Windows 7 doesn't autorun Portable Apps Starter on Flash drive

Question

I'm afraid the answer is "it won't due to new security features", but I'll ask anyway.

I have a USB Flash Drive I run Portable Applications on (who doesn't, right?). I use PStart to start up a nice menu I've been using for a couple years, have my configuration dialed in to something that is productive, so I'm not inclined to just switch to another program.

I have an Autorun.inf in the root of the drive. Its contents:

[Autorun]
Open=Applications\pstart\PStart.exe
Action=Start PortableApps
Icon=Applications\PortableAppsMenu\PortableAppsMenu.exe
Label=PortableApps

When I insert the device on Windows 7, I get prompted to choose from a variety of autostart things I don't want to do:

It worked fine on XP and Vista, on inserting the PStart.exe would start up and I have menu.

Solution

Unfortunately, you're correct.

The new security features of Windows 7 will not run autorun programs unless it's on optical media.

See more here: AutoRun changes in Windows 7.

Comments

[jtimberman]

"...so our customers can benefit..." - People who take security seriously and don't put arbitrary devices in their computers suffer from the inconvenience. I'd like the option to allow specific devices to autorun, even if I have to set it manually the first time :(.

[RJFalconer]

Heh. I am of the opposite opinion; autorun is the most evil thing ever invented. I suppose having it do nothing by default would have been a better alternative to removing it completely.