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Fast Launcher (menu/bar launcher utility)

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:37 am
by Midas
Development seems to have stopped, but I've been using it for so long I'm compelled to submit it here for evaluation.

Please note that Fast Launcher can also be used as a system tray menu utility; as I don't use such functionality I'll make no further mention of it.
author of http://www.dvasoft.com/fast_launcher/ wrote:Fast Launcher is replacement for Quick Launch and Start Menu! This application has several features which make this program far more powerful, useful and convenient than Quick Launch. Here its major features: Easy to use, Grouping, Drag & Drop, Quick access, Hot-key-run, Bundles, Tray support, Mouse-keeping, Screen-snapping, Semi-opacity.
According to a prior discussion here at TPFC (viewtopic.php?t=3504), it is portable but not stealth -- IconsCache.dat gets automatically generated at user's %APPDATA%\DVAsoft\FastLauncher location; path portability is achieved by manually editing fl.xml and replacing absolute paths with relative ones.

The easiest way to make it portable is to install, run once, close, copy the program installation folder somewhere, run «start "" "%APPDATA%\DVAsoft\FastLauncher"» (without the angle quotes), copy every file there to the saved folder, and uninstall everything else. The fl.ini should be edited to look like:

Code: Select all

[Paths]
ProgDir=[Drive:]\Path\to\Fast\Launcher
LangFile=[Can be left blank]
Image

Image

Fast Launcher accepts new entries by dragging and dropping and can be set to auto close when you launch an application. And you mustn't fret Fast Launcher will always look as unsightly as in the official screenshots -- here's a pic from my own setup (notice the question mark icon for a broken entry):

Image

EDIT:
author of http://www.dvasoft.com/fast_launcher/faq/ wrote:Q: What files should I copy if I want to use the same settings/shortcuts on a different PC?
A: You can save two files and restore them on new machine in order to move your settings: fl.ini and fl.xml. You can find them into your profile folder:
[...]
Win XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<USERNAME>\Application Data\DvaSoft\FastLauncher\
The above files can be placed in Fast Launcher program folder, provided the corresponding path is entered into fl.ini as detailed above.

Also, although there's no mention of this anywhere in the site or the help file, fl.xml seems to accept the following internal path variables:

Code: Select all

%PROG% = Fast Launcher Folder
%PF% = Program Files Folder
%WIN% = Windows Folder
%SYS% = System32 Folder

Re: Fast Launcher

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 1:51 pm
by smaragdus
Fast Launcher web-site is gone.

Re: Fast Launcher 3.5

Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2016 3:25 pm
by Midas
Another one bites the dust... :cry:

Re: [FlashTray] 3.5

Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 5:02 pm
by webfork
Midas wrote: Fri Dec 23, 2016 3:25 pm Another one bites the dust... :cry:
Looks like the program developer just moved to a separate site: http://www.blacksunsoftware.com/flashtray.html

Softpedia doesn't think there have been any updates since 2013: http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Lau ... Tray.shtml

Re: Fast Launcher [& FlashTray]

Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 4:34 am
by smaragdus
@webfork

Fast Launcher and FlashTray Pro are different programs.

Fast Launcher - Softpedia
FlashTray Pro - Softpedia

@moderators

Please remove version information from thread title.

Re: Fast Launcher

Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 9:43 am
by Midas
smaragdus wrote: Please remove version information from thread title.
And done... :)

EDIT: 32-bit only Fast Launcher installer still available from the Internet Archive.