Stardust AutoPlay Engine is a software tool which permits users to create autoplay menus for CDs. Theoretically, it does not require know-how in programming code, but the app is not that easy to work with either.

Stardust AutoPlay Engine does not provide you with an graphical interface for putting together autorun menus with buttons, music and pictures. Instead, it lets you define all these aspects in configuration files (INI format) that it takes into account for automatically displaying the requested autoplay window.

The installation procedure does not include special options and it is carried out quickly. You can explore the app directory and look into the samples provided by Stardust AutoPlay Engine.

These are wrapped in simple windows that contain a background image and music, along with buttons. To find out how to create an autoplay menu with customized settings, you can open the INI file from each sample folder.

It is possible to apply photos for buttons when the mouse is above them or clicks, load sound effects, indicate the window title, point out the file to run, and so on.

What's more, you can run an executable file called "Tester" which is basically an assistant that can enable autoplay support for removable, fixed and remote drives, along with RAM and CD-ROM. These settings can be later restored to default.

The app did not hang, crash or pop up error messages in our tests. It does not hamper system performance either. However, it takes a while to learn how to write commands in the INI files. On top of that, Stardust AutoPlay Engine has not been updated for a long time and its skills are not impressive when it comes to supported elements for creating autoplay menus (e.g. drop-down list).