Windows Utilities |
These are a few small utilities of mine that I've been using for myself for quite some time, or some time in the past, I've just added a little more "convenience" (if you can call it that ;-) and explanations, and now make them available here, for free. (But please read the guide, licence, and legal stuff in the accompanying readme files, thank you.)
Available utilities: XMouseToggle, TaskBarTransparent, FontSmoothToggle, MenuShowDelay.
A small program that just toggles the "X-Mouse" behavior, i.e. when turned on, the window under the cursor becomes focused automatically. Nothing that other tools, including Microsoft's TweakUI, can't do, but XMouseToggle is small and easy to use. (Should work in any Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/... including Windows 10 x64.)
> Download xmousetoggle10.zip (11KB), includes readme and executable file.
TaskBarTransparent sets alpha blending (transparency) and/or colorkey for the taskbar and optionally transparency for the Start menu for Windows 2000/XP. Probably rather useless in times of Windows 10...
Version 2.1 fixes a small number handling bug and sets no Start menu transparncy by default.
Especially useful if you create your own visual style for Windows XP and want a "cut-out" taskbar (which the (current) XP style engine does not support). I have not yet come across another program that can do that...
Note that the first screenshot below uses my own style which I'm not sure if I'll release it someday... still needs more work, for a public release (and permission from the creator of the style it's partially based on). The second screenshot is based on Microsoft's Royale Noir theme, I certainly won't publish my modifications for that one. So it's really up to you what you make out of the color-keying...
> Download taskbartransparent21.zip (27KB), includes readme and executable file.
A small program that just toggles the font-smoothing called ClearType on and off. Like the above, it's small and easy to use. Works only in Windows XP and up (since ClearType is available in Windows XP only).
> Download fontsmoothtoggle10.zip (14KB), includes readme and executable file.
Adjust the delay until submenus pop open automatically with a single slick plus some modifier keys - small and easy to use (did I use that phrase already?). (Should work in any Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP/...)
> Download menushowdelay10.zip (25KB), includes readme and executable file.