Custom AutoPlay Documentation

Administrator access required. This program modifies the Windows Registry and must be run as Administrator. A restore point is created automatically before any changes.

import os
import time
import ctypes       # used to call Windows API functions (like admin check)
import sys
import winreg       # used to read/write Windows Registry
import subprocess   # used to run external programs (the .bat file)

# ===== ADMIN CHECK =====
def is_admin():
    try:
        return ctypes.windll.shell32.IsUserAnAdmin()  # asks Windows if current user is admin
    except:
        return False

if not is_admin():
    # if not admin, re-launches the script with "runas" = triggers UAC prompt
    ctypes.windll.shell32.ShellExecuteW(
        None, "runas", sys.executable, " ".join(sys.argv), None, 1
    )
    sys.exit()  # closes the non-admin instance

# ===== INTRO =====
input("...Press ENTER to continue...")  # pauses until user presses Enter

os.system("cls")  # clears the terminal

# ===== QUESTIONS =====
AppName = input("What is the name of the app...")   # e.g. "VLC"
Action  = input("What is the name of the action...") # e.g. "Open with VLC"
Path    = input("Where is the app stored?...")       # e.g. "C:/Program Files/VLC/vlc.exe"

def reg_escape(path):
    return path.replace("/", "\\")  # converts forward slashes to backslashes for registry compatibility

EscapedPath = reg_escape(Path)  # stores the corrected path

# ===== WRITE REGISTRY =====

# creates HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VLC.AutoPlay and sets its default value
with winreg.CreateKey(winreg.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, f"{AppName}.AutoPlay") as key:
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, f"{AppName} AutoPlay")

# creates the \shell subkey and sets default to "open"
with winreg.CreateKey(winreg.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, f"{AppName}.AutoPlay\\shell") as key:
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, "open")

# creates \shell\open\command — tells Windows what to actually run when AutoPlay fires
# "%1" = the drive path passed by Windows (e.g. D:\)
with winreg.CreateKey(winreg.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, f"{AppName}.AutoPlay\\shell\\open\\command") as key:
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, f'"{EscapedPath}" "%1"')

# opens the PlayDVDMovieOnArrival event handler list and registers the new handler name
play_dvd_key_path = r"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\EventHandlers\PlayDVDMovieOnArrival"
with winreg.OpenKey(winreg.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, play_dvd_key_path, 0, winreg.KEY_SET_VALUE) as key:
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, f"{AppName}Handler", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, "")  # registers e.g. "VLCHandler" as an empty string value

# creates the handler's own key under Handlers\ and fills in its 5 required values
handlers_key_path = r"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers\Handlers"
with winreg.CreateKey(winreg.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, f"{handlers_key_path}\\{AppName}Handler") as key:
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "Action",      0, winreg.REG_SZ, Action)               # the label shown in AutoPlay dialog
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "DefaultIcon", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, f"{EscapedPath},0")   # icon shown next to the action (,0 = first icon in the exe)
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "InvokeProgID",0, winreg.REG_SZ, f"{AppName}.AutoPlay")# links back to the HKCR key we created above
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "InvokeVerb",  0, winreg.REG_SZ, "open")               # the verb to invoke (matches \shell\open)
    winreg.SetValueEx(key, "Provider",    0, winreg.REG_SZ, AppName)              # the app name shown as provider in dialog

# runs rexplorer.bat — restarts explorer.exe so the new AutoPlay entry loads without a full reboot
subprocess.call(bat_file)