If you REALLY want to drive windows, and just about ANYTHING that runs on it, and can write code, go get Autoit3 (http://www.autoitscript.com)
One of the truly awesome capabilities it has is to compile automation tasks to .EXE files.....
VERY handy

De-installed Windows Macro recorder: It dragged Vista performance to next to zero. The use is limited to very restricted system manipulation. It does not handle different files to manipulate.

Wah Wah Wah I'm an idiot and don't understand why anyone would need to automate anything because a computer already automates things in life blah blah blah. And since I didn't download it, install it, or take the time to even research the category I thought it would be better to just waste everyone's time posting mindless drivel or asking stupid questions I could find in 30 seconds if I bothered to Google them, which I won't, because I'm a stoopid newbie or a professional retired pain in the a$$ and I have nothing better to do than post mindless drivel here. Oh yeah, and I wouldn't pay $29 for this softwares either , even though that's completely irrelevant because it's offered here for free.

If you have not installed and tried a piece of software of the day, or you have no use for it, why post a usless and meaningless comment? No one cares for the opinion of someone who have not even bothered to test or use the software.

After read all the post, I think the program doesn't offer to much, I try a months ago a similar program, AutoHotKey. You should try to.

Autohotkey

Hi,I'm the developer of this product,thanks these comments which greatly inspired us.English is not my mother tongue, so if my English let you funny,it's my pleasure.

There is a hard problem for me , more programmng or more accurate.
I'm a programmer, if my product only for me , then that would be very easy,beacuase write some script by hand must more accurate，but not everyone is programmer,my dream is to make a tool to help people which do not know how to programming,so that is problem.

How ever,I will change desgin concept of my product, thank you for give me these very good advices

I wonder how this program compares with the freeware alternatives like "do it again" and "Auto it".

Tuesday's free game, a cult platform shooter called Abuse has been posted over in the Forums:

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/4350

It is a useful app, just not for everyone. There are times at work when I may have to make several thousand identical updates to our warehouse database. I use this with the db software and excel. I copy something from excel, paste into the db find field. Go to excel and copy something else, paste it into the appropriate db field, delete the row in excel. Repeat thousands of times on the computer in the empty cubicle next to me and I can get other less-tedious work done.

Doesn't do even 1/2 of what I want it to do, and is NOT accurate! So basically it was kinda running amuck. It isn't supposed to be a program launcher, btw. It's for macros, which should be able to do things like update my briefcaes, empty recycler, run AVG scan, delete my cookies, stuff like that. It needs a lot of work by developer. I don't necessarily need it to have hotkey runs different macros, but accuracy is important or it's just a problem to get rid of, which I am. Thanks anyway, GOTD. Thanks AutoWin for the chance to test it out, and sorry. :)

"Easy to use and don't need any programming knowledge"

Hopefully, GAOTD will give away a grammar checker for this company!

#21
Which is why I put single quotes around the word alternatives. And if anyone was interested they would have read my explaination on the review I put up as to what those programs are.

In my mind, alternatives do not have to do the exact same thing as the program it self. I put them as 'alternatives' because they have the same common purpose behind them - to help make launching programs/doing worker faster and easier.

i agree with #14 - autohotkey. autohotkey is a friggin LIFESAVER for me. freeware. top notch.

@#21 Very useful information.

I would not trust a macro recorder to be run automatically unless I was completely convinced that the reliability was top-notch.

Macro recorders can save a lot of time and aggravation but if they go astray, they can trash whatever they are working on.

I've used AutoHotKeys (powerful and free) and think it is very reliable.

In addition to the always informative and beneficial Fubar's allusion to the Windows program, can anyone advise me of the differences between this program and the Microsoft Word 3000 Macro Recorder, that would give me reason to download it?
Thank you as always GAOTD.

Macro recorders are a subset of Windows automation utilities. One of endless problems with Windows is that it doesn't have an automation interface. The problem you encounter with Windows macro recorders is that UI elements can appear in different positions, not be visible, etc. I haven't found any that can handle every situation. By far the closest I have found was a previous giveaway, updated slightly since but no longer under development, AutomationBox MouseRobot. However, it's neither a scripting language nor a true macro recorder, and the vast majority of users were completely clueless as to how to use it. It also needs a few basic improvements and additions. I contacted the developer, he's not interested in continuing development, and has released some free command-line automation tools.

Popular scripting automation tools include AutoIt and AutoHotkey. A couple of other scripting and macro packages were two previous giveaways, xStarter and RoboTask. WinAutomation looks like a powerful scripting solution, but its macro capabilities are weak (#17, DocMello, the Home Edition is available for $79). PTFB Pro has interesting and useful features, but its macros are weak.

#8, Ashraf, your "alternatives" have nothing to do with Windows automation or macro recorders.

@#20, thanks for pointing to engrish.com - it rocks!

How many times, You want to play with your family, but you must do some boring work on the computer?
Let Computer do Boring work for you!
Get rid from the repetitive work for ever.
Do anything with computer that you do not want to do
Do anything that you want computer do with itself.
so you can enjoy your liberty


WTF? lol lol and lol...... Engrish.com here we come.

Anyway I can say, didn't work too well, it seems to spaz out all over the place and not track to a specific button label.

The developer's website states in large font:

"Let Computer do Boring work for you!"

Poor grammar on the website is an instant deal killer for me.

I wish the developers of macro programs would look at WinAutomation and try to implement the major features found in that program.

