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FastKeys

By FastKeys Free to try Editors' Rating

Editors' Review

Download.com Staff Aug 6, 2013

Programs that launch other programs, such as FastKeys, can save you time and effort by automating your most frequent and repetitive tasks and collecting them in one easy-to-access point, typically on the desktop. With FastKeys, it's the screen edge: Touch it to call up your customized FastKeys Menu. FastKeys not only launches programs but opens files, folders, or Web sites; runs scripts; fills in forms and data fields; and automates mouse clicks and keystrokes. In fact, most anything you can do with your mouse or keyboard can be automated by FastKeys. FastKeys has useful extras, too, such as a Text Expander for creating custom abbreviations for automating text strings. Typing in the two-letter abbreviation expands the full text. FastKeys is free to try for 15 days, with pop-up nags, but the licensed version costs less than $10, so it's not a big investment in time or money, especially considering the time it can save. The latest release of FastKeys, Version 1.10, has new preset commands, additional user preferences, and some general improvements.

When FastKeys is active, it's invisible until you pause the cursor on the upper screen edge to call up the Menu, or you can click a system tray icon to open the Menu or Settings (a reboot may be needed to open the Settings). The Menu, itself, is a no-nonsense affair that resembles a slightly enhanced Explorer menu. The Menu's default choices include some of the most popular Web sites, such as Google, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as Yahoo! and Gmail. Below that, FastKeys accesses My Documents, a sample desktop link, all our wireless networks, and similar entries. Clicking "Show/Hide Clock" toggled a compact digital clock display we could drag around the desktop. FastKeys also offers fast links to Microsoft Office, System, Applications, and Power submenus. Of course, the default Menu entries are only a starting point: Opening the Settings sheet let us customize our Start Menu entries, set Shortcuts, and configure the Text Expander tool.

FastKeys is fast on the job, and we were able to launch all kinds of stuff from our Menu. It's well worth a look.

Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of FastKeys 1.10. The trial version is limited to 15 days.

Full Specifications

What's new in version 4.21

  • AutoText import
  • Multiple monitor support improved
  • Updated translations
  • Several small improvements
  • Bug fixes

General

Release August 26, 2019
Date Added August 26, 2019
Version 4.21

Operating Systems

Operating Systems Windows 2003, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP
Additional Requirements None

Popularity

Total Downloads 3,381
Downloads Last Week 5
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Developer's Description

All-in-one Windows automation software. Fully configurable Start menu, Shortcuts, Text Expander, Auto Complete, Mouse Gestures, Clipboard Manager and more. User-defined commands to run files, open webpages, send macros or automate anything. Incredibly powerful but yet simple to use.

Create a fully configurable Start Menu to start any activity on computer. Simply touch the screen edge to call the menu. Use keyboard or mouse shortcuts to do just about anything with a keystroke. Run programs, open files and sites or make powerful scripts to automate Windows desktop applications. Make customized abbreviations for your frequently used text. Type out a couple of letters and the Text Expander replaces it with a whole sentence or paragraph or even simulates keyboard presses. Intelligent auto complete word and phrase prediction utility with learning capability. Simple and amazing mouse gestures let you perform common tasks or execute complex actions. Hundreds Ready-to-Use Presets, including: audio- Control volume with a mouse wheel, switch audio device, mute, control audio or video players, search and play songs. Windows - Double Esc to close, minimize, maximize, make always on top, Alt-drag, auto resize, zoom, make transparent. search - Fast Google and Wikipedia search, translate webpages.

E-mail automation - Auto send e-mail, auto replies, context aware response, auto signature. General - Swap or disable keys, change system shortcuts, run user commands. Send text - Write text and keystrokes with time and date variables, create user macro commands. games - Auto clicker, rapid fire, auto shooter, jump, crouch, improve accuracy in 3rd person shooters, auto fire on pixel color, scripts for popular games (CoD, WoW, LoL, Minecraft) utilities - Clocks, timers, stopwatches, countdown timers, weather stickers, handy notes, change caps, screen capture, date&time functions. More than 500 preset commands and keys currently available.

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