KB971029: Update to the AutoPlay functionality in Windows


In Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2003, AutoRun entries were populated for all devices that had mass storage and had a validly formatted AutoRun.inf file in the root directory. This included CDs, DVDs, USB thumb drives, external hard disks, and any volume that exposed itself as mass storage. This update disables AutoRun entries in AutoPlay, and displays only entries that are populated from CD and DVD drives. Effectively, this prevents AutoPlay from working with USB media.

Update to the AutoPlay functionality in Windows

Many of the existing viruses and malware spread via bogus autorun.inf files that get on CD/DVD/Flash drives. Once there, it takes no action by the user to spread the infection since autorun being enabled launches the infected software.

The update makes XP similar to Vista and Windows 7 which is a better way to go in my opinion.