Note I don't think I've ever seen how to table that compares the various macro or automated programs.

That's an idea -I will take a look and see if I can find one. I used to have a whole directory filled with this type of program. I took a quick look and couldn't find it. I wonder what I named that directory?

If I can find it in a reasonable amount of time I will leave a note. I think I had 8 to 10 free programs in that directory.

Bigun, many thanks for your comparisons and thoughts. Have you ever spotted a table showing the various features, or lack of, for MouseRobot, Direct Accesss, and other such programs, such as the freeware AutoIt?

I am using "Nagarsoft Direct Access" that was a download from GOTD a while back. I have used several different macro writing programs over the years but I would always abandon them. Not so with Direct Access. I use it a couple of dozen times a day.

I can program what ever command (or type of command: launch program, open file, type text, etc)I want in less than a minute.

I can't say enough praise for the program. The ONLY fault that I find is that it will not tell you if you have used the same letter combination before.

Direct Access is not a hot-key program. I use a three letter combination for most commands. I use the program so much that I have not found myself forgetting the correct letter sequence. I can look anything I need up in the program (like a letter sequence)in about 3 seconds. Everything about this program is fast.

I am finding WireKeys getting complicated. It just does not have the smooth and quick performance that Direct Access does. Wirekeys does more things than Direct Access but most of those things I rarely use.

When I first started using Wirekeys I thought that I would buy it should it crash. I would not be so quick to do that now.

I have "MouseRobot" (another GOTD download) that you can make do everything and anything - mouse movements and all. It records what you do with the mouse not how you do it by tracing your actions - it is different than other mouse oriented programs though I didn't explain it well. It is not all mouse directed. You can have hot-keys, letter sequence shortcuts and more. But it too can get complicated.

All three programs are useful to me. Direct Access is almost indispensable. It comes out on top because everything about it is fast and easy. I use it almost as much as I use spell check. It seems that Iam using spell check every few words so Direct Access is used a lot.

Check out a trial on a few of the programs.

Here's my situation. Comfort Keys was one of the first programs I downloaded from GAOTD. When I first installed Comfort Keys last year I only tried it out a little bit, mostly with the onscreen keyboard. After I installed WireKeys I went back to look at Comfort Keys and found a nasty message that I only had 30 minutes left before it expired. I couldn't find any evidence I had registered it, so maybe I screwed up when going through the registration process. I decided to uninstall Comfort Keys, as it was essentially crippled if that 30 minute (yes, minutes) threat was serious.

Before I start writing a truckload of macros tied to a specific program, I want to know if I'm riding the right horse.

My comment does not directly address your question, but maybe my comment may help you some. When I first installed WireKeys it appeared to be a very simplistic utility. I have seen so many of these I am not even sure why I bothered to download the program. I played with it for just a short period of time and was ready to uninstall it but thought I would check the company's website first. I was in for a pleasant surprise. WireKeys seems to have multiple plug-ins and macros not hinted at when the program is first installed. I think the only reason that I downloaded WireKeys was that one of the comments indicated that it was a complex program. And so it is.

I remember ComfortKeys but very little. It's possible I still have that program installed somewhere on a computer and I too would be interested in knowing how the two programs compare.

In your post, you did not indicate whether or not you have Comfortkeys operational. Do you have any observations concerning the two programs?

Bigun

I'd appreciate comments from anyone who has tried out an earlier GAOTD offering called Comfort Keys, as well as the 7/26/08 GAOTD item, WireKeys.

Are there any noticeable differences in the two products? Which one do you think is best overall?

I'd like to see you repost WireKeys. Very handy program that allows creation of short cut macros.

Dear BuBBy.
Was all certainty by " registration ".
Y'm very greateful to you.
You and the group they are geniuses.
Good sunday!
[snipped] pls don't post emails. thx.

I've done up some quick screenshots to step you through it.

Step 1 <- Click for pic.
When you first run the program you see an Order / Cancel dialog - select Cancel.

Step 2
Right Click on the icon in the System Tray & Select "Open WireKeys"

Step 3
Click on "Registration" and DOUBLE CLICK on the box to the right of "Registration Email"
Enter the "email" as shown (provided at the end of running setup.exe)
DOUBLE CLICK on the box to the right of "Serial number". Enter the provided serial number.
Click on OK - the window should close

Step 4
Bring up the Help -> About dialog - confirm you have registered successfully.

Hope that helps.

Dear BuBBy,
I do not obtain place to place key, does not open window, only webpage of payment in line. This had to be free! What this occurring?

Dear BuBBy,
Não consigo local para colocar chave, não abre janela, somente pagina web de pagamento em linha.Isso devia ser free ! O que esta ocorrendo ?

Hi Peg,

works fine for me - so there is hope. Just an idea, which might shed some light... or not...

shut down all other applications (including anything running in the system tray) - generally get as close as you can to nothing else running at all - and then try to run WireKeys (at least this will indicate if WireKeys is conflicting with another running program).

Hopefully it will work and you can then repeat each time adding an application until you find the one that breaks WireKeys.

If it still crashes with nothing at all else running - it might be related to the ocean tides or how you tilt your head when yelling at your computer. (ie. I don't know and have had way too little sleep over the past 3 days).

Every time I open WireKeys, after a few seconds I get an error message saying it has to shut down. Is anyone else having this problem and what can I do about it?

Running Windows XP Media Center Edition w/SP2 and all updates. Not sure what other info you might need.

Thanks
Peg