs different startup applications depending on the type of computer:

[autorun] 
open=Filename_x86.exe 
icon=IconFile.ico 

[autorun.alpha] 
open=Filename_RISC.exe 
icon=IconFile.ico 
 

Tips for Writing AutoRun Startup Applications

There are essentially no constraints on how to write an AutoRun startup application. You can implement it to do whatever you find necessary to install, uninstall, configure, or run your application. However, the following tips provide some guidelines to implementing an effective AutoRun startup application.

• Users should receive feedback as soon as possible after they insert an AutoRun compact disc into the CD-ROM drive. Startup applications should thus be small programs that load quickly. They should clearly identify the application and provide an easy way to cancel the operation.
• Typically, the initial part of the startup application presents users with a user interface, such as a dialog box, asking them how they would like to proceed. Check to see if the program is already installed. If not, the next step will probably be the setup procedure. The startup application can take advantage of the time the user spends reading the dialog box by starting another thread to begin loading the setup code. By the time the user clicks OK, your setup program will already be partly if not fully loaded. This approach significantly reduces the user's perception of the amount of time it takes to load your application.
• If the application has already been installed, the user probably inserted the disk to run the application. As with the setup case, you can start another thread to begin loading application code to shorten the waiting time for the user.
• Hard disk space may be a limited resource on many systems. Here are a few hints for minimizing hard disk usage:
  • Keep the number of files that must be on the hard disk to a minimum. They should be restricted to files that are essential to running the program or that would take an unacceptably large amount of time to read from the CD-ROM.
  • In many cases, installing nonessential files on the hard disk is not necessary, but may provide benefits such as increased performance. Give the user the option of deciding how to make the tradeoff between the costs and benefits of hard disk storage.
  • Provide a way to uninstall any components that were placed on the hard disk. For more information about uninstalling an application, see Installing Applications.
  • If your application caches data, give the user some control over it. Include options in the startup application such as setting a limit on the maximum amount of cached data that will be stored on the hard disk, or having the application discard any cached data when it terminates.
• Even though a CD-ROM has an Autorun.inf file, AutoRun can be suppressed programmatically or disabled entirely with the registry. See Enabling and Disabling AutoRun for more information.

win1-2-2: How to Correct MS-DOS Compatibility Mode Problems with PCI IDE Controllers (Q151911)

MS-DOS Compatibility Mode Problems with PCI IDE Controllers

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 95 OEM Service Release, versions 2, 2.1
• Microsoft Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/topics/hardware/hwddresctr.asp

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

If your computer contains a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard disk controller that employs serialization between the two IDE channels, you may experience the following behaviors:

• 32-bit file system access and 32-bit virtual memory are not available
  
  -and-
  
  
• Device Manager displays an exclamation point (!) in a yellow circle for the primary and secondary IDE channels
  
  

If you uninstall and then reinstall the hard disk controller, this behavior is not resolved.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the protected-mode driver for the hard disk controller is not properly initialized when you start Windows. When this occurs, a NOIDE value is placed in the registry which prevents Windows from making future attempts to initialize the protected-mode driver.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT or Windows 2000, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

NOTE: The purpose of the registry value that is mentioned in this section is to prevent damaged data. Before you modify this registry value, it is recommended that you perform the troubleshooting steps in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

Q130179 Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard Disks

All Versions

To cause Windows to attempt to reinitialize the protected-mode IDE driver:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
   
   
2. Locate and click the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\IOS
3. In the right pane, right-click the NOIDE value, and then click Delete.
   
   
4. Quit Registry Editor.
   
   

After you update the registry, restart Windows. Windows attempts to initialize the protected-mode driver for the controller. If Windows can initialize the protected-mode driver for the controller, the file system and virtual memory operate in 32-bit mode and Device Manager does not display an exclamation point in a yellow circle for the IDE channels.

If the protected-mode driver is not initialized properly, you receive an error message and the NOIDE value is re-created. Windows uses the MS-DOS Compatibility mode file system the next time that you start the computer.

Windows 98 Only

If you are running Windows 98 on your computer, locate the Tools\Mtsutil folder on the Windows 98 CD-ROM, right-click the Noide.inf file, and then click Install. When you do this, the NOIDE value is deleted if it exists. After you use this file, restart your computer.

