How to Bring Back USB Autorun in Windows 7/8/10
Autorun functionality is extremely convenient: presentations, automatic run of an installer, or autoplay of the inserted media. However, the autorun mechanism also opens the door for various malware including viruses and Trojan horses. That is why in Windows 7 and higher the autorun functionality was restricted to optical disks, while autorun for USB flash drives no longer works. Good news is that this really improves the security. Bad news: this affects legitimate developers as well.
So, how can we bring back autorun for USB sticks? Autorun USB Helper is the answer. This little free utility re-enables auto execution of the autorun.inf file on USB devices while not jeopardizing the security of your system.
How does this work ?
Autorun USB Helper silently works in the background and traces all USB devices being connected to the computer. Once the program detects a new USB stick, it locates the autorun.inf file on the drive and automatically executes the file written there. This fully emulates autorun behavior of CD/DVD disks and thus resolves the issue for USB drives.
Is this safe ?
Well, if the program re-activates autorun that was disabled for security reasons, doesn't that mean that viruses will be able to infiltrate the system again? Not with Autorun USB Helper! The protection of your system remains intact as the program only executes applications you explicitly added to the white list. And the authenticity of each executed application is guaranteed by the advanced checksum method.
Quick Start Step-by-Step
So here is how you can re-enable USB Autorun on your system. First, install Autorun USB Helper, and once the setup completes you should see the program's icon in the system tray:
In fact, this is the only step you need to make USB autorun function again. However, for better security we recommend adding the files you want to run into the white list of Autorun USB Helper. To do this, right-click the system tray icon and select options:
Click the Add button and locate the executable file you want to allow for autorun. Note that the program automatically calculates the checksum for the file, so even if the original file is substituted with some malware, Autorun USB Helper won't let it run if its checksum is different. This guarantees full protection of the PC from any infestation via USB stick autorun.
Using Autorun USB Helper to Execute USB Disk Autorun Menu
Installing Autorun USB Helper on a computer turns on autorun from USB sticks under any Windows OS. This allows you to automatically execute an autorun menu or any other file from a USB drive inserted to a slot on that computer. And importantly you don't even have to include the file you wish to execute into the autorun.inf, as the program can simply execute the file you added to its run list.
Autorun USB Helper is completely free and perfectly works in cooperation with Autoplay Menu Designer. Build a menu with AutoPlay Menu Designer and publish it to the USB drive. On computers with Windows XP the menu will execute as intended. And for machines running Windows 7 and higher you will need to install Autorun USB Helper as well to make the menu execute automatically on each connection of the USB stick.