ORIGINAL: losguy

Good advice, good link too.

In XP, on the AutoPlay tab under drive Properties, under Actions, one of the options is "Prompt me each time to choose an action." Curious... Besides being slightly annoying, is there any fallout from choosing this option, like with auto-installation of malware from CDs? Or will it be bypassed with this setting too?

I don't know if the "Prompt me each time to choose an action.." option can be subverted or not, but I would suspect it could since --and this is purely conjecture on my part-- I imagine the prompt would happen after first querying the media. As such, I prefer it undertake nothing, or as little as possible, until I actively ask for it.

-- Joe "Call me Ishmae... I mean, Paranoid" Tabby

To turn off Autoplay in WinXP:

With regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Services/CDRom "Autorun"="0"
or
Start->Run->gpedit.msc
Computer Configuration->Adminstrative Template->System->Turn off autoplay

Another way to do this it to download TweakUI from Microsoft, and this tool will help you do it also if the above method is too difficult for you.

Get it here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx


{edit} oops forgot to mention the tool. You want to download "Tweak UI". I had a little bit of a problem finding the program after I installed it. After you install it, it will located in a folder goto START MENU>Programs>Powertoys for Windows XP.

After you run the program, select the "My Computer" >"Autoplay">Types and then you just check the box for your personal preference.

There's a lot of good things in Tweak UI, where you wish you knew how to get rid of certain items that annoy you but could never figure out how.

Red, how is that different from turning it off in the Drive Properties?

I agree with Red.. that's the better (more complete) way of stopping the AutoPlay all together..
BUT i think that the CD AUDIO autoplay might still work even after setting that (gpedit) to "turn off".. saw it somewhere..
ohh,right there where you set it ..on the left -

"Note: This setting does not prevent Autoplay for Music CDs."

be careful

Here come the lawsuits!

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/

And SONY pulls the plug:

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.asp

(Reuters) - Music publisher Sony BMG said on Friday it would stop making CDs that use a controversial technology to protect its music against illegal copying.

"As a precautionary measure, Sony BMG is temporarily suspending the manufacture of CDs containing XCP technology," it said in a statement.

The decision follows the discovery on Thursday of the first virus that uses Sony BMG's CD copy-protection software to hide on PCs and wreak havoc.

underblu:
I thing Sony BMG should be sued.

According to the reuters article a class-action lawsuit has been launched in California.

One can't help but wonder if this CD (and other Sony CDs that don't even have the technology) will now suffer a drop in sales, due to consumer fear and/or angst...

Well, I wouldn't buy a SONY CD for a long time. SONY says they're abandoning the scheme for now. Does that mean they're having retailers send all the flawed CD's back to them? I buy all my CD's online. How would I know whether the seller was going to ship me an inventory "leftover" with the crap on it or a "good" one?

Sony... as in Celine Dion, Pearl Jam, Santana, Barbra Streisand, AC/DC etc...? Thank God, I'm safe!

When you make as much money selling records as Sony does, you can actually afford to be this intrusive I guess... Only then.

Not meant to be harsh. Not that harsh anyway. The whole thing is just not that surprising to me.

Seems Microsoft also sees it as Malware and intends updating its security tools to treat it as such.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39236971,00.htm

But just as I was about to start cheering for the Borg, I noticed I'd glossed over the precise wording... "to detect and remove *part* of the copy protection tools installed on PCs when some Sony music CDs are played"

I see.

Which part?

(from the Register and usa today news) Sony claimed only 20 titles had this problem. But a blogger claims he's seen 47 so far. It may be that the Sony/BMG borg has dozens of labels it controls.

Sony is apparently still committed to some sort of DRM. They state that all titles in 2006 will be copy protected.

I haven't bought a mainstream CD for years and after this I'm becoming less and less likely to.

Incidentally, the rootkit doesn't install itself on Macs apparently!

r.

Now if we could just get Microsoft to decloak Internet Explorer and disable their cloaking syntax completely!

"There are folders on your computer that Microsoft has tried hard to keep secret."
Microsoft's Really Hidden Files

The real work around is not buy Sony.

I don't think that is possible. They own the rights to the CD format. I don't think that has expired, if ever. Every CD drive you buy, pays royalties to Sony. At least that is what I've heard.

Regards,

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/11/14/sony_anticustomer_te.html

It seems things are going from bad to worse for Sony not only have they infected millions of computers with spyware but there is also a strong indication that they may well have contravened licencing restrictions on several pieces of open source code by not acknowledging its use or providing the sources.

In effect they have stolen someone else's IP in order to 'protect' their own! Are they gonna draw as hard a line as the RIAA on the disgrace that is copyright theft?

(all this on top of the fact that they are being investigated for stitching up online retailers too)

Merry Xmas sony!

Child