AnyStart

There are various ways to ease your work with the computer, even if this only means creating a simple launcher or keeping an organized desktop to find and run files of interest faster. However, a great deal of enhancement can also come from third-party applications like AnyStart, which let you create a custom menu to launch anything from anywhere.

Running the application brings up a pretty compact main window, but somehow manages to keep everything together in an organized manner. There’s even a description panel which clearly states how the application needs to be used and properly configured to your advantage. When all this is done, it gets minimized to the tray area.

The application wants to make it easier to run any kind of file, without having to keep your desktop or taskbar crowded. The way this is done is by simply dragging one or more files of different types over the dedicated panel, while a specific combination of keys brings up a small panel with all added files enlisted to be launched at the press of a button.

Customization options are almost missing, and the only thing you can configure is whether to have small or large icons shown in the menu. What’s more, you can rename items on the list, without affecting functionality. You can also make the application run with Windows, to have the menu ready by the time you start using the computer.

Sadly, you can’t change the default hotkey, and there’s no other way to access targeted files, not even from the tray icon. Moreover, the popup animation can get a bit frustrating after some time, because it takes a little too long for the menu to appear, and there’s no option to change the delay.

Bottom line is that an organized desktop can make your work a lot more efficient, and having a custom launcher doubles the effect. AnyStart lets you accomplish this in an intuitive manner, with a simple, yet practical menu which can be triggered regardless of your location, and can be easily set up by anyone.