Executor for Windows

Overview

If your Start menu is cluttered and slow to navigate, a launcher that responds to simple keywords can speed things up. Executor is a lightweight tool that lets you open files, start programs and visit websites by typing short, user-defined keywords. Because it supports auto-complete, often only a few characters are needed to find and launch what you want.

How it works

• Assign short keywords to apps, documents or URLs and invoke them by typing those keywords.
• Built-in shortcuts handle common actions such as web searches and accessing system tools, so you don’t have to create every shortcut yourself.
• The completion engine suggests matches as you type, reducing the keystrokes required to reach an item.

Appearance and personalization

Executor supports skins and a host of visual tweaks. The bundled themes tend to be very dark and can be harder to read, but you can mix your own color choices and save them as a custom skin to suit your preferences.

Configuration and control

The program exposes a broad set of settings so you can tailor behavior precisely:

• Extensive options let you change nearly every aspect of the launcher’s behavior.
• You can lock the window’s position and size to prevent accidental moves or resizes.
• There’s a choice to keep the launcher centered on the screen at all times.
• Auto-complete can be restricted so it only triggers when the cursor is at the end of the input or positioned at the start of a suggestion.

Notable recent improvements

• Redesigned settings panel with clearer organization and previously hidden options made visible.
• Per-keyword icons are now supported so each entry can display a custom image.
• The results list can include larger entries with 32×32 pixel icons for improved readability.
• A new keyword property called Group lets you organize items into logical collections.
• Index settings now display the number of indexed items and the “scan now” action gives clearer feedback when running.
• The launcher now scans both Quick Launch and Desktop locations for shortcuts automatically.
• You can choose to run specific keywords/commands automatically at startup (found under Misc in settings).
• A default keyword named apps lists running applications and provides a right-click menu with actions for each process.
• The clipboard keyword exposes recent clipboard entries with per-item right-click options.
• The recent keyword shows your most recently used documents and offers quick-open options.
• A last.fm-related keyword was added to the standard set for quick access.
• Drop-down boxes now support on-the-fly auto-completion when you type while focus is on them.
• There’s an option for the drop-down/list control to auto-size its height to the current number of items, reducing wasted space when few entries are visible.

Final notes

Executor is geared toward users who want a fast, keyboard-driven way to open tools, files and web pages. With its deep configuration options and recent enhancements, it can replace a messy Start menu and be shaped precisely to your workflow.