And when I right click on them, the run option is ominously missing. To run setup programs etc I have to go on to the disc and open them manually. I could google this, or I could be lazy and ask. Anyone got any ideas?

My suggestion is the same as every problem: HIT IT WITH A WRENCH!
Although in this case I'm not sure what to hit- your PC or the disks. Go with both to be on the safe side.

Okay, googling wasn't too helpful. In need of more suggestions before I get the rage wrench out.

No no no, not the rage wrench. Try the Golden Wrench!

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\cdrom\AutoRun

Try setting this to 0x00000001 (which is hex for 1 )

There is no 'AutoRun' under cdrom.

Try adding it then

Note: AutoRun is a key entry not a directory, just for clarification purposes.

Ah found it, it's already set to what you told me to set it to.

You on Windows 7?

You can search "autorun" in the start menu and it will take you to the autorun control panel settings where you can configure a bunch of stuff and probably restore default settings.

I'm on XP at the moment so I'm being a bit vague, lol, though I hope this helps.

There's a check box to 'Use AutoPlay for all media and devices.' and it's already ticked. I hit the 'Reset all defaults' button which changed everything in the window to for AutoRun settings to 'Choose a default', however this has not caused Autorun to start working. As I said in my first post, it's not even in the right-click context menu for when I right-click on the drive in Computer when it has a disc in.

I have no idea what I may have done to break this, I've only noticed that it's not working recently.

I am wondering if this issue is possibly connected to Windows update no longer working (couldn't download updates, and now cannot search for them (error code 8024402F, which wasn't helpful, and 8024402C for a Windows Defender update I couldn't download, but that's vanished now replaced with 'check for updates' which gives the 8024402F error.).

Is the right click option not there just when a disc is in the drive or also when nothing is in the drive?

It is not there for either scenario.

Re-install Windows perhaps?

Not again, I did it fairly recently already, I'd rather fix it without resorting to that.

Have you got something like a virtual CD drive appearing? Like from PowerISO or something?

Sometimes that can screw up your real drive appearing properly to windows

I do have a virtual disc drive created by Alcohol 52%, however this one also seems to lack AutoRun. Disc images I mount do not autorun, and AutoRun is missing from the right-click context menu.

http://www.mydigitallife.info/2010/08/1 ... nd-pop-up/

Is Shell Hardware Detection running?

virus scan? maybe a malicious virus detirmined to supress all autoruns worldwide?

It is currently running and set to start automatically.

However, the article has pointed toward Vmware as being a potential culprit. I am looking in to it.

It was VMware. It had subtly disabled 'AutoRun on host' or something like that. Had to restart the computer once I'd unchecked the box for it to take effect. Problem solved. Thanks for the link, Si.

Now, anyone got any ideas why Windows Update doesn't work?

Install Gentoo.

I don't think that will make Windows Update work

Is your system clock right? That is a requirement for WU.

The computer is set to synchronise with time.windows.com.

Also I cannot access download.microsoft.com

Firefox says 'Server not found'.

I am thinking that this is connected to the Windows Updating issue.

EDIT:

Did a tracert for download.microsoft.com:

Unable to resolve target system name download.micorosoft.com


Just pinging and doing the same for an IP Si has given me.

EDIT2:

Now using Google DNS. The issue remains the same. I still cannot access download.microsoft.com or update Windows.

Turned off Windows Firewall but still cannot access download.microsoft.com nor Windows Update. My brother's PC can, along with other PCs in the house.