Automation of actions under Windows. Automation of routine computer tasks: Windows and Mac

nnCron is a very unusual task scheduler. Unlike most of the considered competitors, this program does not have a traditional working window of the application. The scheduler is controlled from the context menu invoked by right-clicking on the application icon in the system tray.

It should be noted right away that the ability to launch programs at a specified time, which is traditional for all schedulers, is far from the only function of nnCron.

Stopping at the launch of applications on a schedule, it is worth noting the possibility of launching programs as services. You can configure the launch of tasks on behalf of any user in the system.

nnCron can monitor and restart overdue tasks and reminders, shutdown or hibernate the computer. Of course, the reverse operation is also available - you can wake up the system in order to start a task.

The scheduler allows you to flexibly manage the state of application windows. You can hide, close, kill, minimize, maximize and hide in the system tray windows specified in the scheduler settings. In addition, it is allowed to change the size and location of windows, change their transparency mode.

nnCron can add arbitrary application icons to the system tray, as well as remove them from there. You can also display any messages on the screen and in the log file, including requests to perform the actions specified in the settings.

The scheduler is able to work with the clipboard, registry, as well as emulate keyboard input and mouse operations.

Dial-up users can use the ability to automatically dial to the provider, as well as forced termination of the telephone connection.

But this is far from all the capabilities of the scheduler. If you really want to, you can make nnCron beep through the system speaker with a specified duration and frequency, play audio files, synchronize the system time, assign a specified priority to processes, and interrupt their work. The scheduler has options for tracking files, windows, processes, mouse movements, computer idle time, keyboard shortcuts, the appearance of a disk in the drive, the presence of a host on the network, changing a remote resource via the HTTP protocol, the amount of free disk space and the load of RAM.

The program can automatically start after fatal errors. nnCron allows using VBScript and JScript languages, as well as regular expressions in tasks. The scheduler can execute arbitrary programs in the Forth language (SP-Forth), extend its capabilities through plug-ins.

The nnCron distribution includes two utilities intended exclusively for programmers.

WinSpy allows you to find out the current coordinates of the mouse, find out the class of the object over which the mouse is located, get information about the coordinates of the main and child windows.

Console is a tool for interactive communication with nnCron for those who know the Forth language. You can also remotely administer nnCron using the console.

The program understands the cron format (UNIX) and is controlled using text files. Developers see only advantages in this way of storing settings.

For example, tasks will not be lost in the event of a forced reinstallation of the system. However, a similar solution can be viewed from the other side. Managing the program graphically is much easier than having to learn the syntax of text-based configuration files. At the same time, no one forbids developers to write settings not to the registry, but to the same text files.

The wide use of the high-level language Forth in configuring nnCron speaks even more about the orientation of the product towards advanced users. The program does not have Wizards, Helpers and other tools that make it easier to master, initial setup. Russian-language help and other documentation are downloaded separately from the main program module.

Official site:
Size: 5207 KB
Price: Free
Purpose: Automation of everyday tasks

During the creation of any software product aimed at an unprepared user, developers are faced with the task of implementing the maximum number of useful functions in combination with ensuring ease of use. And if, as a bonus, the distribution kit also turns out to be compact, then the program is simply doomed to success.

Many programs for process automation have a significant drawback - the complexity of mastering. You are tired of routine operations, you just want to automate some of them. Why study high-level languages ​​for this, independently compose intricate scripts? Of course, if you are a system administrator of a large enterprise, then such knowledge has long occupied the gray matter of the brain. But most of the users of personal computers have other working specialties, often not associated with high technologies. And they are unlikely to take on weighty tomes of descriptions of multi-tiered algorithms just for the sake of something running on their own computer.

xStarter compares favorably with many programs considered in the framework of process automation in that, having the broadest possibilities, the program is mastered without any titanic efforts. The reason for this is a well-organized user experience combined with a large number of sample tasks, based on which you can automate your own, unique operations.

The working window of the application consists of a side panel, which contains many examples of typical automation tasks, and a main area containing all the information and settings for the current task. Tasks launched for execution have a green check mark next to the main icon. All available xStarter actions are divided into several groups. Each item in the list has its own icon. All this suggests that the developers have ensured the maximum visibility of all operations, simplifying the visual perception of the information issued by the software product. A quick glance at the list of actions is enough to understand what the active task is about.

All tasks can be grouped according to arbitrary criteria; the program implements a true tree structure. The list of task properties is grouped in four tabs - schedule and information, actions, additionally, task log.

The choice of the schedule is carried out from three main points and one additional (complex). Any task can be performed once, after some time and periodically. You just enter the required times and the schedule is set up.

