14 DAY TRIAL // I can't tell how popular U3 Smart drives are among users, but, given that there isn't much difference from a regular USB drive and the fact that most of my friends have absolutely no idea on the features of an U3, I gather this technology has not been promoted enough. I would gladly choose an U3 drive instead of a regular one just because it is more comfortable to work with due to its launchpad and it comes with security options.
Although the LaunchPad may not seem like much, the first moment you use it you realize the comfort of launching your portable application. I did not say U3 apps because in my LaunchPad both U3 specific programs (those with U3P extension) and portable ones have room there. The only difference is that the native U3 ones are hidden from sight on the stick while, for the rest of them, I had to create a special installation folder on the flash drive.
The comfort of adding a shortcut in the LaunchPad translates in faster access to that certain application and the elimination of all the hassle involved in manually locating the launching executable. Sure, to make the job easier you can use an application launcher, but if it does not work with relative paths then it is really of no use, so you have to get back to the LaunchPad.
Shortcut Creator 4U3. The name says it all; the application is designed to help you into creating shortcuts in the LaunchPad of your U3 drive of portable applications that are not U3 specific. There is only one little detail you have to keep in mind when proceeding to this kind of operation: be sure you have the desired icon for the program. As little as this detail may seem, in some cases it can make the difference between a successful operation and a failure.
The entire process is not complex and the user's input is limited to typing in some location paths and completing with the desired details.
Shortcut Creator 4U3 is portable itself, but it can run in three different modes. You can install it on your desktop, choose to have it in portable edition on your U3 or simply run it and, once you are finished with it, all its traces will be deleted (it will use the temporary folder space). It does not matter how you choose to run it as it will always complete its job and plant the desired shortcut in your U3 LaunchPad.
The straightforward interface is not Shortcut Creator 4U3's strong point as it is poorly designed and you don't have to have a keen eye to notice the precarious condition of its looks. But these come second and when dealing with its capabilities Shortcut Creator 4U3 manages to show its full value. After the main fields available in the application have been completed with specific information, you can proceed to creating the U3 shortcut.
Shortcut Creator 4U3 makes it easy for you to carry out the job as there are no settings to be made, just fill some information into some fields and that is it. The application that will soon have a shortcut in the LaunchPad can be set to start automatically whenever the U3 device is inserted in your computer, an option similar to startup function in a regular software. However, this can also be achieved directly from the LaunchPad, in the Properties section.
Application Path field should point to the executable that will gain a shortcut and, if you take a look at the path immediately after defining it, you will notice that Shortcut Creator 4U3 stores it relatively. Setting the icon for the shortcut may pose some difficulties in the case the app does not come with one and it is composed only of an executable. During our testing the process could not be completed unless we provided a valid ICO file. In this case, there are two recommendations: either extract the icon from the application in question with a third party software or use a generic icon (in this case the name of the shortcut is paramount).
Additional details that can be added with Shortcut Creator 4U3 are the vendor name of the application, its URL, version number (if you do not provide this, the default 1.0.0.0 will be added). More than this, you can provide the argument for the application you are creating a shortcut for with absolutely no problem.
After all the information has been provided (not all the fields need to be completed but the first four of them are essential), all there is left to do is press Add Shortcut button in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Soon after that, you will see the U3 specific application installation dialog. Complete it as if a new U3P file would install and that is it. Your shortcut is available in the LaunchPad and working.
Shortcut Creator 4U3 does a wonderful job integrating those non U3 specific portable applications into the LunchPad as if that was their natural place. The entire process takes as long as you complete the required fields. Also, the app can be installed on both the U3 drive as well as on the desktop, but it can also be ran temporarily and delete all its traces after the job is done, by running from the temporary folder.
One piece of advice: if plan on giving up on some application, do use the Uninstall option in the LaunchPad and then delete the rest of the files from the USB drive. If you go straight to deleting the files from the drive, you will be left with the shortcut in the LaunchPad. However, if you do make this mistake, simply go to U3's system files, look for the missing app with the shortcut in the LaunchPad and delete it (it does not matter if LaunchPad is working).
The Good
Shortcut Creator 4U3 does a great job at placing shortcuts of non-U3 portable programs in the LaunchPad. The operation is as simple as completing the required fields with logical details.
You get to add the name of the vendor and an URL to its website as well as the version number of the application and an icon to make it easier to pinpoint in the LaunchPad.
The Bad
The interface needs a bit of polishing and the Help file does not include all the explanations an average user may need.
The Truth
In the end, the application does a wonderful job bringing to better access portable programs on your U3. It eliminates the need of application launchers and the manual seek of an application's launching executable.
All it takes to reach the desired results consists in a few seconds and typing in some information. The output will be a perfect fit of the shortcut into U3's LaunchPad.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
