The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

TPFC database has a rather well populated category for the "Program Launcher" (https://www.portablefreeware.com/?sc=116) application type, currently counting 56 entries that fall mainly in tree types:

1. Name searching;
2. Menu building; and
3. Icon grid launchers.

Still, there are lots of alternatives out there not accounted for, mainly because of portability shortcomings; some of those would be trivial to portabilize with the likes of yaP. The topic here is meant as a way for easily retrieving other offers, either scattered through the forums and elsewhere -- XLaunchpad (viewtopic.php?t=21364) is just one example...

Bear in mind that this will happen over time, as it's such a over-populated field.

BTW, here's an excellent introductory article from How-To-Geek with over 20 different programs (including some for Linux):

• The Best Application Launchers and Docks for Organizing Your Desktop
  http://www.howtogeek.com/?p=116163

Another older such article, with programs not mentioned by the former:

• The Best Application Launcher for Windows
  http://lifehacker.com/5835770/

I'll reserve this for making a list for further entries...

EDIT: so here are the first entries, generally sorted by reverse date:

• XVA Assistant (viewtopic.php?t=23097)

• ViPad (viewtopic.php?t=22484)

• Deskcom (viewtopic.php?t=22002)

• XLaunchpad (viewtopic.php?t=21364)

• AutoRun LWMenu (viewtopic.php?t=20583)

• Eusing Launcher (viewtopic.php?t=20476)

• MadAppLauncher (viewtopic.php?t=20426)

• Fast Launcher (viewtopic.php?t=16304)

• Quick Pop Menu (viewtopic.php?t=15670)

• FSL Launcher (viewtopic.php?t=14589)

• HotkeyP (viewtopic.php?t=717)

Good idea for a thread. I know a launcher that works for you and your situation is essential to making portable software work well and one size rarely fits all.

Midas wrote:The Best Application Launchers and Docks for Organizing Your Desktop
http://www.howtogeek.com/?p=116163

VERY comprehensive.

A very long list is @ http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/M ... ograms.htm

webfork wrote:I know a launcher that works for you and your situation is essential to making portable software work well and one size rarely fits all.

I agree completely. That was my main motivation to start the topic.

I am Baas wrote:A very long list is @ http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/M ... ograms.htm

And thanks for that, Baas: great input, you killed it with a single link -- plus, some of them can be found at TPFC.

Midas wrote:

• AutoRun LWMenu

It's now a freeware, can you accordingly remove the notice from your post?
Thanks!

Sure thing, done! And thanks to you...

For my USB stick I'm using the PortableApps.com platform (mainly because of the auto update feature) and for my main machine I use PowerPro (you can use manual relative path, do command, scripting etc.) because it's simply the best for so many tasks. I haven't found anything more efficient yet.