Setting Windows AutoPlay Options

You may have noticed that when you do things such as put a CD or DVD in your drive, connect a USB flash drive or hard drive, or even connect your digital camera or its memory card, you will notice that Windows may ask you what you want to do with this device. Windows uses what is called AutoPlay to detect when a device is put in or connected to your computer and then tries to determine what you want to do with that item by prompting you with a list of choices. If you get sick of answering the same old question every time then you can set the AutoPlay options to perform a certain operation automatically or to take no action at all. Many people may not even know that these settings are customizable but they are and they are pretty easy to change.

To get to the AutoPlay settings you can do a search for auto play from the Windows taskbar or go to the Windows settings to Bluetooth and devices > Autoplay.

Setting Windows AutoPlay Options

You will then have options as to what Windows will do when you insert a removable drive or a memory card.

For removable drives, you will have the following choices.

removable drives autoplay settings

If you choose take no action, you will need to browse to the location of the device in File Explorer and open it manually. If you choose ask me every time, you will get a prompt from Windows asking you what you want to do.

Windows Autoplay ask me every time

For memory cards, you will have the following choices. As you can see, you have additional options for viewing pictures or importing photos into OneDrive since Windows assumes your memory card will be from a camera.

memory card autoplay settings

If this is something like a USB flash drive or removable hard drive, you  may want to use the open folder to view files option so Windows will automatically open File Explorer to that drive when you connect it so you will not need to open File Explorer and manually browse to it.

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Cindy Thomas

Cindy Thomas is a coder and web designer with 8years of experience in the computer industry.

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