When you insert a software CD/DVD with autorun commands stored in autorun.inf file, Windows executes the instructions in autorun.inf. This poses a great security risk. There are viruses which make use of this default Windows behaviour to infect your computer. You can disable auto-running of the instructions stored in autorun.inf by using a local system policy. This is how :
- Press the key combination Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type gpedit.msc in the Run dialog and press Enter. This would start the Local Group Policy Editor.
- In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to User Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Explorer as shown
- Scroll down the list on the right side pane and find Default behavior for AutoRun.
- Double-click on Default behavior for AutoRun and choose Enabled.
- From the drop down list choose Do not execute any autorun commands as shown
- Click OK to save the settings.