---
title: "DisableAutoplay 1: turning off AutoPlay for drives and devices"
description: "AutoPlay offers or runs an action when you plug in a drive or insert a disc. What the tweak changes, when it helps, when it hurts and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-autoplay
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "Security"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# DisableAutoplay 1: turning off AutoPlay for drives and devices

**Short answer:** AutoPlay offers or runs an action when you plug in a drive or insert a disc. DisableAutoplay set to 1 turns it off for your account. In the registry it sets DisableAutoplay to 1 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers.

## In the app

- Switch: Disable AutoPlay (Security, Free, Standard)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1149

## What it does

AutoPlay offers or runs an action when you plug in a drive or insert a disc. DisableAutoplay set to 1 turns it off for your account.

In the app the switch is called "Disable AutoPlay", described there as: Stops drives and devices from launching anything on their own when plugged in.

## When it helps

- Security: nothing on a USB stick starts or prompts on its own.

## When it hurts

- You open drives yourself in File Explorer.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

Registry values:

| Key | Value | With the tweak | Switching it off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers` | `DisableAutoplay` | `1` | Your previous value (saved before the change, or deleted if there was none). Windows default: 0 |

Source: Tweaks/pack_extra.hpp in the app's source, app 2.0.0, checked 2026-10-08.

## The same change by hand

Run in a Command Prompt opened as administrator. Make a restore point first.

```bat
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers" /v "DisableAutoplay" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
```

Put it back:

```bat
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers" /v "DisableAutoplay" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
```

See what it is set to now:

```bat
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers" /v "DisableAutoplay"
```

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. The app saved what each value was before the change and writes exactly that back, or removes the value if it did not exist.

## Verdict

A sensible security default.

## Questions

### What does the "Disable AutoPlay" tweak change in Windows?

In the registry it sets DisableAutoplay to 1 under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers.

### What is the default value of DisableAutoplay?

The Windows default of DisableAutoplay is 0. Frozen Tweaks sets it to 1, and switching the tweak off puts back the value you had before.

### Is "Disable AutoPlay" safe to switch on?

A sensible security default. The main cost: You open drives yourself in File Explorer.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off puts back exactly what was there before, value for value.

### Is "Disable AutoPlay" free in Frozen Tweaks?

Yes. It is one of the free tweaks, with no time limit.

## Related guides

- [Is PC Optimization Software Safe? What to Check Before Installing](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/is-pc-optimization-software-safe)
- [Windows 11 Gaming Optimization: What Still Works in 2026](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/windows-11-gaming-optimization)

## More tweak explainers

- [Compatibility telemetry](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-compatibility-telemetry)
- [PowerShell and .NET telemetry](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/powershell-and-dotnet-telemetry-opt-out)
- [Office telemetry](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-office-telemetry)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/disable-autoplay