How Do I make a CD Auto-Run?

[NosNewsCanon]

I just purchased PicturesTOExe. Very slick. I imported all the photos to a slide show I made last summer, and imported the sound file, created an exe. Now what I would like to do is to put this on a CD, and arrange that this exe is automatically run when the CD is put into the drive. What is the trick for this?

By the way, my experience was overall very good, but ran into these problems:

1. The WAV file was 54 Megs, and the program basically froze up. I converted to MP3 and everything was fine.

2. Sometimes the same transition happens multiple times. Like slide 3 transitions to 4, and then does so again, and finally again (each time it blinks back to the previous slide and transitions again). I turned transitions off and have not seen the problem, but I wish I knew why it did that.

3. I initially set the slides to show every three seconds -- the original show was timed to play in eactly this time. But, the slides actually took more than 3 seconds, almost 4 seconds. Apparently the time does not take into account the time to load the slide. I went back and set all the slide transitions on the timeline, and that worked better ... came out perfect.

[Inzune]

Hi

Suggest you check this link. It will answer your needs.

Inzune

http://www.ashzfall.com/products/autorun/

[Ian]

Hi

Re your second point - someone else has just made a similar query so have a look at the "Different Computers" thread. Its all to do with the amount of time you allow for the transition of one slide to fully appear before the next one cuts in.

Ian

[nobeefstu]

NosNewsCanon,

CD Autorun:

Theres really no Trick to get a CD to autoplay ... just a few basic principles to follow in making a AUTORUN.INF file

Open your Windows Notepad ... and insert the lines shown below :

(you of course use here your own names)

[autorun]

open=YOURNAME.exe

icon=YOURNAME.ico

Once the info is entered ...SAVE this as AUTORUN.INF

Now ... to get this to work on a CD .... place/copy this AUTRUN.INF to the ROOT of the CD along with your exe presentation.

Simple Note : Many people like to use long - draw out names for their "shows name" etc ... however some PCs CD Roms wont read these long show names that you labeled into your Autorun.inf. Try to keep your Names ... short, simple, and space free ( 8.3 char is best way to go)

Show Speed Problems :

Use Syncronize your slideshow to Music " Customize Syncronization" setting. The approach you are constructiing for your slideshow is quite dependant on a USERS CPU capabilities ... as all are different.

Another Note : Whenever possible use .MP3 files vs .Wav files. Space savings plus size in some cases can become a loading issue from CDs as these sound files are copied to your PC first before playing your presentation.

[Ian]

You also need to have autorun.exe and autorun.ini present in the root of the CD.

Autorun.inf simply tells the system to launch autorun.exe. The file you need to edit to launch your desired exe file is actually autorun.ini.

Using a utility like the one mentioned above simply makes sure that all the required files are present.

Ian

[nobeefstu]

Ian

I beg to differ with you ... you do not need a AUTORUN.EXE ... nor do you need a AUTORUN.ini.

If you just try my simple AUTORUN.INF made from Windows Notepad as in the previous post .... you will be assured of a positive result in autoplay from the CD.

The configuration you have described is mainly used for setting up program parameters/ etc ... of which PTE doesnt need or require. In my senario ... the users SHOW.EXE is your AUTORUN.EXE.

Plus in using just Windows Notepad .... one doesnt need any other utilities or tools.

[Ian]

I'll have a go!

I've always assumed that these are required files as they're always present on any autorun CD I've come across.

Ian

[anthrodoc]

I am currently using PTE along with another piece of software, to create menus etc. that autorun. As noted, with the autorun.inf file created in notepad, you have all you need to start a show on a cd. What I have quiclkly discovered (because of how easy PTE is to use, and how creative you can get, especially with all the give an take on this wonderful board!) is that I have a growing number of shows to put on a CD (so far I have at least 4 customized family shows for individual family members, and two eulogies for close friends!) My solution is to use another piece of software that can create menus that autorun, that then give me the titles of any PTE shows I put on the CD...

I'm not out to sell other software-- but would like to be helpful ... and I find that the software I am using is very similar to PTE in how it is produced and supported (between the two pieces of software and their related discussion boards, am I ever hooked!)

The other software is MultiMediaBuilder (easy to find on the web). And I have found it to be well worth the purchase.

Brian

[HaroldB]

2. Sometimes the same transition happens multiple times.  Like slide 3 transitions to 4, and then does so again, and finally again (each time it blinks back to the previous slide and transitions again).  I turned transitions off and have not seen the problem, but I wish I knew why it did that.

IMX, this usually happens when the amount of time specified for the transition plus the time needed for loading the slide (which is hardware dependent) exceeds the amount of time specified for the total display of the slide.

Hopefully, Igor will fix this soon.

Harold

[jason0876]

I am new to all this stuff. I just read your post about placing the autorun file from the notepad into the "root" of the CD along w/ your .exe file. I am not sure what you mean by the "root". I tried to do a test CD and I placed my .exe file along with the autorun file into the contents of the CD (what to burn). It burned and then I tired to run it but it didn't automatically start. I then went into 'my computer' to try to start from there, and i got a message saying the program wasn't found. Any help would be appreciated.

Jason

[Bob]

I wonder if there may be a way for Igor to include "Create as Auto run" in the file menu ?? Some how P2exe would pick up program name and create a simple auto run feature. I'm sure many new owners of P2exe are not skilled with computer "ins and outs" and find that terms like inf, exe and notepad just don't ring a bell.

Bob..

[nobeefstu]

Jason

The "Root" is a term used describe the location within a Drive ... in simple terms ... its the beginning ( as this is where you begin to place your files and folders)

Being that you got a MESSAGE saying " CANNOT FIND..." , appears to me you have placed your AUTORUN.INF correctly to the "ROOT" of the CD. However, usually when you get this type MESSAGE of " CANNOT FIND..." , means you have MISPELLED or other TYPO ERRORS in your spelling. Sometimes this error is cause by too long of a FILENAME spelling. I always reccomend small, simple, and no spaces (8.3 filenaming convention)

Make sure ALL your spelling is 100% correct ... if your "SHOWS" name is Place.exe ... then the spelling in the Autorun.inf should be Open=Place.exe.

So if your AUTORUN.INF and your exe presentation are both copied to the CD ROOT .... and all spelling everywhere is absoluetly correct ... you should be good to go.

If Autorun still fails ... test some other CD of yours that you know autoruns when inserted .... as sometimes people unknowingly disable their CD ROM auto load feature ( a system setting).