AUTORUN Kit for Windows 95/98/NT

Description
-----------

The AUTORUN Kit contains a simple collection of file need to create
a CDROM (or other autostart media) that automatically launches a 
particular application when inserted. This is most often used for 
autostarting the installation program when a software CDROM is 
inserted or for autostarting a game etc when the installation CDROM
is inserted but can be used for anything you can think of.

The AUTORUN Kit consists of the following files

  README.TXT  - This file.
  START.EXE   - The Autorun stub for loading your desired program
  START.INI   - The configuration options for START.EXE
  START.ICO   - An example icon for use by Autorun
  AUTORUN.INF - An example AUTORUN file to be read by Windows when the
                CDROM or media is inserted



Creating the AUTORUN.INF file
-----------------------------
 The example AUTORUN.INF file provided is usable in most situations. It
 contains only two options as shown below:

  [autorun]
  open=start.exe   - The file to be autorun (DON'T put your program here)
  icon=start.ico   - The Icon to be displayed in Windows Explorer. Change
                     this to the name of an icon you want displayed and 
                     put that .ICO file in the same directory as AUTORUN.INF


Creating the START.INI file
---------------------------
 The example START.INI file provided shows all available options. In
 most cases simply changing each to an appropriate value for your use
 is all that need to be done.

  [start]
  run=c:\windows\notepad.exe         - The program to be autorun (Put your
                                       program here)
  runparams=c:\autoexec.bat          - Any command line parameters to be 
                                       passed to you program
  splashtext=Loading, Please Wait... - The text to be displayed on the splash
                                       screen while loading
  splash=splash.bmp                  - A bitmap file to be displayed on the
                                       splash screen while loading. Change this
                                       to the name of the bitmap you want to 
                                       display and put the .BMP file in the 
                                       same directory as START.EXE/START.INI
  runonce=0                          - 1 = Only do the autorun the first time
                                       the media is inserted, 0 - do the autorun
                                       every time the media is inserted.


Testing your autorun setup
--------------------------
 It is easy to test your autorun setup before you commit it to CDROM
 using the SUBST command in Windows 95/98/NT. Simply put all of the 
 required files together in a directory (AUTORUN.INF,START.EXE,START.INI,
 your bitmap file and your icon file) and then from a DOS prompt simply
 type SUBST D: C:\TEMP\AUTORUN where D: is any free drive letter on your
 computer and C:\TEMP\AUTORUN is the path where your autorun files are 
 located. If all is correct Windows should recognise the new drive letter
 and read the AUTORUN.INF file from it. The START.EXE program should then
 be run (showing the Splash Bitmap and Splash Text you specified in START.INI
 in any) and the program you specified in START.INI should be launched.
 If not you should get an error indicating what is wrong.

 The Icon file you specified in AUTORUN.INF should be displayed when you
 use Windows Explorer to look at that drive (D:) and when you right click
 on the drive icon you should see the AutoPlay option in the popup menu.


Legal Information
-----------------

This software is released as Freeware. Please feel free to use it in any
way you find useful. No warranty as to the suitablility of this product
for any particular purpose is either expressed or implied. Although the
function of the software is harmless, No liability will be execpted for
any damage resulting from the use of this software.


This software is Copyright 1998 SoftOz Pty Ltd, Australia.

Feedback
--------

Please send requests, questions, comments and bug reports to softoz@softzoz.com.au
Note that while we will read all submitted questions and requests we may
not necessarily respond as the software is essentially provided as is with
no offical support.