KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q172078: HOWTO: Enable Autorun for Applications Distributed on CD-ROM

Article: Q172078
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsetup kbvfp500 kbvfp600
Last Modified: 28-JUL-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 both support the Autorun feature for CD-ROMS. The
Autorun feature detects when a CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive and runs an
application based on the contents of the Autorun.inf file located on the CD.

A common use of this Autorun feature is to launch an application's setup when the
CD is inserted. This article outlines the process of enabling this feature for a
Visual FoxPro application.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When a CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive, the operating system checks for a
file named Autorun.inf in the root directory of the CD. This file contains a
pointer to an executable file named Autorun.exe.

The following Autorun.inf file was taken from the Windows 95 CD:

  [autorun]
  OPEN=AUTORUN\AUTORUN.EXE
  ICON=AUTORUN\WIN95CD.ICO

The OPEN= entry indicates the location of the Autorun.exe file, and the ICON=
entry indicates the icon used to represent the CD-ROM drive in the Windows
Explorer.

To create an Autorun.inf file that launches a Visual FoxPro setup routine, you
must first create the distribution set using the Setup Wizard.

Once the distribution set has been created, rename Setup.exe to Autorun.exe, and
rename Setup.lst to Autorun.lst.

Create a new text file named Autorun.inf with the following contents:

     [autorun]
     OPEN=AUTORUN.EXE

Place this file and all the files from the distribution set in the root directory
of the CD.

When the CD is inserted into the CD-ROM drive, the application's setup should be
launched.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:

  Q152395 HOWTO: Using Setup Wizard to Distribute VFP App on CD-ROM

  Q136214 HOWTO: Test Autorun.inf Files


Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsetup kbvfp500 kbvfp600 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP500 kbVFP600 kbVFP500a
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.