Beyond Vista Tools

There has always been a market for tools that can help you make your working experience more customizable with Windows. In the world of shortcut keys, a great tool we used to work with was WinKey (the latest and final version is 2.8 from Copernic). You can still find this on the Web if you run a search for "winkey."

You can also look for other tools on sites such as download.com and so forth. One nice tool is AutoHotkey (it is a little tricky for newbies in the world of scripting, though). It is a free, open-source utility for Windows that is constantly evolving. Here are some of the self-proclaimed uses from the AutoHotKey website (www.autohotkey.com):

• Automate almost anything by sending keystrokes and mouse clicks. You can write a mouse or keyboard macro by hand or use the macro recorder.
• Create hotkeys for your keyboard, joystick, and mouse. Virtually any key, button, or combination can become a hotkey.
• Expand abbreviations as you type them. For example, typing "btw" can automatically produce "by the way."
• Create custom data entry forms, user interfaces, and menu bars.
• Remap keys and buttons on your keyboard, joystick, and mouse.
• Respond to signals from handheld remote controls via the WinLIRC client script.
• Convert any script into an EXE file that can be run on computers that don't have AutoHotkey installed.