Member Avatar for jennelle

When I insert my memory stick into my Sony Vaio, it used to open up the Wizard to automatically download my digital pictures. Actually, it opened the window that said "Choose an Action". Now it doesn't do that anymore. I've already gone into My Computer and right clicked into Properties, and tried to restore default to "Choose an Action," but it still doesn't work. Does anyone know what's wrong?

I don't want to manually transfer the files because I liked the fact that the Wizard allowed me to title my pictures. Help!

  • 2 Contributors
  • 2 Replies
  • 185 Views
  • 11 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

Generated

nailed the quick fix by running Microsoft's AutoPlay troubleshooter — that often restores the default "Choose an action / Import pictures" behavior — but if it comes back or doesn't work on another machine, use the checklist below (version-aware, safe steps you can follow immediately). Thanks also to for posting the follow-up.

  1. Check the AutoPlay UI first — Windows 10/11: Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > AutoPlay; older Windows: Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > AutoPlay. Make sure AutoPlay is turned on and set Removable drive / Memory card to “Ask me every time” or “Import pictures and videos” as needed. (support.microsoft.com)

  2. Confirm the detection service is running: open services.msc, find Shell Hardware Detection (ShellHWDetection), set Startup type to Automatic and start it if stopped. AutoPlay relies on this service. (learn.microsoft.com)

  3. Policy/registry can silently disable AutoPlay. If the machine is domain-joined or you ran tweaks, check gpedit.msc → Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → AutoPlay Policies (or inspect NoDriveTypeAutoRun in the registry). Group Policy values will override the UI. (learn.microsoft.com)

  4. If AutoPlay works for some devices but not that Memory Stick, Windows may be using a cached per‑device AutoPlay entry. Back up the registry, then remove the device key under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2 to force Windows to re-detect the device (careful: registry edits can break things). CERT and Microsoft guidance describe this cache behavior. (kb.cert.org)

  5. About importing/titling pictures: the “Import pictures and videos” wizard is the behavior for cameras/memory cards and exposes import settings (naming/tagging). If your card is presented as a generic removable drive (card reader mode) you may see a different set of AutoPlay options — switching device mode or using the Import option from Explorer can restore the wizard experience. (learn.microsoft.com)

Caution: some security/AV tools or recent updates intentionally disable AutoPlay for safety; re-enabling AutoPlay increases exposure to autorun-style malware unless you only insert trusted media. When using any automated Microsoft fix, download it from Microsoft Support only.

Recommended Answers

All 2 Replies

Member Avatar for jennelle

When I insert my memory stick into my Sony Vaio, it used to open up the Wizard to automatically download my digital pictures. Actually, it opened the window that said "Choose an Action". Now it doesn't do that anymore. I've already gone into My Computer and right clicked into Properties, and tried to restore default to "Choose an Action," but it still doesn't work. Does anyone know what's wrong?

I don't want to manually transfer the files because I liked the fact that the Wizard allowed me to title my pictures. Help!

:cheesy:

I just found fixed the problem, so thanks to those who read my post. I found it on the site http://forum.gladiator-antivirus.com/ . I downloaded a fix from the Microsoft site and it immediately fixed my problem. Thanks anyway.

Just google autofix.exe and it will be the first link. Hope this helps others.

Member Avatar for caperjack

:cheesy:

I just found fixed the problem, so thanks to those who read my post. I found it on the site http://forum.gladiator-antivirus.com/ . I downloaded a fix from the Microsoft site and it immediately fixed my problem. Thanks anyway.

Just google autofix.exe and it will be the first link. Hope this helps others.

Thank you for posting back with the fix ,It may help someone in the future.:)

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.