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Here are instrucitions on how to disable Windows XP's built-in burning capability.
Why would you want to do that, you may ask?
Well, if you're not actually using Window's built-in burning capability (who does ???), there's no reason to leave it enabled. On the other hand, it sometimes interferes with other burning software (notably packet writing programs such as InCD, DirectCD etc.)


FIRST STEP: Remove CD Burning features

1. Click Start -> Run, type gpedit.msc and click OK.

2. Expand User Configuration (if it isn't already expanded).

3. Double-click Administrative Templates.

4. Double-click Windows Components.

5. Double-click Windows Explorer.

6. Scroll down the list of items in the right-hand side pane and find Remove CD Burning features. Double-click it (or highlight it and select Properties) to open the Remove CD Burning features Properties window.

7. Select Enabled and click OK.

note: once you've done this, the Recording tab in the Properties window of the CD/DVD burners will no longer be available.


SECOND STEP: Disable the IMAPI sercvice

1. Click Start -> Run, type services.msc and click OK.
Alternatively: go to the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools and then Services.
or: open the Computer Management applet by right-clicking the My Computer icon on the desktop and selecting Manage, expand Services and Applications (if it isn't already expanded) and double-click Services.

2. Scroll down the list of services in the right-hand side pane and find IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service. Double-click it (or highlight it and select Properties) to open the IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service Properties window.

3. Make sure Service status is Stopped. If it isn't stop it with the Stop button.

4. In the Startup type pull-down menu, select Disabled.


relevant topics:
why does computer freeze when i insert a CD

by the way, anyone running XP Home?
are these instructions the same for XP Home?
(does XP Home even have the CD burning engine?)

dodecahedron wrote:by the way, anyone running XP Home?
are these instructions the same for XP Home?
(does XP Home even have the CD burning engine?)

Yes, XP Home does have the CD burning engine, but the instructions to disable it are slightly different. Here are the instructions.

1. Double-click on "My Computer" or open Windows Explorer.

2. Right-click on the CD-RW drive icon and click "Properties".

3. Click on the "Recording" tab.

4. Un-check the "Enable CD recording on this drive" checkbox.

5. Click "OK".

CDRecorder's method works in XP Pro as well. Just FYI.

bump!
earlier today i updated this FAQ to include instructions on how to disable the IMPAI service.
also cleanup up the topic, and want to continue with that, so:
can anyone with Windows XP Home tell me if these instructions work for Home too? is there a Group Policy applet (the gpedit.msc thingy) in Windows XP Home as well ? is there a Computer Management (the compmgmt.msc thing) too ?
TIA

Group policies are not available under XP-Home, so gpedit.msc won't be there. The management console (compmgmt.msc) is present.

But CDRecorder's solution is really the simplest way to go- that's how I disable this option.

I don't know why you want to disable IMAPI right down to the guts of the system (well actually, I can guess - it's easier not to wake sleeping dogs if there aren't any around to begin with). On my PC's at home and at work, I just disabled it manually for all my optical drives- and it never shows up.

As to the service: this is started "manually" on my rig, meaning "as needed"- so if it's never needed, it won't be started.

And the easiest way to configure (or disable) "autoplay" for individual drives is to use Teak UI- option "My Computer | AutoPlay | Drives" or Types.

G

MediumRare wrote:Group policies are not available under XP-Home, so gpedit.msc won't be there. The management console (compmgmt.msc) is present.

do you know of another way to completely get rid of the Recording tab ?

MediumRare wrote:I don't know why you want to disable IMAPI right down to the guts of the system (well actually, I can guess - it's easier not to wake sleeping dogs if there aren't any around to begin with). On my PC's at home and at work, I just disabled it manually for all my optical drives- and it never shows up.

how do you mean "disable it manually for all my optical drives" ?
do you mean unchecking the checkbox in the Recording tab of the drives? is that what this does - disable IMAPI for that particular drive ?

MediumRare wrote:As to the service: this is started "manually" on my rig, meaning "as needed"- so if it's never needed, it won't be started.

you mean the Startup type pull-down option is Manual ? why ? why not simply disable it ?

dodecahedron wrote:do you mean unchecking the checkbox in the Recording tab of the drives? is that what this does - disable IMAPI for that particular drive ?

Yes to first part, "as far as I can tell, yes" so the second part.

dodecahedron wrote:you mean the Startup type pull-down option is Manual ? why ? why not simply disable it ?

I didn't even look at the services until I read your revision of the FAQ. The installation default seems to be "Manual" and it never kicked in after I "unchecked the checkbox". So basically, I didn't know the setting existed- otherwise I probably would have disabled it.

G