Windows Vista CD/DVD Optical Drive Auto Eject or Open Feature

When users select or click on an optical drive (including CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD RW) on Windows Vista, the drive tray will auto eject or open, and pop up an “Insert disc” dialog box to ask for a CD or DVD media to be placed into the drive.

Vista Optical Drive Insert Disc

This is a new convenient feature added in Vista, in addition of the previous operating system supported soft-eject option, where users right click on the icon or drive letter of an CD/DVD optical drive and then select “Eject” from the right click context menu does still work.

However, not all optical drive supports auto eject function and capability. If your optical drive doesn’t automatically open and eject when selected, check if it fulfills the characteristics and requirements for the automatic opening and ejecting of disk drive tray in Vista. Here’s the secret about auto eject feature in Vista:

  • The automatic ejecting of CD or DVD drive tray works only in Vista system. It is not included as part of Windows XP.
  • Only DVD RW drive will auto eject and open when clicked on its icon. DVD-ROM drive won’t has the effect.
  • The automatic ejecting will only happen if there is no disc been inserted. If there is already a CD or DVD disc inside the optical drive, double click on the drive will get Vista will auto play the disc to run or play its content, and not eject it.
  • If the disc inside the optical drive is a normal data CD/DVD without autorun.inf which instructs Vista to autoplay, selecting the drive will open Windows Explorer in the optical drive’s folder and lists its files and folders.

Thus, Vista will only open your CD-RW and DVD RW drive automatically if there is no disc been inserted yet. If you want to disable this feature, there is a trick to disable or turn off Windows Vista auto eject function, by disabling Windows Vista built-in CD/DVD burning feature, which does not affect ability to burn disc using third party program or burning engine.


This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 3:32 am and is filed under Windows Vista. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

6 Responses to “Windows Vista CD/DVD Optical Drive Auto Eject or Open Feature”

  1. Peter
    May 1st, 2009 17:30
    6

    Windows ME didn’t have this stupid thing? Ok, then that makes it a better O/S than Vista.

  2. admin
    March 29th, 2008 22:53
    5

    It’s possible to disable:

    http://www.tipandtrick.net/2008/how-to-disable-windows-vista-cd-or-dvd-drive-auto-eject-or-open-feature/

  3. How to Disable Windows Vista CD or DVD Drive Auto Eject or Open Feature » Tip and Trick
    March 29th, 2008 13:36
    4

    [...] you read the secret on Windows Vista CD/DVD optical drive auto eject or open feature, you will notice that the auto eject or auto open feature only works on CD or DVD writer, i.e CD-RW [...]

  4. Jack
    March 7th, 2008 02:39
    3

    I agree, this is one of the most insane annoying bug-as-a-feature Microsoft has come up with yet. Now, instead of clicking a device to see if there is a disk in the drive, I get the tray ejecting straight into the case door. There needs to be some way to disable this bug!

  5. Deadmead
    March 2nd, 2008 04:15
    2

    this isn’t a feature it’s a damn BUG…
    how do I disable this thing?

  6. Birkoff
    February 20th, 2008 22:52
    1

    Finally there is a website publishing some information about this. Allthough the feature is great for the majority of users I myself find it to be really annoying.

    As a power user i use the explorer alot and when i accidentaly click the dvd drive instead of the local disk which is right above it my tray opens.

    I don’t want that! i just clicked the wrong item in explorer.

    To make things worse, my computer case has a door in fornt of the drives so everytime me tray bumps to the door. I have to open the door, let the tray eject. Push the eject button on the drive to let the tray go back. close the door.

    I wish there is some registry hack so i can disable this “feature”….

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