Remove AutoPlay Handler from the Options List in Windows 7 / Vista / XP

AutoPlay or AutoRun dialog pops up whenever a removable drive such as digital camera or CD/DVD disc has been inserted into computer or placed into optical drive, with plenty of action choices in a list of options for users to choose to perform. Each item in the AutoPlay list is a handler installed by various applications to show as an option for a particular events or content types such as Pictures, Videos, Data, etc. By a simple change in registry, you can remove an entry or item from AutoPlay menu.

Windows by default has several AutoPlay handlers, and other third-party programs, especially media player such as RealPlayer, image burning software such as Nero adds its own AutoPlay handlers and shortcuts into the list. Over the time, the AutoPlay list can get longer and longer, and some entries can become invalid or orphaned even when the program has been uninstalled and the AutoPlay handlers are not removed.

Remove Handlers By Registry Editing

If the modification to the registry goes wrong, it may causes instability. So if you plan to remove any handlers directly from the registry, backup your registry before modifying.

Go to Start and click Run, in the dialog box type regedit and hit Enter.

AutoPlay Handlers are located at the following registry location in Windows:

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

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

To remove a particular handler, delete the registry key from from the Handlers pane and also delete the corresponding registry key from the EventHandlers pane.

For example if you want to remove VLC player autoplay handler for DVD movies, then you will have to remove the VLCPlayDVDMovieOnArrival key from the Handlers pane.

And also delete the corresponding key in PlayDVDMovieOnArrival in EventHandlers pane.

The Registry Key for VLC Player is used just for an example, it is not recommended by the author to delete its autoplay handler.

Using A Software

An orphaned or invalid junk entry might appear in the AutoPlay list of options window, as a result of incomplete uninstall of a software. The CleanHandlers helps you remove the invalid entries from the listing. Even if you’re not aware that an item is invalid, this utility can find invalid AutoPlay entries and also remove them automatically.

Add Logo To Windows Vista System Properties

How could you add a logo or portrait of dream girl to Windows Vista System Properties?

Well, this is just a little Vista trick that involves editing Windows Registry and preparing a BMP file format in a size measured at 120 x 120 pixel.

How to add a logo or portrait to Windows Vista System window?

1. Using your favourite image editor to resize or crop the target image (logo or portrait of your dream girl) to 120 x 120 pixels in size and save it as BMP file format.
   
   
2. Copy / move the 120x120 pixels BMP file to System32 directory, e.g.
   move Logo.BMP C:\Windows\System32
   (assuming you've saved the BMP file as Logo.BMP)
   
   
3. Open up Windows Registry (i.e. click the Vista Orb button, type regedit.exe in the Start Search textbox, click the regedit.exe shortcut listed in the Program list)
   
   
4. Browse to this Registry key path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OEMInformation

5. While at the OEMInformation Registry key, right-click on the right-pane, select New then String Value and name it as logo
   
   
6. Double-click the logo Registry and enter the full path of BMP file in System32, i.e. C:\Windows\System32\Logo.BMP

Now, the Windows Vista System window should display the new logo/portrait immediately.


* If you want to add manufacturer information to Windows Vista System window;

• Browse to Register key path:

     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OEMInformation

• At the OEMInformation Registry key, right-click on the right-pane, select New then String Value and name it as Manufacturer

• Double-click the Manfacturer Registry and enter the manufacturer information, i.e. IBM, Sony, HP, or yourname.