MORE INFORMATION

This issue can occur if your computer has an IDE controller that requires serialization between the primary and secondary IDE channels. The protected-mode drivers for these IDE controllers may not be initialized if one of the following situations occurs:

• If one IDE channel has a supported hard disk, and the second channel has a CD-ROM or another type of drive that requires Real-mode drivers. Because there must be serialization between the two IDE channels, Windows cannot access the hard disk in Protected mode and use the other device in Real mode. When this occurs, the Protected-mode driver is not initialized and the NOIDE switch is placed in the registry to prevent future errors. Both disk devices can then operate in Real mode.
  
  -or-
  
  
• If you manually remove the driver for the IDE controller from Device Manager and then reinstall it, or if you disable and then re-enable the protected-mode driver. Some PCI controller drivers are not designed for dynamic enabling and disabling, and can cause the Protected-mode driver to not initialize properly.
  
  

The Windows device drivers for the following controllers may cause this behavior:

• CMD PCI-0640 PCI-IDE controller
• Standard Dual PCI-IDE controller
• Opti Dual PCI-IDE controller
• Intel 82371 AB/EB Pci Bus Master IDE Controller
• Ali M5229 PCI Busmaster IDE Controller

Other PCI IDE controllers that use serialization between the IDE channels may also cause this behavior.

win1-2-3: USB Input Devices Do Not work in Safe Mode or Real Mode (Q256300)

USB Input Devices Do Not Work in Safe Mode or Real Mode

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

If this article does not describe your hardware-related issue, please see the following Microsoft Web site to view more articles about hardware:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/windows/topics/hardware/hwddresctr.asp

SYMPTOMS

When you run Windows Millennium Edition (Me) Setup from a command prompt, you are running Windows Me in Safe mode, or you start your computer with a Windows Me Startup disk, Universal Serial Bus (USB) input devices (keyboard, mouse, and so on) may not work.

CAUSE

USB input devices require USB legacy emulation to work correctly in Real mode (MS-DOS) and Safe mode.

RESOLUTION

You can enable this hardware support in the computer's's BIOS settings if the computer's motherboard supports it. For information about whether your hardware supports USB legacy emulation, please contact your hardware manufacturer. For information about how to contact your hardware manufacturer, click the appropriate article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, connect a standard PS/2 keyboard or mouse to the PS/2 port in the back of the computer, and then reboot the computer.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows Me does not load drivers in Real mode or Safe mode for USB host controllers and USB devices attached to the USB ports

win1-2-4: Windows IDE Hard Drive Cache Package (Credit: Phil~pkeyrich)

Go to:

http://corporate.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Select the Search option, then click on the Software Updates tab, then type "HARD DRIVE CACHE" into the Keyword Search box, then put check marks in all of the boxes below that and click on the "Next" arrow. There are three results - one for Windows 98 with I.E. 5.0x, one for Windows 98 with I.E. 5.5, and one for Windows ME. Pick the one that matches your O/S and I.E. versions.

win1-2-5:  Microsoft CD Player Does Not Play Audio CD-ROMs (Q14366) Care of Debra

Microsoft CD Player Does Not Play Audio CD-ROMs
View products that this article applies to.
This article was previously published under Q148366
SYMPTOMS
When you insert an audio CD-ROM into your CD-ROM drive, Microsoft CD Player may not start automatically or when you attempt to start the CD Player, you receive one of the following error messages:

Please insert an audio compact disc.
-or-

Data or no disc loaded.
CAUSE
This behavior can occur if the CD-ROM audio device driver is missing or damaged.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, remove and reinstall the CD Audio Device driver and check your DMA setting:
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Multimedia.
Click the Devices tab, double-click the Media Control Devices branch to expand it, click CD Audio Device (Media Control), and then click Properties.
Click Remove, click Yes when you are prompted to remove the device, click OK, click OK, and then restart your computer.
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add New Hardware.
Click Next, click Next, click No, I want to select the hardware from a list, click Sound, video, and game controllers, and then click Next.
In the Manufacturers box, click Microsoft MCI, in the Models box, click CD Audio Device (Media Control), click Next, click Finish, and then click Yes.
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
Click the Device Manager tab, double-click the CDROM branch to expand it, and then click the CD-ROM drive.
Click Properties, click the Settings tab, click to clear the DMA check box, click OK, and then click OK.
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98