Someone on this forum asked me how the Windows "Run" box can always be made to auto-open in the center of their desktop, because they have a large monitor and it bothers them to look to the left when the box opens (https://www.alomware.com/forum/index.php?topic=143.msg374#msg374). They also wanted no text to be defaulted in it.
Here's how to do it:
- Open the Windows "Run" box by pressing Win+R.
- Middle-click its icon area (step 1 below) to open the Power menu for the window.
- Select "Opening state" from the Power menu (step 2).
- Select "Open like this, but with the window position" (step 3).
- Select "Centered" (step 4).
(https://www.alomware.com/images/forum/auto-move-run-box-1.png)
An "[Opening State]" window appears where we now set how AlomWare Toolbox can identify the window, and also set some optional actions when the window opens. For our purposes, we proceed as follows:
- We leave "Use ready title" selected for the "Run" box's title (step 1 below).
- Specify {delete} in the "Type these keys" section, to remove any default text when it opens (step 2).
- Click "OK" to save the opening state (step 3).
(https://www.alomware.com/images/forum/auto-move-run-box-2.png)
That's it! Now whenever the Windows "Run" box is opened, it auto-moves to the center of the desktop and also clears any text in it. :)
Such a fast response to my challenge in my other post, and it works! I appreciate the detailed screenshot instructions. Seems it wasn't really a challenge for you at all to do this. Next time I'll have to test you with something harder. ;) Oblivion was totally right in his post about you being an attentive developer. It's a rare thing these days.
I like the idea of this, it never occurred to me that I might want the Run box to be somewhere other than the default but now I wonder why it never occurred to me to consider it!
However -- sorry! -- the {delete} thing doesn't work for me. I tried the extra delay option and I also tried putting {z200} before the {delete} in case that'd be actioned, but doesn't work.
If I do Win-R and press Delete, it clears the current selection as expected, so it certainly should work.
I should probably say that I don't particularly need this element to work, I was just playing with it! (Although 9 times out of 10, if I hit Win-R the next thing is going to be cmd so a halfway house where I had a run box with cmd typed and ready for me to hit enter is now in my head!)
GrahamB -- this happens. I ask Paul something, he gives me a solution and before I know it I'm bouncing cheerfully down a rabbithole and ending up with Useful Stuff I never envisaged at the outset. It's all Paul's fault, naturally. :D
Hi Oblivion. Does it work with any other keys, like {back} instead of {delete}? Can you also try {clear} to see if it clears the Run box's field? Or maybe it works with this combo: {ctrldown}a{ctrlup}{delete}.
:-[
So you know the option is "type these keys?"
I was using the "dos command" option.
Sorry. It works as advertised. It's ME who doesn't. ;)
Phew! I'm just glad it's not a bug that I needed to investigate. :)