R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
|  Autorun.inf programing
I want to write a program/script that copies that contents of a Flash Drive to a specific folder on the hard drive as soon as the Flash drive is inserted.
I have the tools to create the autorun.inf file, but I need to make sure that the file designed to run on insertion copies the contents like I want.
For example, can I use CMD file to do this? If so, how do I have it figure out the drive letter of the Flash drive?
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks. |
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GILXA1226
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-29
London, OH
clubs:
| said by R2  :I want to write a program/script that copies that contents of a Flash Drive to a specific folder on the hard drive as soon as the Flash drive is inserted. I have the tools to create the autorun.inf file, but I need to make sure that the file designed to run on insertion copies the contents like I want. For example, can I use CMD file to do this? If so, how do I have it figure out the drive letter of the Flash drive? Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks. My first thought would be to find a CD that had an autorun.inf file on it and use that as a base. |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
4 edits | I can write the autorun file and I can tell it WHAT to run -- I just need to make sure that the file I tell it to run will actually COPY the flash drives contents to a folder on the hard drive. I don't think many CD's do that...
Something as simple as:
BUT... that will fail because the Flash drive will NOT always be the D: drive. I need to be able to say "copy THIS drive to a folder on the C: drive."
I want this to work on multiple computers. |
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jayco437
Premium
join:2001-08-11
Lincoln, NE
 ·Windstream
| Have looked at something like this:
»autorun.moonvalley.com/relative_···aths.htm
Put everything in a folder on the stick, and try using a relative path, such as .\MyUSBFolder\ |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
3 edits | That looks very promising - thanks. I believe I can use wildcards (*) also. I will give it a try. Thanks.
_________
And do I want xcopy? I'll check it out.
_______________
Forgive my ignorance. I tried this - and it works - sort of:
But I get hit with this:
How do avoid that message? ANSWER - add a backslash at the end!!
And it looks like I need to use short file names, correct? |
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cowboyro
join:2000-10-11
Shelton, CT
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·Comcast
 ·Optimum Voice
| reply to R2
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
2 edits | Thanks. I'll give that a try!
_________________
Let me make sure I got that - is "folder\subfolder" correct? I just want to copy the entire contents of the flash drive. |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs: | reply to cowboyro
I get this as the result:
F:\>xcopy "F: \" "c:\temp " /I /S
Invalid path
0 File(s) copied |
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cowboyro
join:2000-10-11
Shelton, CT
·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
·Optimum Voice
| reply to R2
said by R2 :Thanks. I'll give that a try! _________________ Let me make sure I got that - is "folder\subfolder" correct? I just want to copy the entire contents of the flash drive. Then use xcopy "%curdrive%\" "c:\temp" /i /s
does your C:\temp path exist??? |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
2 edits | No, and I don't really want that to be the path -- I was using that as a test folder.
Shouldn't xcopy create the folder if it doesn't exist? It did with my first trial.
_________________
Hmmm... it does not work like this:
xcopy "%curdrive%\" c:\temp /i /s
But it does seem to work like this:
xcopy *.* "c:\temp" /i /s
It does not appear that I need to figure out the current drive??
______________________
Ahhh.... I think the problem is the backslash! It DOES work like this:
xcopy "%curdrive%" c:\temp /i /s
... But I think I need to add the "/y" to avoid it asking about over-writing. |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
| OK, I have the 'script' part working well - using the 8.3 naming system I can have the entire contents of the flash drive copied to exactly where I want.
Now the next problem...
Flash Drives do not work like CD's. That is, they do not "autorun" normally. So, when the drive is inserted, instead of "autorunning", the Autoplay dialog box pops up instead.
Now, I can use the "ACTION" line in the autorun.inf file, but that only allows me to make the "copy" command the first item in the list (see image above) -- it does not cause it to "AutoRun".
How do I tell Windows to "AutoRun" a flash drive?? Is this possible? Thanks |
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Jigglyware
Gelatin based computing
join:2006-01-09
Kenosha, WI
·AT&T Yahoo
| Not that I'm accusing you of anything per se, but the kind of behavior you wish to implement is very virus like, and was the reason the autoplay dialog was implemented. I sure know that I'd be very suspicious if a flash drive tried to execute something without my consent. |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs: | I understand, but that is *exactly* what CD drives can do... If you are concerned about that, you should disable AutoRun for CD drives. |
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Jigglyware
Gelatin based computing
join:2006-01-09
Kenosha, WI
·AT&T Yahoo
| Oh, of course. But the problem is that CD(and DVD)-ROMS are typically read-only, and can't get rewritten my a virus. However, removable drive are usually writable, and can be infected by an autorun.inf virus. Because of that, Microsoft changed the autorun handler behavior for removable drives and cause it to bring up the dialog you posted. You can change it(I forget how exactly) but it involves messing around in the OS. Not exactly convenient. |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
| Correct, but if we look at it from a paranoid perspective, you realize CD-R and DVD-R discs are just as dangerous as removable drives, and if the disc is not labelled -- or labelled erroneously (maliciously or not) -- the risk is the exactly same. As best I know you cannot look at a physical disc and know if it is CD-R or ROM - you have to trust the label. So perhaps you should not feel so comfortable about putting *any* disc in your computer - unless you made it yourself.
Mess around the OS is exactly what I would like to do. |
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PapaDos
Cum Grano Salis
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-08
Lasalle, QC
2 edits | DELETED
Oups ! I misread your intent.
--
Festina Lente |
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R2
R Not
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-18
Long Beach, CA
clubs:
1 edit | reply to R2
FYI - the answer to this appears to be:
Format part of the Flash drive in "CDFS" (CD file system). This makes the OS believe the drive is a CD. This allows it to use "AutoRun".
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Add: the only way I could find to do this is to use Linux and mkisofs.exe. It seems you need to make an .iso of the files you want on the CD partition and then get that on to the Flash drive. |
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