When setting up actions, first of all, you need to create a new list item. This opens a new window, where the list of available operations is presented in the form of a tree structure. Each group and each element of the list have their own unique icons, text descriptions. When setting up custom actions, you practically do not need to strain, delve into the intricacies of the processes themselves. For example, you want to open a web page regularly. To do this, just select the "Internet" group, then select the "Open web page" item. You enter her address. The setup is complete. The rest of the automation examples are not much more complex than the one described above.

Additional settings allow you to manually specify the priority of the launched processes, specify the exact conditions for launching. You can also launch applications on behalf of any of the users in the system, change the values ​​of the Windows environment variables.

And finally, in the window of the last tab, a report on the work done is displayed. If desired, you can disable the logging of all events.

What operations can xStarter automate? The complete list of program features is too long to blindly quote official information. Still, it is worth noting some of the tasks available for automation. First of all, this is any execution of any file operations. Flexible backup settings make it possible to assert about good data safety. The program can track changes to files and directories, synchronize them, record and run Windows macros.

xStarter allows you to work with e-mail and files using the FTP and HTTP protocols. And finally, the backbone of all schedulers - you can run any program on a schedule.

The program is free for us, Russian-speaking users.

Shutter is a small program with which you can automate some actions on your computer. The application allows you to: shut down, restart and put your computer into sleep or hibernation mode.

In addition, the tool can turn off the monitor, start the screensaver, change the volume, open a file, close a window, end the process, play music, etc. The listed actions can be launched according to a schedule or when a designated event is triggered.

Thus, the utility will perform the specified action on a timer or when the desired event is triggered. If you select a timer, you can set the action time or set the countdown timer. If you select an event, then the user must set an event from the presented list: processor load, computer inactivity, battery low, etc. Additional advantages of the application include: the ability to manage it through the web interface and a small use of system resources.

Off timer 4.3

Shutdown timer - the name of this program speaks for itself, thanks to this utility you can specify at what time your computer should shut down. In addition to shutting down, the program can put the computer into sleep mode, break the Internet connection and provide other options.

The application will help save time for users by taking over the function of shutting down the computer. This becomes especially useful when the user ends the working day at the same time, thus, having predetermined the shutdown time, he does not have to wait for the computer to turn off.

Please note that before turning off your PC, you need to save all work data, since before turning off your computer, the utility will close all applications, and unsaved data will be lost.

GS Auto Clicker 3.1.2

Some applications and games force users to click on the mouse buttons many times, such requirements are not to everyone's liking, because, firstly, it is terribly boring, and secondly, it takes a lot of your time. What if you still want to play or need to work? There is a way out, this is a free program called GS Auto Clicker.

GS AutoClicker is easy to use, after installing it, the user needs to configure a key by pressing which this product will automatically perform mouse clicks. In addition, the utility can record the movement of the mouse cursor and clicks on its buttons, and then repeat these actions.

The user can flexibly customize the behavior of the program, for example, it is possible to specify what type of clicks should be made (single or double), specify a certain number of clicks after which the application will stop, and also determine the time between clicks.

Clickermann 4.11.000

Clickermann is a powerful freeware program capable of fully emulating keyboard and mouse actions. This programmable clicker can automate many of the operations that the user performs daily while working or playing at the computer.

The application is very popular among gamers, because Klickerman allows you to perform monotonous actions in games without user participation, thus, the gameplay continues, and you do not have to perform boring routine operations to upgrade your character.

In addition, this product supports both keyboard and mouse control, is able to analyze the image on the display, as well as read, write to files and run certain applications. All these features greatly help simplify the automation process.

Switch Off 3.5.1.950

Switch Off will help you automatically shutdown or restart your computer, and lock the system or disconnect the Internet connection. The application can perform all these actions according to a pre-configured schedule.

Thanks to the timely shutdown of your computer, you will save energy and, moreover, you will be able to sleep in silence without the annoying noise of the fans, because often during the evening watching a movie, many users fall asleep without turning off their PC.

In addition to automatic power management, it is possible to perform the same actions manually through the Switch Off menu. In addition, the utility is so advanced that it allows you to shut down your computer remotely via a web interface that is securely password protected.

Ghost Mouse 3.2.3

In the process of working at a computer, users have to repeat the same actions from time to time, which is usually tiring. In order to free users from routine operations, a useful free program called Ghost Mouse was invented.

Thanks to this application, it becomes possible to record the movement of the cursor and mouse clicks, as well as keystrokes on the keyboard. Those. you need to fix the sequence of actions once and after that they will be performed as many times as you like.

The product has two main controls, the first is the record button, by clicking on which you can start to perform various manipulations of the mouse and keyboard, and the second is the play button, which starts the execution of the operations just recorded.

