Record a macro of windows commands
Using Windows 7, is there an in-built or third-party method of recording windows commands and being able to play them back?
As a very basic example of what I would like to be able to do, imagine having two desktop themes that you like to alternate between. The Windows commands would be something like
- Open personalisation applet
- select second theme
- ok
(I'm calling this a macro because of the equivalent capability in Word.)
5 Answers
It sounds like you are looking for AutoHotKey:
3AutoHotkey is a free, open-source utility for Windows. With it, you can:
- 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 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. See GUI for details.
- Remap keys and buttons on your keyboard, joystick, and mouse.
- Respond to signals from hand-held remote controls via the WinLIRC client script.
- Run existing AutoIt v2 scripts and enhance them with new capabilities.
- Convert any script into an EXE file that can be run on computers that don't have AutoHotkey installed.
AutoHotkey can record and play back macros, though it's usually easier just to write them in the AutoHotkey language in the first place.
There's also this new kid on the block automation solution for Windows:
1I'd recommend Sikuli. Very interesting graphical way to script. I got it to work on Windows 7 without a problem. They have OS X and Linux versions.
I succesfully used autoit to automate detect hardware in win XP until keybord and mouse is detected. It seems that for simple quick tasks autohotkey is better. If you have some programming knowledge autoit is more structured and better for not so simple stuff. More info And this post was useful to me: // Autoit:
I could have sworn there was a way to do this built in. I actually CAN do it, but only with my mouse. I haven't been able to figure out how to do it with keyboard shortcuts. For my mouse, I just go into the "Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center" and it's very simple to set things up for the mouse. I don't know why there doesn't seem to be anything about the keyboard in the "Mouse and Keyboard Center."
