Desktop Tools

Hot Virtual Keyboard is an on-screen keyboard that offers a variety of features that help you type faster and work more efficiently. It offers configurable mouse gestures (for quick entering of capital letters, spaces, etc.), word auto-complete, application launch buttons, programmable macros and other advanced features. You can choose from more than 40 different keyboard styles and fully customize the look and behavior. Other features include support for international keyboard layouts and languages, hotkeys for system functions, and more.

Actual Windows Manager provides you with complete control over your desktop windows. It enables you to roll-up any window, minimize it to a system tray icon, apply transparency and more, via newly added control buttons that are added to each title bar. You can also create specific rules for any application or folder, allowing you to apply custom settings automatically, whenever the window is opened.

Push The Freakin Button Pro (PTFB Pro) allows you to automatically click buttons in any Windows dialog that intercepts your workflow. You can use it to automatically get rid of confirmation dialogs, automate processes by clicking a specific button as soon as a program is opened and more. In addition, PTFB Pro also allows you to record action sequences which allow you to expand the options by recording all mouse and keyboard activity in addition to button clicks. The program is easy to use and runs quietly in the system tray - when it sees a window that you have previously targeted, it carries out the button and key presses that you have defined. Additional features include running programs, scripts or sending emails in response to a specific dialog opening, and more.

Wallpaper Cycler allows you to easily manage all your wallpapers and create custom desktop layouts that can include calendars, quotes, web cam images and more. You can create custom categories, using your own images and cycle them with a specified delay, at specific times or at random. It can also make your desktop icons transparent, center, tile or stretch your images on the desktop. Additional features include hotkey support, seasonal categories, Explorer integration (to add new wallpapers), duplicate image finder, optional switching sound, manual one-click switching and more.

WindowBlinds allows you to completely change the look and feel of Windows by applying new skins to the standard interface that cannot only customize the looks, but also add functionality. The skins cover every detail of the Windows interface, including taskbar, start button and menu, dialogs and more. They are easily applied or removed, and can also be further customized to suit your needs. The program includes several popular styles and additional skins can be downloaded from the web site.

PS Hot Folders enables you to quickly access your favorite folders from a newly added button next to the close and minimize buttons. It is available from any Windows folder, as well as Open and Save dialogs in MS Office and other programs. In addition, it also maintains a history of recently accessed folders, allowing you to quickly go back without having to navigate there. Additional features include an option to create a sub-folders structure, configurable hotkeys for each item and more.

DesktopX enables you to create a completely customized desktop, using objects and widgets that allow to to add desktop clocks, drive space monitors, picture frames and slideshows, stock tickers, currency converter and many other gadgets that act as futuristic and interactive desktop decoration. You can create multiple desktop sets (e.h one for work, one for fun) and switch between them, and also quickly hide all widgets via keyboard hotkey and instantly return to your regular desktop. You can choose from a variety of included widgets and also create your own widgets or objects with the help of the included development environment.

TuneUp WinStyler enables you to customize Windows appearance in many ways. You can replace the default logon screen, apply additional visual styles, use custom icons for your Desktop, Control Panel, Start Menu and more. Change the look the desktop easily, taskbar, start menu, application windows and more. The modifications are supported by all programs that support XP visual styles and can be easily changed or reset to default. Additional features include themed icon packages, downloadable styles, and support for other popular style package formats.

PhotoEchoes is a digital kaleidoscope that generates animated kaleidoscope effects from your images. You can specify the folders to be used for the source, exclude certain files based on name or dimension, and run the kaleidoscope in full-screen mode or set it as your screensaver. The program also allows you to save any of the generated images and patterns as JPG file or desktop wallpaper. PhotoEchoes creates some interesting effects that are fun to look at (as screensaver) and also useful to create unique backgrounds or digital art pieces.

Transparent Window Manager helps you to manage your windows settings. You can choose to apply a custom level of transparency to any window, or place any window to top, and even minimize it to a tray icon instead of the task bar. In addition , the program comes with an option to maintain up to 10 virtual desktops that can be switched via keyboard hotkey or a small toolbar on your desktop.

