Menu creation for CD-ROM

[TimW]

I have a bunch of .pdf files that I want to turn into a CD-ROM for sale. What I would like to do it make it a little more user-friendly than just a folder full of files, and would thus like to create an "autoplay" CD that brings up a menu of all the files. The user could then click on the file to open the .pdf to read, most likely in a separate window.

I wanted something slick, but I suspect that a) it'd be a separate program someone would need...or could it be embedded on the CD?

An alternative would be to make an autorun (once I figure out how to do that) which would open their web browser and have an HTML page with links to the files.

Suggestions?

[Grayman]

The Autorun.inf file on the CD is the file that Windows looks at when "autorunning" a CD. The Autorun.inf file is just a text file and you can make it in Notepad.

It just looks like this:

[AutoRun]
open=StartProgram.exe
icon=Icon.ico (optional)

When Windows looks at this Autorun.inf file it will simply run StartProgram.exe (which must be located on the CD).

You will need a separate program to create this "StartProgram.exe" for you but I think there should be a number of free programs out there to do this for you.

Your other option of displaying your PDF files in a web browser is my preferred option, and you can make the HTML page look all nice and fancy. A google search will turn up a few ways on how to do this, because unfortunately it's not as simple as autorunning a program. Windows doesn't make it as easy to load a document as loading a program.

This page seems to break down the options clearly: http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian/windows/howtocacdtwar.htm

[webgal]

This may not be fancy enough but you could put the folders IN the adobe window when it opens. There's a paper clip at the bottom. Remind me and I'll send you a screen shot if this interests you. Anyway, you could then burn it to a CD.

And exe file is hard to copy, send or upload however. But you can write protect a CD.

[TimW]

I am interested. Basically, I want someone to be able to insert the CD and have it bring up the menu/list of .pdf files available.

[webgal]

Image of Adobe Prof files

This is one way they can be stored. Basically inside the main pdf. Look at the bottom of this photo. You click the paper clip and it closes. Click it again and it opens.

But if you create a folder and save it on your hard drive as ebook, the files will be stored in there separately. See the top part of this page for an example of how they will look inside the folder.

Example of this.

[James Grey]

You could use a simple HTML page that would link to your documents


~James

[TimW]

Originally Posted by James Grey

You could use a simple HTML page that would link to your documents

Yes, that'd be the easiest, but the goal is to get it to "autorun" and open the program. I've never done that, so I don't know if you can autorun a program that's already on someone's computer (their browser).