Autoplay: Placing a icon of the inserted device on the Desktop

Originally posted on the Technet forums:

Recently I took Linux Mint for a test drive and one of the most satisfying features I encountered while using it was this; When inserting a media device or CD it would simply place a icon/shortcut on the desktop and you could access it there rather, than the methods Windows requires like navigating to the device via My Computer or using Autoplay.

My question is simple: Is there any way to enable a feature similar to this in Windows 7 and if not, will Microsoft ever change Windows Autoplay method?
I think I speak for most users when I say Autoplay is intrusive and annoying rather than functional. Sure it works, like if you know you are going to browse the device or watch a movie you can select the appropriate option, but what if you close the dialog box? Then what? You are stuck with navigating to your media; which isn't hard at all, but it is just one more step and one more inconvenience. I would much rather settle with a feature for this situation like the one Linux or even OSX incorporates.

I've been using Win7 since its initial Beta release and am 99% satisfied with nearly all of its features and changes, but when I saw how Linux had taken a extremely simple and elegant approach to managing devices, it really made me feel....well, cheated. Ease of access is the most important feature I require in a OS, and Windows 7 has fallen short in my eyes of achieving that. I will mention again though, I am still 99% satisfied with the product and look forward to its official release.

Why not just create a shortcut to the device and put it on your desktop?

Hi Meteoroid - Welcome to the site

I am not aware of anyway to have windows show your connected devices on desktop. But there are ways to show the contents of the computer folder. Then when you connect a device that has a new drive letter it will show in the list.

One way for instance would be to create a Toolbar on the Taskbar with the location set to Computer. This will show all devices with a drive letter on the Taskbar.

Thanks for your responses - in my own response I feel like I must say that creating a shortcut while the device is plugged in, or mapping one out on my own is not a solution at all. That leaves me with a icon that is ALWAYS on my desktop, cluttering my workspace.

The best thing about Windows 7 in my opinion lies in its new organization methods via the taskbar and start menu, enabling you to free up your desktop space. It lets you to actually enjoy your background images and not invoke a feeling that your work area is cluttered with junk.

An icon that is there when I need it, and not there when I don't is such a simple idea that its mind boggling Windows doesn't have this feature.

I agree with you - unfortunately the only location that does this is the Computer Folder. If you showed the Computer Folder on the startbar then the Icons would show and disappear as you wish. The only downside is it will also show the other drive as well.