Starting AutoHotkey

[Eric]

Peter,
sometimes I forget to first start AutoHotkey before I play unattended.
Is there a simple way to start AutoHotkey automatically, e.g. when Windows is started?
Are there any disadvantages to do it automatically?
Cheers,
Eric.

[Calibrator]

Peter,
sometimes I forget to first start AutoHotkey before I play unattended.
Is there a simple way to start AutoHotkey automatically, e.g. when Windows is started?
Are there any disadvantages to do it automatically?
Cheers,
Eric.

Hi Eric,

If I read between the lines here, it seems you are unaware, or may have forgotten, of the unique function of the 'Startup' folder within 'All Programs' that is displayed when you click on the START button ( bottom LHS ).

Any programs residing in the 'Startup' folder will get loaded automatically when Windows boots.

I will assume you already have a shortcut on your desktop to AutoHotkey.

Navigate to that 'Startup' menu (via the START) button, and highlight it, then click on the right mouse button to bring up a context menu, and choose the 'Open' option. A small explorer window should open showing you the contents of that 'Startup' folder.

If you now drag (using the RIGHT mouse button) the AutoHotkey shortcut (on your desktop), and DROP it into the right panel of the explorer window you just opened up, you will be presented with an option to 'Copy here'.

If you do that, then go and recheck the contents of the 'Startup' folder, you should now see the presence of AutoHotkey there.

Next time you boot Windows, Autohotkey should automatically load for you.

You might also want to look here ... http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=753.msg6655#msg6655

In a similar manner you could also autoload XXHE this way should you wish.

Cheers,

Russ

[Eric]

Thanks,
I got it working.
Over time, my Windows skills are getting better this way. Just need to spend more time on it  (instead of enjoying music)Cheers,
Eric.

[SeVeReD]

Peter,
sometimes I forget to first start AutoHotkey before I play unattended.
Is there a simple way to start AutoHotkey automatically, e.g. when Windows is started?
Are there any disadvantages to do it automatically?
Cheers,
Eric.

Hi Eric,

If I read between the lines here, it seems you are unaware, or may have forgotten, of the unique function of the 'Startup' folder within 'All Programs' that is displayed when you click on the START button ( bottom LHS ).

Any programs residing in the 'Startup' folder will get loaded automatically when Windows boots.

I will assume you already have a shortcut on your desktop to AutoHotkey.

Navigate to that 'Startup' menu (via the START) button, and highlight it, then click on the right mouse button to bring up a context menu, and choose the 'Open' option. A small explorer window should open showing you the contents of that 'Startup' folder.

If you now drag (using the RIGHT mouse button) the AutoHotkey shortcut (on your desktop), and DROP it into the right panel of the explorer window you just opened up, you will be presented with an option to 'Copy here'.

If you do that, then go and recheck the contents of the 'Startup' folder, you should now see the presence of AutoHotkey there.

Next time you boot Windows, Autohotkey should automatically load for you.

You might also want to look here ... http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=753.msg6655#msg6655

In a similar manner you could also autoload XXHE this way should you wish.

Cheers,

Russ

I would've done this sooner, but somehow I got the idea into my head that I had to start XXHE first and then start autohotkey... well, wudayano, you don't.  So, thanks for the clue ... now along with telling us how to take out that autohotkey dialog box at its startup and adding this to startup... I don't have to think of autohotkey at all.  Thanks Russ.

[Calibrator]

Happy to help guys

If I was an astute dotnet programmer I could do something real clever like ... oh ... maybe check for the existence of AutoHotkey running before I started up a particularly fine example of a program that converted 1's and 0's into musical bliss, and if AHK wasn't running , start it up for you. But then I'm not a clever programmer!

I wonder if there is one of those lurking around here somewhere 

Cheers,

Russ

[PeterSt]

Yeah, that fine dot-net programmer would then always start AutoHotkey especially for those who do not want it, or give a message instead for always and ever that it's not running.



yea yea, okok.

