I just recently installed PortableApps on a 4 GB flash drive. It's a very handy tool, but it's just slightly annoying to have to open PortableApps manually. Is there a way to make it start-up automatically when I put the flash drive in a computer?
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do you have? On XP, well autoplay will work, on vista this is blocked and on w2k for example it will not work at all.
And if the computer using XP is properly administrated, it will not do any autoplay action too.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
on XP without admin and I also get Autorun on vista. is there an autorun file in X:\ ?
Yes I use XP, Ok may be the administrator right
to run autoplay in fact no admin rights are needed, but the autoplay has to be enabled first then it should work by itself. But if this is work or school computer properly managed, then autoplay is off.
Otto Sykora
Basel, Switzerland
Well, if you can't get PA to work, does the window still popup that says like "open folder to view files" and "play using window media player" etc.?
Also, in Windows 7 the autoplay feature is disabled for removable devices. You'll have to browser the device and manually run the executable.
This bugged me, too; but I've figured it out. I created an autorun.inf with these lines:
[autorun]
open = autorun.cmd
icon = autorun.ico
Stole the autorun.ico from a CD and tweaked it, so it had a custom icon. Then created autorun.cmd with this line:
start /d %0\..\PortableApps\PortableAppsMenu\ PortableAppsMenu.exe
(note the space after the path and before the executable name)
Copied all three files to my thumb drive and viola... That's it, works like a charm. "Start" is a dos command that is still valid (in Vista anyway) "/d" lets start know that you're designating a path, and the clencher is "%0\..\". I found an older MS article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/121387)that explains that this command makes a batch file look back to it's originating drive, what ever it may be (G, C, X, Z, \\server\netlogon, it doesn't care). Very cool, comes in very handy with login scripts, too. Essentially makes the drive letter varible.
Hope this helps.
B
Dyslexics of the world... tunic!
I'm happy that this works for you but I don't understand the cmd script.
1. The link you show that explains the use of %0\.. says that the syntax:
APPLIES TO
Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.1 Standard Edition
Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.2 Standard Edition
There is no reference to XP, Vista or 7.
2. start /?
shows the /D option has the path immediately following the D, your use of it shows a space between the D and the path.
So how does this work??
Ed
#1 - I realize that it does not mention XP, Vista, or 7; however I'm using in production on both XP and Vista. I have not had the chance to test it with 7 yet.
#2 - From CMD prompt in Vista, here is the first line of start /?
START ["title"] [/D path] [/I] [/MIN] [/MAX] [/SEPARATE | /SHARED]
... That looked like a space after the D to me, and with trial and error I found that there is a space between the D and the path and a space between the end of the path abd the name of the executable.
I copied and pasted the lines in my original post directly from the files that I am using in production, give them a try.
B
Dyslexics of the world... tunic!
This is the output from my Windows XP SP3 Home START /? command:
START ["title"] [/Dpath] [/I] [/MIN] [/MAX] [/SEPARATE | /SHARED][/LOW | /NORMAL | /HIGH | /REALTIME | /ABOVENORMAL | /BELOWNORMAL]
[/WAIT] [/B] [command/program]
[parameters]
And the current contents of my PortableApps autorun.inf:
[Autorun]Open=StartPortableApps.exe
Action=Start PortableApps
Icon=StartPortableApps.exe
Label=Ed's PortableApps
Ed