Author Topic: Autorun help  (Read 1113 times)

Offline Susan41

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Autorun help
« on: Tuesday 05 June 07 23:08 BST (UK) »
Hello,

I have purchased a number of great parish register CDs that have an autorun feature.  These CDs bring up a window/image with the group's logo, title of the collection and buttons to proceed, exit, etc.   I am anxious to learn how to create a CD with this autorun capability.

My genealogy society has a project to make digital images of very early area newspapers and put them on a CD to sell.  Since I will be making the CDs I would appreciate any help in learning how to create this autorun inf file and how to create the initial image/window with the logo and options.

Thanks,
Susan
Russell in London,
Gladwin in Beeston, Bradford, W. Yorkshire,
Rosser in London and Glamorganshire,
Goddard in Bishopstone, N. Wiltshire
Sandiford in London area circa 1770
Smirk(e) in London
Stradling in Glamorganshire
Mansel or Mansell in Glamorganshire
Carne in Glamorganshire

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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 05 June 07 23:16 BST (UK) »
Have a read at
http://www.wizbit.net/business_card_cd_creating_autorun_file.htm

which explains how to execute a basic autorun feature

Offline downside

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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 05 June 07 23:43 BST (UK) »
In terms of how you display the images once the autorun.inf has loaded you initial file e.g. index.htm, then you could create an HTML document using NotePad.  Your index.htm file would be a long list of the images with hyperlinks and when a user clicks on the link it will open the image.

<html>
<title> Paish Register Index</title>
<body>
Parish X birth register 1801-1901 Page 1 <img src="image001.jpg"><br />
... loads of entries etc
</body>
</html>

You would initially write the index.htm file on your PC and then when everything has been tested write the index.htm file to a writeable CD and put all the images on there too.
Sussex: Floate, West
Kent: Tuffee
Cheshire: Gradwell
Lancashire: Gradwell

UK Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Susan41

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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 06 June 07 05:19 BST (UK) »
Thank you Falkyrn and downside,

I think I understand now that autorun is not difficult to create, but creating a file for autorun to open is another matter.  It looks like I have 2 choices -- to have a programmer write an EXE file for me  OR  make a webpage and have the autorun inf open the webpage, which is something I can do.

It looks like this autorun feature only works with a windows operating system.  Is there anything similar for a Mac? 

Thank you both for your help.

Susan
Russell in London,
Gladwin in Beeston, Bradford, W. Yorkshire,
Rosser in London and Glamorganshire,
Goddard in Bishopstone, N. Wiltshire
Sandiford in London area circa 1770
Smirk(e) in London
Stradling in Glamorganshire
Mansel or Mansell in Glamorganshire
Carne in Glamorganshire


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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 06 June 07 07:20 BST (UK) »
http://www.keiserphoto.com/resources/cdauto.htm

explains how to create an autostart cd on a Mac which it would appear is done at the burning stage of the CD through the creation software ... in this example they use "Toast"

Offline downside

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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 06 June 07 13:00 BST (UK) »
To be honest I would just create the whole thing in HTML.

All operating systems would be able to open it (including Linux).  Make it as simple as possible, which means don't use CSS or Javascript if you can help it.

Just put a label of the CD case telling the user to click on index.htm to launch the program.

For instance if I put a data CD in my CD drive on a Linux system it launches Konqueror, which is the equivalent of Windows Explorer on Linux.  I presume the same would happen on a Mac - some kind of default system browser would open and then they would simply double click index.htm.

Sussex: Floate, West
Kent: Tuffee
Cheshire: Gradwell
Lancashire: Gradwell

UK Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

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Re: Autorun help
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 06 June 07 18:44 BST (UK) »
Given that this is likely to be a commercial venture for the society the two methods outlined in the articles concerned would be the absolute basic you should consider, especially if you wish to project a professional image.

Although the society is possibly trying to incur the minimum of costs it may be worthwhile in the long run if more of such ventures are to be considered investing in some appropriate software for creation of such discs.