[Calibrator]

'twas just an idea Peter. If it proves too difficult to implement or you find some logical reasoning to chuck the idea in the reject bin, then feel free to do so .. haha

I've been flipping between 0.9y-2a and 0.9y-3 in the last couple of hours doing comparisons, and I've been trying to figure out an easy way to make sure I always had the right 'pathing' defined within AHK for the version of XXHE I was using. I ended up simply closing and restarting AHK in between version swaps each time. A little tedious but effective.

Cheers,

RGB

[arvind]

Hi Peter,

I followed the instructions for installing Autohotkey however when I click on the desktop shortcut I get the following message:
"The drive or network connection the Autohotkey shortcut refers to is not available......"

What could be the reason for this?

Arvind

[PeterSt]

Hi Arvind - I guess this is about the Desktop Icon not referring to the proper .ahk file, and instead it may refer to some default file (which may exist but refers to data not being on your PC).

You should have something like you see below, where c:\psplayer4\ is my current XX folder, and the .ahk file is stored in there too.
In my case Autohotky itself is stored in D\AutoHK (as it seems, but in reality this is c:\FromD\AutoHK and the left part is cut off).

Let me know if this doesn't help.
Peter

[arvind]

Hi Peter,

Let me start from the beginning:
I have created a folder C:\xxHighend\0.9y-3 where I have extracted all the files from the zip.
In this there are 2 files Auto Hotkey & Auto Hotkey-shortcut.
I copied the file Auto Hotkey & pasted it another folder C:\Auto Hotkey
With the other file (Auto Hotkey -shortcut), I moved this to the desktop.
Now when I click on the shortcut icon on the desktop, I get the msg mentioned in my earlier message.

Arvind

[PeterSt]

I don't think that will work, because ... see below, which is that shortcut;
In the Target line you see that the XX.ahk file is taken from the C:\AutoHK\ folder which is implied for the install folder of AutoHotkey. So, whether it is exactly there or somewhere else (like your C:\Auto Hotkey\) the XX.ahk file must be in there too *or* the target line must reflect its location properly.

Since I don't hear you talk about that, it may be that what you have forgotten to do. So, locate the XX.ahk file (which will be in your current XX folder if you didn't move it to somewhere else) and point the second part of the Target line in the shortcut to it.

Peter

[arvind]

Hi Peter,

This is exactly what I have; I forgot to mention that the XX.ahk file also exists in the c:\AutoHK folder. Now when I click on the Shortcut Icon I get the following message:
Header is XX.ahk
An older instance of this script is already running....

Arvind

[PeterSt]

Ah, that would be because you fiddled around a bit at trying, and AutoHotkey is just already running. IOW, it should be okay now. Btw, you can always answer Yes, which can't harm and which will load the XX.ahk.

Also, if you go to the small green icon in the Taskbar Tray, rightclick it, and choose "Reload this script", and then the message pops up which actually tells you whether your current XX folder indeed is what the message suggests. If it does that, this already indicates all is running properly, but also that message will have XX.ahk in its header if it is okay.

I hope it is not all too confusing ...


PS: Don' forget to restart AutoHotkey after a reboot (which can also be set to be performed automatically, but that is another matter -> Startup folder from the Start Button).

[arvind]

Hi Peter,

Seems like I am almost there but some small thing is still missing. After rebooting I click on the Autohotkey-shortcut on the desktop & this creates the green H Icon in the taskbar tray. If I right click on this & select "reload the script" there is no pop up.

Presently while playing unattended I am unable to open XXHE, using the Hotkey, so it seems I am still missing something.

Arvind

[PeterSt]

Hi Arvind,

Ok. Can you make a screenshot of your shortcut (like I did it before) ? from there I will be able to ask you "did you put file such and so here and there".

Afterwards you may tell what you did "wrong" so I can try to make a good guide.
Sorry for your troubles.
Peter