Compact AutoRunner is a classic, lightweight utility designed by Carroll Dearstone that allows you to easily create and deploy a simple, no-frills autorun menu on media like CDs and DVDs. It is highly regarded by users because the main executable file size is incredibly small, leaving maximum space available for your actual media files.
Because it does not rely on heavy frameworks like .NET or VB runtimes, the generated menu remains universally compatible across different Windows devices without forcing the end-user to install background dependencies. Key Product Review Features
No Programming Knowledge Needed: Instead of coding complex layouts from scratch, it handles the generation of form shapes, sizes, and item positioning natively.
Built-in Configuration Builder: Includes a graphical tool to quickly map out buttons, target links, and actions.
Raw Customization: Advanced users can completely bypass the GUI and build or tweak menus using any plain text editor.
Minimalistic Resource Footprint: Does not consume unnecessary system memory or require system installations. Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Setting up a portable menu with Compact AutoRunner requires organizing your target files and configuring the layout properly. 1. Gather Your Root Assets
Before opening the tool, create a dedicated project folder on your computer. Put all the files you want to write to your CD/DVD (such as PDFs, setup installers, videos, or documents) inside this folder. 2. Design the Interface
Launch Compact AutoRunner to define how your splash page or target applications behave:
Use the Configuration Builder to set the layout window size, background color, and button placements.
Create custom action buttons and link them to your specific root assets (e.g., configuring a button to open a user guide or launch an .exe file).
Provide startup arguments if your execution scripts require them. 3. Edit via Text (Alternative Method)
If you prefer a manual approach, you can extract the setup assets and manage the configuration natively:
Locate the template file named cuscd.acd inside the folder directory. Open it with Notepad or another text editor.
Adjust spacing, text titles, and insert direct command lines following the sample layout syntax. 4. Compile and Burn
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