#windows utilities

🎓 Bulk/Batch Renaming Tools?

I've noticed quite a few posts now recommending Bulk Rename Utility https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/ but I've gotta say, it looks overly convoluted.

I use Rename Master http://www.joejoesoft.com/vcms/108/ and Windows PowerToys https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/.

Both are free and PowerToys offers a catalog of little apps that might be useful to you as a creator if you're on Windows.

PowerToys even has a Color Picker app. I needed a color picker replacement app for quite a while and stumbled onto a random video on YouTube talking about PowerToys. I have no idea why PowerToys doesn't come pre-installed on Windows instead of the multiple streaming apps they keep shoving in our faces. Well, I have some idea.

With RM you can save your rename settings as Rename Master Scripts (RMSCR) and load them on the fly via the dropdown menu above the rename steps.

I can / will probably do a short how-to with RM at some point.

Cheers!

AutoHotkey Tip of the Week: Channeling Text to a Tagged Window

When Collecting Information from Various Sources, Send the Text Directly to an Unseen Text Editing Field

Last time in “Tricks for Tracking and Activating Target Process Windows“, I demonstrated a technique for tagging and tracking a window using its Unique ID. After tagging any window with one Hotkey combination, you can instantly recall it with another. While a pretty cool trick, the question of…

The Classic Eval() Function Solves Problems You Didn’t Even Know You Had by Calculating and Resolving AutoHotkey Functions and Expressions Found in Text Strings!

When I work on particular AutoHotkey solutions, often I find myself in the middle of a treasure hunt—picking up hidden gems along the way. Although operative for years, I didn’t know these valuable tools existed until I went searching…

AutoHotkey Tip of The Week: Evaluating Deprecated AutoHotkey Commands

As Time Passes, You May Notice More and More Deprecated AutoHotkey Commands in the Online Documentation—When Should You Rewrite Your Scripts and When Should You Ignore the Changes?

While working on the latest version of the QuickLinks.ahk script, I saw that the syntax for the Loop (files & folders) command for the reading the names of directories and files had changed in the online AutoHotkey…

AutoHotkey Tip of the Week: Adding Icons to Menus the Easy Way(?)

Inserting Icons into Your AutoHotkey Menus Makes Options Standout and Easy to Navigate, But You May Need to Prioritize the Methods for Adding Icons

I’ve employed icons in my QuickLink.ahk script for many years, but the process I used for adding them to menu items always felt awkward and messy—too much special-purpose code.

I want the script to standalone without needing much tailoring. Most…

AutoHotkey Tip of the Week: Save Time with CodeQuickTester for Testing and Modifying Scripts

Stop Creating Temporary Files to Check Out the New Scripts You Find on the Web—CodeQuickTester Directly Runs AutoHotkey Code without Saving

Since I consider educating motivated users about how to write and implement AutoHotkey scripts my primary purpose in life, I rarely recommend specific “user-friendly” AutoHotkey tools. Although they make scripting simpler, easy-to-use programming apps often…