Changing Behavior for Audio CDs

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 10, 2021)

Whenever Jerry inserts an audio CD into his PC, Windows automatically starts to play the CD using Windows Media Player. This bugs Jerry, as he doesn't always want to play whatever CD he inserts. Many times he wants to perform some other action, such as treating the audio CD as data. Jerry wonders if there is a way to stop Windows from always trying to play his CDs when he inserts them.

Actually, Windows makes it rather easy to modify what happens when it detects a new audio CD being inserted in your system. Just follow these general steps:

  1. Display the Control Panel.
  2. Click the Hardware and Sound link.
  3. Click the AutoPlay link.
  4. Scroll down a bit until you see the CDs area. (See Figure 1.)

    5. Figure 1. The AutoPlay area of the Control Panel.

  5. Using the drop-down list to the right of the Audio CD label, choose what you want Windows to do when it detects an audio CD. (Jerry will probably want to select either Take No Action or Ask Me Every Time.)
  6. Click Save.
  7. Close the Control Panel.

That's it. The next time you insert an audio CD into your system, Windows will take whatever action you specified in step 5.

 This tip (12242) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Using the Mouse to Adjust Your View of 3-D Graphs

Want to adjust the perspective from which your 3-D graph is viewed? Excel allows you to use the mouse to rotate the graph ...

Discover More

Absolutely Positioning a Graphic

Want a graphic to appear at a precise place on the page? It's easy to gain control by following the steps in this tip.

Discover More

Return Address Isn't Saved

When printing envelopes, Word allows you to specify a return address to use on those envelopes. If you are frustrated ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Customizing What Appears on the Right Side of the Start Menu

You're probably used to seeing your Start menu appear a certain way. But is it the most effective display for how you ...

Discover More

Changing the Size of Start Screen Tiles

The Start screen can serve as your launching pad for whatever programs you use on your system. If your Start screen ...

Discover More

Improve Performance by Turning Off 3D Effects

Windows does a lot of nuancing to provide the user with a pleasing visual experience. All this attention to detail, ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 7 - 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.