How To Add Programs To The Windows Autoplay Menu
When you put a DVD movie in your computer, Windows (Vista in this case) should pop open a menu asking you what you want to do. This menu should contain a few different programs depending on what you have installed on your computer. Lets say you had DVDFab as an option to copy and backup any DVD movies you insert. For some reason, this option disappears (you upgraded the version etc). This sometimes happens.
Now for the part that probably brought you here. I have not made a program or script to automate this yet so you will have to make changes to the registry by hand. This is not complicated, but if you don’t even know what the Registry is, you probably should have someone help you. There are programs that can do something like this as well. I didn’t want to install anything or pay for anything that could be done with a simple registry tweak. I will try to keep it simple so anyone very familiar with this will have to put up with it. Before making changes, you should back up your Registry.
Ill be doing this with Vista, but it should be similar for the Windows 7 etc. If not, search for your Windows version. Click the pictures for a larger version.
Lets open the Registry Editor.
Click Start (or Windows pearl icon)
In the “Run” or “Search Box” type REGEDIT then hit Enter.
Go to:
HKey_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\EventHandlers\PlayDVDMovieOnArrival
Screenshot below shows the first part of the path to get you going:
Right click on PlayDVDMovieOnArrival and select New, String Value and name the new value: DVDFab9
Next go to:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\Handlers
Right click on Handlers and select New, Key and name the new key: DVDFab9
Highlight the DVDFab9 key you just created.
For the following actions, right click in the right pane and select New, and then select the value type indicated:
String Value. Name it Action. Double click Action and enter a descriptive name like Copy/Convert/Burn etc.
Expandable String value. Name it DefaultIcon. Double click this entry and enter:
C:\Program Files (x86)\DVDFab Platinum 4\DVDFab9.exe
String Value. Name it InvokeProgID. Double click this entry and enter: DVDFab9Open
String Value. Name it InvokeVerb. Double click and enter: open
String value. Name it Provider. Double click and enter the program’s name, example: DVDFab 9 Copier & Burner
Mine looked like this when I was done:
Now in Regedit, go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Right click on this branch and select New, Key and name the new key: DVDFab9Open
Double click the Default value and enter the program name. Example: DVDFab
Right click on the DVDFab9Open key and select New, Key and name the new key: DefaultIcon
Highlight the DefaultIcon key and enter the full path and file name of your DVD program followed by ,1
Example: C:\Program Files (x86)\DVDFab9\DVDFab.exe,1
Right click on the DVDFab9Open key and select New, Key and name the new key: shell
Right click on the shell key and select New, Key and name this key: open
Right click on the open key and select New, Key and name this key: command
Double click the Default value in the command key and enter the full path and file name of your DVD program.
Example: C:\Program Files (x86)\DVDFab9\DVDFab.exe
Mine looked like this:
That should be it. Exit Regedit and insert a DVD. You should have DVDFab or whatever program you substituted on your menu choices.
You can also select a program to always do the same thing. Like always open DVDFab when you insert a DVD movie.
To do that, Click Windows Pearl (Logo)
click Default Programs.
Click Change AutoPlay settings.
Check “DVD movie” for DVDFab (or whatever you want).