MInstAll 1.0.1.68

MInstAll is a powerful free program that allows you to automatically install applications and configure the Microsoft Windows operating system. This utility is a simplified version of the Windows Post-Installation Wizard.

The application is convenient to use both at home after reinstalling the OS for quickly deploying the programs and system options you need, and in offices for setting up a large number of computers.

So, the utility in question is able to form groups from programs and sort them, add various profiles for installation, run autoinstallation and applications in hidden mode, while you can use the key reference book to correctly configure the required installers.

PowerOff (Power Off, Power Off) 6.4

PowerOff is a free program whose main function is to manage the power of your computer. You can control the power of your PC by timer, date, or the occurrence of a certain event.

The Power Off application has a huge number of functions and allows you to turn off the computer, put it into sleep or standby mode, as well as restart, disconnect the Internet connection, turn off the monitor, start the screen saver, etc.

The above actions can be performed scheduled or by pressing hot keys, and the program has the ability to bind certain actions to the hot keys convenient for you.

nnCron (nnCron) 1.93b3

nnCron is a small program that is a powerful task scheduler. The application has incorporated many simple and extraordinary functions, some of which we perform every day, and with the help of it all this can be automated.

Thus, you can configure the daily launch of sound notification at a specific time, it is noteworthy that if the task has not been completed, then the program will take this into account and restart it as soon as possible.

It also supports useful tasks that allow you to manage the computer's power, for example, turning it off, putting it into sleep mode, and waking it up from sleep mode, so that you can perform the desired operation.

The article was published on the Boris Lion website on June 21, 2008 - http://borislion.ru/ (The initiative to write this article belongs to Boris Lion, for which many thanks to him)

In this article, you will learn about automating routine actions on your computer. And also I will talk about how and with the help of what this automation can be organized.

Quite often, on a computer, you have to do some simple but repetitive actions such as mouse movements, keystrokes, text input.

This is a monotonous and completely uninteresting job. How I would like it to be done by itself! Or, so that its execution would be taken over by the computer.

That's quite possible.

To solve this problem, there are special programs that allow you to record user actions (mouse movements, keystrokes) and then reproduce them at the right time.

Roughly speaking, you show the computer what it needs to do, and then it will reproduce your actions then and as many times as you need.

In this case, the software with which you work will assume that the reproduced actions come from the user, from you.

This way, you can automate any repetitive actions on your computer.

I tried several automation programs and most of all I was satisfied with the development of Denis Safonov called AutoClickExtreme:.

The AutoClickExtreme program serves just to automate repeated user actions.

With it, you can process tables in Excel, work through a large number of files, make a backup copy of important data, and also transfer databases from one format to another.

These are just a few of the possible uses of this program. With it, you can automate almost any simple repetitive task.

Here are some useful features of AutoClickExtreme.

1. Ability to quickly replay recorded actions. A computer is faster than you and can do the same things dozens of times faster.
2. The ability to manually edit the result of recording actions. For example, you can remove unnecessary actions in the recording, such as unnecessary movement of the mouse.
3. Possibility to insert text of any length instead of any short word (function "autotext") in any program.
4. The launch of a specific playback can be tied to a hotkey. And using this key, launch it at any moment you need.
5. The ability to play back recorded actions in a loop any number of times. Put on 100,000 cycles and go to bed, everything will be done by itself.
6. The ability to insert arbitrary delay into recorded actions. You can postpone the start for any period of time, insert a delay command between any actions.

Besides the benefits, there are some limitations when using AutoClickExtreme.

1. Does not always adequately reproduce recorded actions in games based on DirectX.
2. There is no way to work with console programs, since work with it is based on different principles of entering information from the keyboard and mouse than Windows applications.

Personal automation is a creative business, for sure you can come up with some kind of your own, original application of this program.

I will now give you some valuable ideas for using AutoClickExtreme.

• In your absence, it is possible to run any programs or processes. Moreover, your computer itself may well do complex things such as launching an Internet connection, connecting to a specific site and performing some actions on it.
• It is possible to perform actions for programs running with long delays. It is better to leave in your absence the "robot" instead of itself, which will continue the business after the completion of any lengthy process.
• Organization of the launch of certain programs and documents when the computer boots up so that you can immediately start working with them. Another option is to prepare several options for running programs or documents, depending on the type of work. And there will be no need to waste time preparing before work.
• Configure your own "hotkeys" that were not provided in a particular program. Write down the necessary actions with the program, and "hang" them on a specific hotkey.
• Massively process a large number of documents: databases, images, texts, making some kind of standardized edits.
• It is possible to back up valuable documents on your computer. Automated backup of the most important folders to another medium, which would be done without your presence, will protect your work files from loss in case of failures.
• If in the work you need to automate something to number or calculate, you can use the standard program "calculator" or Excel, where the data is inserted, the calculation is carried out and the result is then copied to another file.
• It is convenient to distribute information from one document to several different ones.

