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Recently something in Windows 7 has changed such that the default action for removable drives has become Install or run program from your media instead of Open.

I checked the AutoPlay control panel applet and everything is set to Take no action (in fact, the master check-box Use AutoPlay for all media and devices is cleared as well).

I also searched through the CLSID key in the register and could not find it in any of the Shell keys, so I figure it must be in one of the ShellEx keys.

Finally, I searched for information on this, but found nothing on how to disable (or better yet, remove) that option and revert the default action to Open.

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Just delete this registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers

This will reset all Autoplay settings for all media. You should now be able to change the settings. The dialog control panel / Default Programs should create a new key. (So it's safe to delete that key.)

Please note that administrators can create policies which deactivate Autolplay. If you are using the Professional/Ultimate/Enterprsie-Edtion of Windows and your are a administrator, you should also check the Local Policies:

Autploay Group Policy

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I can’t test this right now because I’m not experiencing the problem anymore for some reason (that registry branch is present). Either way, I don’t think it’s an Autoplay issue, or at least should not need to use a scorched-Earth fix like that. I just need to figure out where that string is coming from. – Synetech Oct 15 '11 at 21:15
I'm sure that your problem is a result of a broken AutoPlay-Key. Please delete that key and let Windows create a new one, before trying other solutions. You will never find the string because it's part of the Shell32.dll and not of the registry. – DiableNoir Oct 16 '11 at 16:13
Except that I don’t have the problem right now. It comes and goes for some unknown reason. Again, I don’t believe it has anything to do with Autoplay; it is an incorrect handler. It doesn’t matter if the string is a resource in shell32.dll, there should still be some kind of connection in the registry (eg, a shellex key that points to shell32.dll). – Synetech Oct 16 '11 at 17:58
I think the key already contains the connection to the shell32.dll and Windows Explorer. It defines for all storage types the values MSOpenFolder, MSAutorun,... But, every program is can edit this values because the key is saved under HKEY_CURRENT_USER. I think there is a application on your computer which chances this settings. – DiableNoir Oct 17 '11 at 13:15
Okay, I just got it again today with a new device (which makes me suspect that it is a default setting with new devices and does not happen once you set the action for devices that Windows has seen before). Any, I tried your suggestions, but they did not work. :-( – Synetech Dec 10 '11 at 23:36
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