Windows 9x/ME and Windows NT based systems behave differently in their start procedure. Under Windows 9x/ME virtual CDs are read before the Autorun function is available. In contrast, Windows NT-based systems read the virtual CDs after the login procedure (when the Autorun function has already been initialized).

You can disable the autorun feature with 3rd party tools such as Microsoft's TweakUI. You can also manually change the responsible registry value

• for Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CDRom: set the Autorun key to 0.
• for Windows 98/ME in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\SCSI\: go to the key of the drive which you want to stop autoplay and open the subkey ("Root..."), then double-click the string "AutoInsertNotification" and set the value to 00 (zero). 

A reboot is necessary to activate these changes.

In order to prevent the autorun of virtual CDs and still keep the autorun for physical CDs, Windows NT/2000 offers the possibility of creating a definitions file for the CD (using an editor), deleting the AUTORUN.INF file, and then creating a virtual CD. (IMPORTANT: The size of the Virtual CD v3 is limited to 650 MB!) If particular virtual CDs are to be automatically started, you can define that particular start application in the container specifications.
Windows XP offers the possibility to change the autorun behavior for each CD-ROM drive and each CD type separately in its properties dialog (see also TIP 3).

TIP 1:
As an alternative, you can prevent the autorun of virtual CDs during the active autorun by removing the command "open=autorun.exe" from the AUTORUN.INF. Advantage: When an icon is located in the AUTORUN.INF ("icon=autorun.exe,0"), it will be displayed in the Explorer. Disadvantage: After the insertion of the virtual CD an Explorer window will open, showing the contents of he CD. If you delete the AUTORUN.INF completely, no icon will be displayed, but as well no Explorer window will be opened.

TIP 2:
You can prevent the autorun insertion of a CD (physical or virtual) by pressing the SHIFT-key when inserting the CD.

With Virtual CD v5 and higher you can suppress auto run for each virtual CD by checking the box "Suppress Autorun when the virtual CD is inserted" in the Image File Properties. This corresponds to the held SHIFT-key while inserting a CD. (see above).

If this doesn't always work, please increase the registry value "Wait" in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\H+H Software GmbH\Virtual CD 5\VC5Play\Settings (default is 2000 = 2 seconds). The corresponing key for Virtual CD v6 ist ...\Virtual CD 6\VC6Play\Settings etc.

TIP 3:
With TweakUI for Windows XP you can deactivate autoplay for each CD drive (e.g. all virtual CD drives) separately.
Hint: If autoplay for a CD drive is deactivated, Windows Explorer can not show the CD label of the inserted CD.

TIP 4:
Microsoft recommends to turn off the automatic playing of CD-ROMs by using the Group Policy "Disable Autoplay" (not possible within "Home" versions of Windows XP an Vista).

If you want to turn off the automatic playing of CD-ROMs "manually", first make sure that the patch of MS KB967715 is installed.

• Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER.
  
  Windows XP only:
• Locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
• Create a DWORD Value named HonorAutorunSetting, Value data: 1
  
  Windows XP and Vista:
• Locate and then click the following registry key:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
• Create a new key named Explorer(only if this key does not exist)
• Create a DWORD Value named NoDriveTypeAutoRun, Value data: 0xFF

At the next logon autorrun and autoplay are deactivated