I saw some discussions about the problem with disabled AutoRun which prevents the PAM to be launched automatically. There are 2 ways proposed to avoid this problem. One is the listener which needs installation and the other is a tool from Uwe Sieber (http://www.uwe-sieber.de/drivetools_e.html#AutoRun) that can be used to enable the AutoRun for the USB drive. So I suggest for future releases to integrate one of these tools in PAM. The Scenario will then look like this:
You insert the stick, when AutoRun is available PAM starts, but when nothing happens, User runs PAM manually and PAM checks for AutoRun and asks to install the listener or (in my mind the better way) to fix AutoRun configuration using the fixing tool) so PAM can start automatically next time.
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on the XP, I meanwhile got the Microsoft tool to fix the autoplay if it wen out of order. OK works, but this is on XP only. On w2k there is no such thing for the usb and on vista and probably the next w7 such autoplay features will be closed anyway.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
There is the autorun/listener that John is developing. I haven't used this before but seems to work based on the feedback. At the moment I think it is at a proof of concept stage of development but since your interested - https://portableapps.com/node/13770
Hope this helps
(Just re-read post and appears your already aware of this but in case I'll leave as is)
PortableApps.com Advocate
As a system administator, I have disabled autorun on the PCs here, for obvious reasons.
If PAM started turning it back on automatically, I'd not only have to stop using it myself, but I'd be forced to block any other users here in the office from even being able to run the application. I really don't want that to happen.
And yes, some end users are administrators of their own PCs, due to some poorly written specialist software that we have no choice about using that requires an admin account to be able to run. They know better than to turn on autorun, but if some app decided to be helpful and do it for them....
Well if there are concerns regarding AutoRun fixing, the integration of the listener and giving the user at the first time the stick is plugged the possibility to install it would be the preferred choice. I added following lines to the autorun.inf file of my drive to have at least a doubleclick action which starts PAM if autorun fails:
Shell\Run=Run PortableApps Launcher Menu
Shell\Run\Command=PortableApps\NIRCMD.EXE EXEC hide PortableApps\Autoexec.bat
Shell=Run
why I'm using a batch file and nircmd is explaned in my other post https://portableapps.com/node/17774
@ horusofoz: Yes that tool from John is what I meant by "the listener".