The ability to use Excel easily and create standalone exe programs are just two of the features needed in a macro recorder.

I never expect to see WinAutomation offered here, as it is a $200 program, but it is the current top macro recorder IMO.

Thanks GOTD for your continued work to bring us free software.

I can't understand why anyone would need software like this. To be using a computer means you're already making things in your life move faster, so just how lazy can one get that they need to have a program to save them maybe two minutes a day. Now if this program could be used as an auto player in game rooms I'd find it very useful for running up my tokens or points :0) Thanks anyway GOTD for the offer.

Good programme, keep it coming!

One word: AutoHotkey...

Vista users will need to right-click Windows Automation Macro Recorder, select Properties, Compatibility, Run this program as an administrator.

This is a very dangerous macro recorder, and not because it's Chinese, needs to hook into things, and run as an administrator. It's dangerous because it records and uses extraneous information (windows messages, etc.) which aren't relevant to the macro action and can cause it to get confused, which is very dangerous when playing back macros. There's no useful help, and the macro files are too cumbersome to edit.

There are plenty of alternative suggestions on the numerous other earlier macro recorder giveaways.

I haven't tryed yet but reading the site, this doesn't have the hotkey for starting one or more of the macro recorded ... someone can confirm that ?

It downloaded and accepted registration well. The program did not suit my expectations and the commands were a bit slow.

I would like to add one more thing:
If you look at the developer's website, you will notice that they did not even bother to customize their template.

I make websites and that template I have seen dozens of times. The developer did not even bother to remove that default banner and replace it with his own.

Presentation is always key for me when I am trying to decide to use a developer's product or not. And the fact that the developer did not even bother to at least remove the default banner and replace it with this own really turns me off. He/she took a shortcut on his/her website. What is to say he didn't take a shortcut on his/her program?

"Windows Automation Macro Recorder is a handy utility that automates repetitive and boring tasks on computers." - Repetitive and boring? Hey, I could use it to go to Giveaway of the Day and click thumbs down - without downloading a thing!

Pros:
* Easy to easy.
* Small footprint - does not use much computer resources.
* You can schedule tasks/macros to run at a specific designated time.

Cons:
* The program is not very 'intelligent' - horrible macro accuracy.
* There is no option to specify hotkeys for each macro.
* Possible schedule task/macro bug (brings up error window).

It may be that since this is the first time I have tried to use a program like this (automating your daily tasks type program) I had high expectations. Or maybe this program just sucks. Which ever is true, I was disappointed with this program.

The developer claims that "Windows Automation Macro Recorder features advanced CUTE Macro Technology with very sophisticated algorithms to ensure the high reliability". I would have to disagree completely. Less then half the times have the macros I have recorded so far worked accurately. Sometimes the macro opens the wrong program (clicks wrong icon); sometimes it skips/misses a step (such as launching a website); sometimes the macro just "times out" and gives you an error message of "window timed out" (although "timed out error can be fixed a little bit by changing the settings). Bottom line is - the macros are not very intelligent.

Not to mention this program is missing one key feature: settings hotkeys to run macros!

Free 'alternatives':
Launchy
ObjectDock
RocketDock

Verdict: Windows Automation Macro Recorder sucks. No joke. I am going to uninstall. As for the alternatives, I personally use ObjectDock. It helps save me a lot of time when I have to quickly launch things. Instead of having to go to the desktop or open start menu, I can just click on the icons placed in the dock. As for Launchy - I will not be getting it because Vista has a similar built in feature but I can tell you this feature is very handy. If you have not tried it yet, you really should. When I first tried this feature on Vista, I did not find it very useful. But after using Vista for so long, I really missed this feature on XP - I will be getting Launchy for my XP desktop.

Full review: GOTDReviews.info

This may come in handy for someone, but I have no use for it. I always appreciate your efforts GODT.

All the macro apps given away here for diddly seem to miss one thing.

The ability to play back via a hot key or mouse/pointer movement.

The ability to also multiply playback x2, x5, x10, x100, x1000 times faster and one repeat of actions or continuous.

Tasker does that.

The best I ever used can be found at: http://www.vista-software.com/index.php

Currently v4.1 I use v3.13 as my funds aint stretching for a current purchase.

Thanks for this app GOTD I will give it a whirl.

This could come in handy, but the website doesn't give information whatsoever what the program can and can't do. So the only way to find out is to install it and test.

An advice to AutoWin: if you want to sell something on the web - please give some valuable information first. Make sure your FAQ is relevant, make a technical issues page, some relevant screenshots and try to explain what the program is capable of...

As I already have a freeware since ages that does this kind of job for me I will let this one pass.

Macromaker freeware (not sure if that is Vista compatible): http://members.ij.net/anthonymathews/MacroMaker.htm

Today's free game has been posted over in the forums. I'm back for the rest of this week, then as mentioned previously, Wizzard of Oz and myself will be taking weekly turns to post games. The game is called Theseus: Return of the Hero, a sequel to Alien Shooter. I've also included two Gametop games, RIP3 and Crimson Road, which are still being sold commercially elsewhere. In fact Crimson Road is made by the same developer as Theseus.

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/4344

Well, This cam be used to do the customization things..

Can this do the work of logging into the account through the browser once it is recorded?

Must be careful as this may lead to spreading of virus through emails..

So this is of limited use for me and Its better to keep internet connection off when this is running..

Good idea but not very often useful for pwesonal use only. In business it may be a time saver and time is money.

Does not work on ME