ContextLauncher

Sure enough you can easily launch any program or video game directly from the desktop, but it can easily become a crowded space. To prevent this from happening, you can rely on a variety of third-party applications like ContextLauncher which help you create a neat launcher for all of your programs.

One of the main advantages is portability, which makes it possible to configure the application as a launcher for all your portable programs if storing it on the same removable drive. However, the computer you use it on needs to be equipped with .NET Framework for everything to properly function.

The start can prove a little frustrating because the application comes with a predefined list of locations for various popular system and media tools, as well as video games. Not only this, but an error prompt shows up for each invalid location, and it can take a bit of time to discard all of them. Don’t worry, you’re able to configure everything once past this inconvenience.

Most of the time is spent in the tray area, and interacting with the icon allows you to choose the program to launch, and access the configuration panel. Here is where you can customize the list of items to launch. Nodes can be created, which represent expanding menus. Separators can also be added, and choosing programs requires you to navigate with the built-in dialog to the source location to select the executable.

For faster access, the application can be set to show the launch menu when pressing a specific combination of keys, which can include all special keys and any other keyboard button. There’s also a built-in option to make it run with Windows so that it’s ready when you reach the desktop.

To sum it up, ContextLauncher can be a practical program launcher to help keep the desktop a clean place, but a little patience is required at first to get past all prompts. Configuration of target programs is easily done, with options to include custom folders, separators, and even assign a hotkey for quick reveal of the launch menu.