Fast Folder Access is a right-click enhancement for Windows Explorer, that allows you to switch to any of your favorite folders with a single click. It also works from the desktop, as well as from common Save and Open dialogs, allowing fast switching to selected folders without the need for any folder navigation. In addition, the program also includes a handy feature, that allows you to preview selected images as a thumbnail inside the right-click menu of Windows Explorer.

Spot on the Mouse is a mouse pointer action and keyboard visualization software that is designed to improve visibility of the mouse pointer, especially when used to demonstrate or teach software on a computer screen. Once activated, the program enhances the cursor with a ring shaped or circular color area and additional color indications for right or left click actions. You can customize the colors as well as the area surrounding the mouse, and optionally add a simulated mouse image that clearly indicates mouse button usage (including scroll wheel). In addition to mouse actions, the program can also indicate keyboard commands that include the use of Shift, Alt and other input keys.

xNeat Windows Manager Pro enables you to take full control of your desktop and windows behavior by adding custom commands and right-click menus that allow you to control how selected windows appear and behave on your desktop. You can minimize windows to the system tray instead of the taskbar, add click-through abilites, roll-up windows to save space, set a custom transparency level and more. The program also allows you to design personal menus that allow you to launch programs, documents or websites from any window or the taskbar menu. Other features include keyboard hotkeys, appending dates to folder and file names, drag&drop of taskbar buttons and more.

ManageDesk enables you to organize a busy desktop by creating up virtual desktops that you can quickly switch to from the system tray. Each desktop can have its individual wallpaper and resolution and the taskbar only shows the applications open on the current desktop. You can switch between desktops from the system tray, via keyboard shortcut or middle mouse button. You can also hide windows and the taskbar and access reboot options from the tray icon menu. The program works well and maintains the correct icon layout between desktops, even if the resolution is different. ManageDesk also includes a process viewer, a DLL viewer, memory manager and a sleep timer.

Anti Boss Key enables you to quickly hide all open windows from your desktop with the press of a keyboard hotkey or use of a mouse shortcut. The windows are completely hidden from sight and also from the taskbar and system tray area without actually being closed, so your data is preserved and you can continue where you left off once you restore the windows. The program also allows you to specify windows that should not be close and can automatically bring them to the top of your desktop or launch the application if it is not running. Other features include automatic volume adjustments or muting, hiding of desktop wallpaper and icons, a password protected interface and more.

Auslogics Visual Styler enables you to customize and style the appearance of your desktop environment by changing icons, wallpapers and backgrounds as well as the screens for logon and boot sequence. The program offers downloadable themes that can quickly change the appearance of your PC, or you can tweak it yourself by customizing only certain aspects of the system. Other features include visual appearance tweaks, wallpaper changer and a restore wizard that allows you to any changes.

Screen OCR enables you to copy text from any window, including dialog boxes, protected Web pages, PDF files, error messages and so on. The program offers several capture modes, including a regular screen capture that includes images as well as appending of captured text and RTF format. Screen OCR runs in the system tray and can be triggered by clicking the icon or using a keyboard hotkey.

Screen Calendar enables you to add a calendar display to your desktop wallpaper that can be semi-transparent and click-thru enables. You can choose from a small display or full size desktop calendar and fully customize the (background image, calendar arrangement, fonts, colors etc.) appearance to your preference. The program can synchronize data with MS Outlook, keep track of daily or recurring appointments, print calendar sheets and more. Screen Calendar supports dual-monitor setups.

enable Virtual Desktop allows you to maintain multiple desktop environments, each with their own programs, backgrounds and desktop size. You can easily switch between desktops using keyboard hotkeys, system tray icons or a small desktop manager window. Other features include the ability to move windows between desktops, display a window on multiple desktops, set transparency and create rules for window size, position and more. Other features include a screen capture feature and support for multiple monitors.

9Desks enables you to use up to 9 virtual desktops to manage your applications more efficiently. Instead of having multiple windows cluttering your desktop and task bar, you can move applications to a different desktop, and switch between them as needed. Or use it to create task related desktops along with work desktops or personal work spaces. You can easily move applications from one desktop to another by simply drag and drop using the desktop manager. Furthermore, you can create custom rules based on the application window title or class and move automatically move a program to a specific desktop when it is opened. Other features include hotkey switching, password protection and more.

