Turn off AutoPlay
Turning off AutoPlay is easy to do. Once it is off, it is essential to remember AutoPlay is off, or it may be a long wait for the movie to start or that game to load. If turning off AutoPlay makes computing more complicated, you can turn it back on easily.
What does AutoPlay do?
AutoPlay controls the initialization of applications and hardware. You can configure AutoPlay based on protocols, file types, and quite a bit more. AutoPlay is Windows's built-in mechanism to control applications and devices for your convenience. As with anything digital, people with evil intent use it too. When a disk is inserted into a DVD ROM drive, it spins up, opens your video player application, and plays the movie automatically. This is AutoPlay at work. AutoPlay can be fine turned, but to keep things clear, I will only be showing you how to disable AutoPlay by turning it off.
Disabling AutoPlay can help to prevent potentially unwanted programs (PUPS) from silently installing via a hard disk or a flash drive on your personal computer, especially if they get past the User Account Control. This is the main reason for disabling AutoPlay. Plug in a corrupted or infected device, and your personal computer can be compromised in a split second. Yet, applications still install without notifications of any kind on the screen. A popular computer cleaning program installer includes an anti-virus program. If you don't uncheck the little check box, it installs and does not present any notifications, even after the installation completes. Installing a second anti-virus can cause severe problems for those who already have an anti-virus installed. A legitimate computer security business is doing this.
User Account Control
Since most computer users would like everything, automated Microsoft added the User Account Control to add an additional layer of protection to Windows. User Account control tries to prevent applications from installing without your knowledge. When a program tries to install, you are alerted with a pop-up asking you whether or not you would like the app to make changes to your device. For many, this stops them from doing anything besides clicking No, and then they wonder why the application doesn't work and that it seems it won't install. After trial and error, most users come to understand that when they the user initializes the action, to go forward, one must select Yes. Sounds easy, yet for many, it is not. Turning off User Account Control or setting it to a lower setting helps prevent these pop-up nag screens and allows many to get things done and not have to worry if they just messed up by installing something they should not have installed.
What happens if I disable AutoPlay?
Disabling AutoPlay stops your computer from auto-running various media and hardware devices like USB hard drives, flash drives, DVD/CD-ROM drives. It does not disable or prevent your computer from running applications or making file associations that open the correct program when a link is selected. An example would be setting AutoPlay to off will stop movie software from automatically accessing and playing a movie inserted into the DVD-ROM drive. For some, the benefit does not outweigh the risk, inconvenience, or the need to learn how to run applications or disks manually. If you try turning off AutoPlay and you don't like it, you can always return and enable it by repeating the steps.
Benefits of AutoPlay
AutoPlay has several benefits, so before turning AutoPlay off, be sure you don't already use AutoPlay. Some settings are beneficial and can make using a personal computer that much easier. For example, connecting a device and having the pictures or files download automatically to a predefined folder with no interaction is excellent and super convenient. If you are using AutoPlay, take a moment and look under the default actions to see if there is no option you may like to try or use that could aid you in your day-to-day computer workflow.
Depending on your personal computers configuration there will be more or less options than pictured in screen shots below.
Steps 1 and 2
Click on the Start menu.
Click on the Settings icon, the one that looks like a gear.
Step 3
Once Windows Settings opens, click on Devices.
Step 4
Once Devices opens, click on AutoPlay.
Step 5
Once AutoPlay opens, click on the switch under the label Use AutoPlay for all media and devices, so it reads Off as pictured. AutoPlay is off. If you find turning off AutoPlay unsuitable for you, turn it back on.
Turn off AutoPlay via Windows 10 Control Panel
At this time, there are two different AutoPlay setting locations. Accessing AutoPlay via the Control Panel does things differently, so follow these steps if you would like to turn off AutoPlay via the Control Panel. There are many ways to get around Windows, and we show you one way we do it.
Steps 1, 2 & 3
1. Click the Cortana icon.
2. Search for Control Panel.
3. Click on search result Control Panel Desktop app.
Step 4
If you open the Control Panel and do not see AutoPlay as an option, select View by: Category and change it to large or small icons.
Step 5
Click AutoPlay.
Step 6
Click to uncheck Use AutoPlay for all media and devices, then click Save at the bottom of the window.
More AutoPlay settings
If the wrong application opens when called from another application or shortcut, we will show you where those settings are. At this time, there are numerous ways to control applications under Windows 10. There are a few AutoPlay settings categories: Default app settings, Choose default apps by file type, Choose default apps by protocol, and Set defaults by apps.
The two options Default app settings and Set defaults by apps may sound similar, but they differ significantly in execution. Default app settings offer the most basic options, whereas Set defaults by app allow for granular control over each installed application.
Default app settings
Default app settings allow you to control what Microsoft has determined to be the most popular AutoPlay options. They included Email, Maps, Music Player, Photo Viewer, Video Player, and Web browser. Please select an item you wish to change by clicking on its name or icon, then choose an alternative to the pop-up list. Keeping it simple to avoid confusing users makes for a minimal set of choices. There is no option to browse for a specific program, so if a program is desired to be associated with a particular file type and is not properly registered with Windows, it will not be available. By trying to incorporate their store into the options, Microsoft added an element of confusion. Many will search the store not knowing why the store has opened, will find limited app choices, that they may cost money, and that the app they are looking for is not there.
Choose default apps by file type
Choose apps by file type is similar to Default app settings in how it works. However, Choose defaults apps by file type lists all registered app file types and their associated programs. This list can get quite large and can take some time to locate the file type you are looking for. The list on the left is the file type sorted by file type or file extension. Applications are listed on the right-hand column and can repeat numerous times depending on how many files they are associated with. There is no option to browse for a specific program, so if a program is desired to be associated with a particular file type and is not properly registered with Windows, it will not be available. To change an apps association with a file type, select an item you wish to change by clicking on its name or icon, then choose an alternative of the pop-up list. Like Default app settings, Microsoft added an element of confusion by trying to incorporate their store into the options. Many will search the store not knowing why the store has opened, will find limited app choices, that they may cost money, and that the app they are looking for is not there.
To access more AutoPlay settings, select Default app settings under Related settings.
Set defaults by app. Select the app on the left and select Set this program as default to set application defaults. You can choose your default application settings for more customization by selecting Choose defaults for this program.
Default apps settings window contains the most basic of AutoPlay options.
