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Total Autorunner - support & tools
Different versions of Windows (2000, XPsp1, XPsp2, Vista) offer different levels
of interaction when a new removable drive is detected. But no one allows
the automatic execution of a task without asking the user (except for Cd-Rom drives).
Total Autorunner, with its technology, offers a big workaround to these
limitations.
Total
Autorunner is very powerful but simply to use. This section offers in-deep informations regarding the use, the problem solving and other technical issues about
Total Autorunner.
If you have questions or doubts, contact us at
support@totalautorunner.com
Installation
Follow instructions contained in the setup program.
The setup program will not copy files in system folders, nor will modify
the system registry or other configuration files.
After installation, the main window of the program will be showed.
Use
Total
Autorunner
starts with Windows and it is completely invisible to the user.
Setting window can be accessed clicking on the program icon in the system tray.
Creating autorun lists
One method to autorun files with Total Autorunner is to create an 'Autorun
list' that will reside on each removable drive you decide to autorun (the
'autorun lists' are completely different and independent from the normal
Autorun.inf file. Total
Autorunner does not use Autorun.inf).
First, choose a connected drive to work on, then compile the file list
simply dragging&dropping files from Explorer to the list window.
You can choose programs, any type of document, folders, shortcuts,
Favorites websites; they can be located in any drive (removable or not) of
your PC, not only on the removable drive you are working on.
To choose a different starting order, simply drag and drop items changing
their order in the list.
To save the autorun list, click the 'Apply' button, then you can test it clicking the
'Test' button, without the need to disconnect and reconnect the
drive.
Click 'Hide' button to hide the program.
'AutorunAll' folder
Another method to autorun files with
Total Autorunner is to put files and/or shortcuts to programs, any type of
document, folders and Favorites websites in a special folder called 'AutorunAll'.
If you decide to use this method, check its option in the setting window;
the folder will be automatically created in the removable drive.
Now, using Explorer, create shortcuts to your programs or files/folders in
the 'AutorunAll' folder; they will be automatically launched at next drive
connection.
If you decide not to use the 'AutorunAll' folder, uncheck its option in
the setting window. If the folder is empty, it will automatically deleted,
otherwise, a popup message will inform you that the folder contains files
and you will be asked to take an action.
'Autorun list' and 'AutorunAll'
folder are completely independent: you can decide to use the one and/or
the other on each drive.
Enabling and disabling Autoplay on all
removable drives (XP only)
After a "fresh" Windows XP
installation, the built-in Windows "Autoplay" function is enabled;
this means that, when you connect a removable drive, a pop-up dialog appears
asking what do you want to do (explore the drive, play a slide
show or a music file, and so on).
This can be annoying, especially if you want to use Total Autorunner.
If you want to disable
this pop-up and use Total Autorunner's
powerful functionalities, check 'Deactivate Windows Autoplay popup' option.
Discover how to change other Autoplay options reading here.
Splash screen
Allows to display a picture at drive
connection, for the desired time, with a nice fade-in/out effect.
The picture can be a photo, a company logo or whatever. Supported
file formats are jpg, bmp, gif, dib, rle, pcx.
You can set desired display dimensions without the
need to modify the original picture. It will be accurately resampled "on the fly" before being displayed.
In order to have the picture always available, it's better to choose (or
store) the picture on the removable drive.
For a better fade-in/out effect, the display duration should be at least
of 3 seconds.
Encryption engine
Encryption engine uses the very secure Blowfish encryption
algorithm.
Encryption key can contain up to 56 alphanumeric digits and can be
different for each file you decide to encrypt.
For security reasons, keys you inserted are not archived, so be sure to
remember which key you used for each file, because there will be no way to
decrypt a file if you forgot its key.
Encrypted files will be renamed adding a "#" to its
original name. Do not delete the "#" because this symbol allows files to
be instantly recognized as encrypted.
To decrypt, select a file and right click on it.
Uninstall
Total
Autorunner
has not registry keys or files in system folders.
The uninstall
process is easy and will not leave traces:
1) open the Control Panel and choose 'Installed software';
2) search for Total
Autorunner entry;
3) click 'remove program' and follow on-screen instructions.
'Autorun list' and 'AutorunAll'
folder can be manually deleted from drives you used.
Notes:
When you drag&drop files
in the 'Autorun list', Total
Autorunner imports relative paths of files located in the removable drive
you are working on; this allow that, even if the drive letter changes,
files will be correctly found and launched.
Regarding files located in C: drive,
these files will be always found and launched because every PC has a C: drive.
Regarding files located in
different drives than C:, it's possible that files will be not found by Total Autorunner if you connect your removable drive
to a PC where
drive letters are different or have been changed.
Autorun.inf file
Autorun.inf file allows standard Windows autostart functions (custom drive icon display in MyComputer,
custom drive label, context menu when right-clicking on the drive icon).
Different versions of Windows (2000, XPsp1, XPsp2, Vista) offer different levels
of interaction when a new removable drive is detected. But no one allows
the automatic execution of a task without asking the user (except for Cd-Rom drives).
Total Autorunner, with its technology, offers a big workaround for these
limitations.
Total Autorunner does not use
Autorun.inf file but if you need to create it, give a look to MyPendrivePRO, a complete, portable and professional solution that enables
extended autorun functions for all removable drives.
About Total Autorunner and us...
Total Autorunner is developed by Associazione Culturale Oltre l'immagine, an Italian no-profit
charity company that operates in re-education of people who had social diseases
(like drug, prostitution,
criminality), trying to re-insert these kind of people into the "normal working world".
We have two main re-education paths: one is the musical, teaching people to dance, sing, play music; the other
(and new one) is introducing them to software development.
Total Autorunner is our second project in software development. As for
MyPendrive, it's a basis for teaching our members and volunteers
using authoring programs, because programming and developing a software (like
the theatre) implies planning, order, organization and task
self-management.
These qualities are also the basis of a "regular life" and what
our humanitarian mission tries to give to the members of our association.
For further informations about our mission, the press releases of our
musical shows and a lot more, please take the time to visit our website at www.oltrelimmagine.org.
Useful tools
Enabling and disabling Autoplay on single drives
(XP only)
If you want to disable Autoplay pop-up for single drive, follow this procedure:
1) - connect your removable drive;
2) - double click MyComputer icon on your desktop;
3) - right click on the removable drive icon;
4) - choose "properties" menu item;
5) - a properties dialog box appears, click on the "Autoplay" tab;
6) - choose "Select what to do" and click on the "no
operation" item.
If, in the future, you will change the AutoPlay settings, repeat above steps,
choosing a different type of operation to do.
Windows Autoplay functions can be disabled/enabled also for specified drive letters and/or for a class of drives.
This can be done by modifying the system registry, but it's not easy and you
can cause serious problems to your PC.
The applet called "Microsoft
Windows TweakUI" can do these operations (and others) safely.
You can download TweakUI for WinXP ver. 2.1.0 by clicking here.
A useful guide on TweakUI for WinXP is available here.
Keep in mind that Total Autorunner will not be affected by changing
Autorun/AutoPlay settings, because it is completely independent from these built-in
Windows functions.
Formatting a USB memory drive
Flash memories can not be formatted with standard Windows tools.
To perform this type of operation, you need to use the "HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool".
This tool also creates bootable drives.
Clicking here to download it.
Creating a "safely remove shortcut"
It's possible to create a "safely remove shortcut" able to
display the same menu visible when right-clicking on the "safely
remove icon" in the System tray.
The destination of the shortcut is: %windir%\system32\RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL HotPlug.dll
When double-clicked, the "Safely remove menu" will be displayed:
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