
AVVIA v. 1.1 README
===================

A simple, small program that allows to make your auto-running CD-ROM in
Windows 9x/NT/2000.

The issue
---------

Almost all people know that CD-ROMs can be auto-run under Windows, just by
inserting it into the CD-ROM drive. It's easy: just insert in the file 
"autorun.inf" in the root directory of the CD-ROM a couple of istructions 
like these:

     [autorun]
     open=Program.Exe

Problems arise when one wants to make auto-running CD-ROMs that need to open
a "document", not just to launch an executable program. Writing something like:

     [autorun]
     open=document.html

hoping that a browser window will be automatically opened showing
"document.html" doesn't work, because the "standard" autorun mechanism is only
able to lanuch executables. If making auto-running CD-ROMs that work on Windows
9x only is enough, one can write:

     [autorun]
     open=start.exe document.html

but, unfortunately, this technique does NOT work under Windows NT (and under
Windows 2000 too, I guess), where the program START.EXE is not available.

Solution
--------

A solution that works with all 32-bit Windows versions is to use this small 
executable program, called AVVIA.EXE (AVVIA means START in Italian), to be put 
in the root directory of the CD-ROM; this program just "emulates" the behavior 
of Win95's START.EXE. In practice, just put in AUTORUN.INF something like this:

     [autorun]
     open=avvia.exe document.html

and everything runs smoothly, on both Windows 9x and NT; in other words, the
system browser will automatically be opened showing "document.html".

Download
--------

AVVIA.EXE and its source code are available for free at:

     http://www.l-d-x.com/avvia/

Improvements
------------

Always possible, always welcome: if anyone improves this small piece of software,
(s)he can contact me in order to make the improved version available on its web
page.

My mailbox: a.giove@mclink.it.

Aldo Giove