Desktop Ruler resembles a virtual ruler, that can be used to measure or align pixels, inches or centimeters on your desktop or in documents. It offers several useful features that allow you to restrict movement to vertical or horizontal paths, attach the ruler to the cursor and rotate the ruler. The scale also allows you to measure based on resolution that images will be printed, and also includes a precise measuring tool. In addition, you can change the color and size of the ruler interface, and set transparency.

The Time Machine allows you to customize your system tray clock display, and add a variety of additional clocks to your desktop. You can use analog or digital displays and choose from different skins and colors, set a different time zone for each clock, synchronize them with a time server, schedule reminders and more. The program also includes a handy tray calendar with moon phases and zodiac display that can be opened by double-clicking on the system tray clock. Other features include a built-in diary, optional hourly chimes (also second ticks, minute sounds and more), as well as hotkey support. Nice set of tools for any `desktop clockaholic`.

IconX allows you to customize your desktop icons with special effects like mouseover animations, sounds and more. You can make your icons larger when the mouse moves over them, add special effects like echo and pinging circles, as well as sound effects. Your creation can be saved as theme (not during evaluation) or you can use one of the ready to use themes that come included.

TweakWindow allows complete management of your window dialogs. It offers standard features, like hiding a window or making it topmost or transparent, as well as a unique feature to change the window title and icon, masking the real content when placed in the task bar. It adds new option buttons to the title bar of each window, that provides quick access to the features. You can also use TweakWindow to minimize any program to the system tray (as icon), create semi-transparent ghost windows, roll-up windows and more.

WindowSpace offers a set of productivity enhancements that make it easier to manage multiple open windows on large screens. The software provides keyboard hotkeys and right-click options that allow you to quickly maximize and tile windows vertically or horizontally, snap windows to screen edges, set windows to be always on top, and hide or minimize them to a system tray icon. Furthermore, you can also move and resize any window with your keyboard by using the WIN and arrow keys, eliminating to need to frequently switch between the keyboard and your mouse.

Magic Lens Max is a unique desktop magnifier and enhancement filter that enables you to view portions of your screen in an enlarged mode and/or with several applied image filters and color modes. It supports gamma adjustments, image resampling, color channel selections, greyscale, area rotation view and more. All the effects are applied in real-time and follow your mouse cursor and can be activated with keyboard shortcuts. You can also capture the enhanced area and save it as in various image formats. Other features include adjustable lens size and shapes (rectangle, rounded rectangle, oval), and more.

Engage is a replacement for the standard Windows Start Menu, that helps you organize your programs and access them more quickly. The program automatically sorts all your programs, Favorites and documents into categories and also allows you to quickly search for an item by keyword. Engage is designed so that it can be navigated either by mouse or keyboard, using combinations of hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts that allow you to quickly access categories or features. Although the program replaces your default Start Menu, you can always switch between the Engage menu and the Windows menu by pressing Ctrl+ESC on your keyboard. The program also includes web search shortcuts that enable you to quickly launch web searches with just a few keyboard commands.

Stardock RightClick allows you to create a custom right-click menu that will be activated whenever you right-click on your desktop or press a hotkey on the keyboard. You can add shortcuts to programs, websites, folders and various system commands, and also access the content of selected folders directly from the menu. The menu can use the standard Windows look or you can choose from several included menu skins and also apply transparency. No documentation included.

AltSwitch is a replacement for the standard Windows Alt-Tab task switcher, that allows you to navigate running tasks by using small snapshots of the application window. In addition, it can exclude specified processes from being shown. You can choose between several different display options and also change skins.

Easy Desktop Keeper enables you to save, restore, manage and and lock the desktop layout including files and folders located on the desktop, arrangement of desktop icons, wallpaper and the selected screen saver. The program can automatically restore the desktop to the saved state whenever you start your computer, or you can restore it on demand. In addition, you can also choose to completely look the desktop for a specific user, so that he cannot add or remove items from it.

Analogue Vista Clock add an attractive clock display to your desktop, using a click-through Vista-style skin with adjustable translucency and real-time rendering. In addition to the time display, you can also choose to set a one-time or daily alarm sound, along with a chime on top of the hour. The alarm can optionally wake up your computer from standby or hibernate mode.