CNET Editors' review
If you've ever wanted a faster, sleeker way to access your computer's volume controls, look no further than Volumouse. This innovative program lets you set both mouse controls and keyboard shortcuts to access the master volume controls as well as volume settings for a variety of devices. It's easy to use, highly customizable, and hard to do without once you've gotten used to using it.
The program appears as an icon in the Windows system tray, and clicking the icon launches an options panel where you can configure the utility's many features. You can create as many as 12 rules for either mouse actions or keyboard shortcuts, and they can be saved in multiple configurations. The two default rules provide good examples of what the program does: pressing either the Alt key or the left mouse button while also turning the mouse's scroll wheel will turn the master volume up or down on all channels. But you can also select any number of other actions that will control a variety of devices, including the microphone, CD player, and headphones, and you can even control screen brightness.
An optional indicator displays the volume control on the screen as the volume changes. What we love about Volumouse is that it's simple enough for anyone to take advantage of its basic features, but it also includes plenty of options for geekier users who want to highly customize its behavior. The program's built-in Help file didn't load, but we found adequate documentation on the Volumouse Web site. Overall, we think this is an extremely useful utility, and we recommend it.
Volumouse comes as a ZIP file and is accessible after extraction with no need for installation.
Publisher's Description
From NirSoft Freeware:
Volumouse provides a quick and easy way to control the sound volume on your system - simply by rolling the wheel of your wheel mouse. It allows you to define a set of rules for determining when the wheel will be used for changing the sound volume. For example: You can configure Volumouse to use your mouse wheel for volume control when the Alt key is hold down, when a mouse button is down, when the mouse cursor is over the taskbar.
What's new in this version: Version 2.0 allows you to configure up to 12 rules, in 2 pages, on screen display indicator now allows you to add your own text that describes the rule, and added 'Send Hot Keys' component, which allows you to send the specified keys combination to the active application on every wheel move.
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 39 votes
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Current version:
3.0 starsout of 3 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-3 of 3
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"ineffectual"
Version: Volumouse 2.0
Pros
no pro comments
Cons
hard to use. did not install easy
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"Disables microphone and speakers"
Version: Volumouse 2.0
Pros
Convenient and easy to use.
Cons
Tried to use Skype and discovered that Skype could find no microphone or speakers.
Summary
Uninstalled it until the disabling issue is resolved.
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"does what it says, and no unwanted xtras"
Version: Volumouse 2.0
Pros
Free,Free, Free
Cons
NONE NONE NONE
Results 1-3 of 3
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