Guidance on Disabling Autoplay when Connecting USB, External Drives

Autoplay is a Windows feature that automatically runs installation programs when you connect USB devices or new hard drives to your computer. This Autoplay function can also be a source of spreading malware or viruses from USB to your computer without your knowledge. In this article, I'll introduce you to a simple and quick method to disable Autoplay.

Method 1

Step 1: Select Start -> Run (Windows + R), then type gpedit.msc, and select OK (or press Enter).

Step 2: In the Local Group Policy Editor dialog, navigate to Turn off Autoplay under User Configuration\Administrative Templates\All Settings\Turn off Autoplay.

Step 3: Double-click the Turn off Autoplay dialog. In this dialog, check the Enabled box and select All drives under Turn off Autoplay on.

Then click OK to finish.

Method 2

Step 1: Go to Start -> Control Panel.

Step 2: Locate the Autoplay feature, double-click on Autoplay.

Step 3: In the Autoplay window, uncheck the Use Autoplay for all media and devices option, then click Save.

With the two methods to disable Autoplay mentioned above, you can easily turn off Autoplay to ensure the safety of your computer.