Posting Date: June 05, 2003

WebWord Comment -- I absolutely, completely hate CD Extra (i.e., multimedia enhanced CDs). I don't buy many CDs these days, but when I do, they usually autorun CD Extra. Each and every time I put a CD with CD Extra into my computer, it causes problems. It eats resources, it tries to load new software, it automatically launches unwanted software, and more. I can't stand it. If I want to reach the freakin' extra software and multimedia on the CD I'll browse to it. Don't force it on me. alt.CD.Extra.die.die.die

Reader Comments...

I copy the CD and burn a new one with just the audio tracks.

Posted by: The Liberated One on June 6, 2003 01:14 AM

I long ago started turning off autorun due to the occasional technical problem with autorun (especially when CD technology and Plug&Pray were newer), and kept with it due to the tendency of autorun programs to be unnecessary and inane.

But I agree, forcefeeding content always sucks.

Erik P

Posted by: Erik Piper on June 6, 2003 04:13 AM

1. How do I turn off autorun?

2. I currently kill CD Extra by first putting in the CD (duh!), wating about 5-8 seconds, then hitting Cntl-Alt-Del, then finding CDExtra, then killing it! (Shitty, useless, time wasting process.)

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on June 6, 2003 06:58 AM

Here's another direction to take: buy a Bose Wave CD player. It probably gives you better sound, and then your music CDs leave your PC's CD-ROM drive free for data and programs. (I actually use mine a lot: I have one with the OED, one with Johnson & Boswell's works, another with two editions of Johnson's Dictionary, a fourth with Britannica...)

BTW, you might also need to do spyware sweeps after loading your music cd's into your computer.

Posted by: Frank on June 6, 2003 08:42 AM

You can, of course, hit the Shift key for the first few seconds after you load the CD. It cancels autorun.

Posted by: on June 6, 2003 09:17 AM

John, you can turn off Autorun by downloading 'TweakUI' for your version of Windows from the Microsoft site and switch off Autorun under the 'Paranoia' tab.

The Autorun concept may have been useful if it didn't indeed make me feel paranoid, Windows is just too brittle. Autorun for CD Extra should at least present the option to perform the data or audio action.

Posted by: Chris on June 6, 2003 11:17 AM

There's no such thing as autorun on OS X. A CD icon simply appears on the desktop, ready to browse. If the CD is enhanced (CD Extra or whatever else), an additional CD icon appears along with the enhanced CD title. Once again, OS X stays out of the way.

Posted by: Joshua Kaufman on June 8, 2003 09:50 AM

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