making VLC the default for playing DVDs

[Patok]

If you use custom install of VLC, I believe you need to check Discs
Playback to have the handlers created. Not 100% sure though.

That's very likely. I always install using custom installs, never
default. And if that was one of the options, I most certainly disabled
it, as I very rarely play DVDs on a computer, and have no issues with
the default player.

 

[BillW50]

In

That's very likely. I always install using custom installs, never
default. And if that was one of the options, I most certainly disabled
it, as I very rarely play DVDs on a computer, and have no issues with
the default player.

Yes that would explain it. I think that is all that checkbox does is to
create the handlers and nothing more.

And I guess I was wrong about selecting the default handler under
TweakUI. As I popped in there really quickly the first time and I
thought you could. But as you had noted, you can only delete, create and
edit handlers there and nothing more.

 

[VanguardLH]

Thank you, Vanguard! I did look at the interface categories in VLC, and all
the options are checked--but still PowerDVD opens the files. I wonder if
PowerDVD can be uninstalled...

I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer -> AutoPlay ->
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).

 

[BillW50]

In

I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

I don't know about the security patch, since I disabled all autoplay
years ago anyway. But DVD movies don't use autorun.inf at any rate. So
maybe this isn't effected by the patch?

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer -> AutoPlay ->
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you
want as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get
asked as to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).

Yes that works great.

 

[Jo-Anne]

I thought Microsoft had issued a security update that disabled autorun
on removable media because it is such an obvious security breach. So
it's odd that inserting a disc still has autorun.inf getting read (and
its specified executable loaded) or of any media handler get loaded.

What you want is to change, delete, or disable the autoplay settings.
Rather than edit the registry you can use Microsoft's TweakUI powertoy
or Windows Explorer. In TweakUI, go to the My Computer -> AutoPlay ->
Handlers node in the tree. Then delete the PowerDVD handlers. In
Windows Explorer, right-click on the optical drive, Properties, select
the media type in the drop-down list, and select which handler you want
as the default (or enable the prompt option so you always get asked as
to what handler you want to use - that's how I set it up).

Thank you, Vanguard! I did make the change in Explorer, and VLC now is my
default program for playing DVDs.

Jo-Anne

 

[Jo-Anne]

In

Oh that is great to hear. I'm using TweakUI v2.1. If you have the same, it
should show up if you click the + to the left of My Computer.

Thank you again, Bill! I just wasn't looking in the right place. I have
version 2.10.0.0, and everything is where it should be.

Jo-Anne

 

[VanguardLH]

I don't know about the security patch, since I disabled all autoplay
years ago anyway. But DVD movies don't use autorun.inf at any rate. So
maybe this isn't effected by the patch?

Did that, too, by using TweakUI to disable both AutoPlay and AutoRun.
Some users like the convenience so much that they remain blind to the
security breach after explaining it to them. AutoRun is definitely bad.
AutoPlay, at least, intervenes with a prompt where the *user* must make
a choice (but that user won't know for sure what is the real program
that is loaded upon an autoplay selection from the popup window).

As you look at TweakUI, Microsoft's KB articles, and their registry
settings, there is confusion over which relates to autorun and which are
for autoplay - because Microsoft mixes up the terminology.

 

[BillW50]

Did that, too, by using TweakUI to disable both AutoPlay and AutoRun.
Some users like the convenience so much that they remain blind to the
security breach after explaining it to them. AutoRun is definitely bad.
AutoPlay, at least, intervenes with a prompt where the *user* must make
a choice (but that user won't know for sure what is the real program
that is loaded upon an autoplay selection from the popup window).

As you look at TweakUI, Microsoft's KB articles, and their registry
settings, there is confusion over which relates to autorun and which are
for autoplay - because Microsoft mixes up the terminology.

Microsoft sure *loves* to confuse everybody. I often try to figure out
the logic behind this. And the only thing I ever came up with is job
security. The only other thing is that it makes it a nightmare to
reverse engineer. LOL

 

[VanguardLH]

Interesting.
I'm on XP Pro SP3 with all security updates.
I consistently use autorun.inf on removable media to load custom icons, etc.
Works fine.
I also have TrueCrypt configured on a USB pen drive in Traveler Mode that
uses extensive autorun.inf entries to execute commands, store the name of
the host device and load in its custom icon every single time its mounted
onto the system.

Which "security update" was meant to have prevented this?

Looks like it was for USB drives:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967940
http://blogs.technet.com/b/msrc/arc...-the-june-2011-security-bulletin-release.aspx

Optical media is burned (with pits or chemically) so it is far less
likely that malware gets on them by accident. USB drives, however,
wander from host to host where one that is infected could push an
autorun.inf file onto USB drives. The required to burn to change an
rewritable optical disc (CD, DVD) is its thin condom against malware.
USB drives don't use condoms. Well, some can be locked or password
encrypted but then obviously once the user wants to *use* the flash
drive on a host (unknown to be infected to the flash drive user) then
they have to unlock it whereupon malware attacks.

If you get optical media from unknown or untrusted sources then you
probably also want to disable the AutoRun feature still remaining for
those devices.