Why does it make sense to automate your work as much as possible with AutoClickExtreme?

• You will be able to save time and nerves that you would spend on routine operations.
• Using the call of recorded actions on hotkeys, you can give yourself additional tools for work, even more saving your time.
• You completely rule out errors. The human factor works, and when performing the same type of work, sometimes there will be shortcomings. The computer is not wrong.

Overall I liked AutoClickExtreme. It is interesting that the demo tape draws quite complex images "by hand" in the Paint graphic editor. It's worth looking at.

Summing up, I can say that optimizing and automating your work on a computer is an important topic that allows you to get a lot of benefits. AutoClickExtreme is a very useful tool that I advise you to try and use.

Main functions

• easy-to-learn syntax like Basic;
• emulation of computer mouse movements and keystrokes;
• process management;
• managing windows of active applications;
• launching certain actions by pressing hot keys;
• creation of GUI - graphical user interface;
• work with the registry, clipboard, network;
• processing functions, loops, logical conditions, etc.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• free distribution;
• small size and independence;
• simple syntax;
• support for unicode;
• editor with syntax highlighting;
• imitation of cursor movements, keystrokes in any application;
• interacting with controls even in inactive windows.

Flaws:

• you need to spend some time learning the language.

Analogs

AutoHotkey. Free set of professional tools for automating work on a PC. This program is self-sufficient, can customize keystrokes, and has its own programming language. All this makes it possible to create complex workflows and graphical dialog boxes. Also, the program can use COM, with the help of which other applications are controlled. But this solution also has its drawbacks: the lack of an editor with syntax highlighting and the inability to debug scripts.

xStarter. A free automation program that even novice users can figure out. In its visual designer, you can record a sequence of actions. It is also possible to create a graphical interface, dialog boxes. The program has a task scheduler. Of the minuses: not always the correct setting of the keyboard layout, the lack of a text-based programming function.

Work principles

To create a script, assign a folder for it and install AutoIt. Click on the free space in this folder and check the items "Create", "AutoIt v3 Script":

Script creation

Then set a name for the script, and then open it for writing commands by calling the context menu and selecting the "Edit Script" item. After that, the editor for the program should open - SciTe:

Editor for the program

The script will be empty at first. Comments in it are highlighted in green. There are single and multi-line comments.

To add the ability to display text in your script, use the "MsgBox" function by entering the line MsgBox (0, "Tutorial", "Hello World!") At the end of the file. The values ​​in parentheses are parameters to the function.

There are two ways to run the file:

1. Via the context menu:

Run script

2. Through the editor:

Running through the editor

To learn how to work with files in the program, we suggest watching the video:

AutoIt is a functional scripting program.

xStarter automates day-to-day scheduling or system event tasks.

Key Benefits

Reduce your working hours by 35%.

By creating macros for your daily tasks, you save yourself from the routine. And the computer can execute these macros using xStarter even in your absence according to the schedule.

Take care of the safety of your data.

If it takes almost no effort to automatically back up your documents and emails, then why not?

Replacement for Windows Scheduler.

The advanced xStarter scheduler will allow you to more precisely set the moment of the program launch or task execution. Tasks can be launched at exactly the specified time, periodically, or in a complex format. When xStarter is running in NT service mode, it is possible to launch tasks even if there are no active users.

Tracking changes to files and directories.

As soon as a new file appears in the specified directory, the xStarter program will inform you about it or perform any action. In the same way, xStarter tracks changes and deletions of files and directories, including changes in subdirectories.

Actions on the Internet.

Sending and receiving e-mail, working with files via FTP and HTTP - this is just a short list of what you can automate when working on the Internet. For example: receive daily reports and save them to the specified directory; send notifications about completed tasks without user assistance; download log and other files, etc.

Windows macros.

You can record macros while working in any program and with any object in the Microsoft Windows environment using xStarter. Each macro is a file that contains a sequence of recorded movements and mouse clicks, keystrokes of the keyboard. This file can be played at any time according to the schedule or hotkey, as if these actions are performed by you.

Remote control.

With xStarter Web Pilot it becomes possible to launch tasks on remote computers, view tasks and their logs, disable / enable.

Compilation of tasks.

From xStarter tasks, you can create .exe files and transfer tasks between computers. When starting tasks, users can fill in some parameters specific to a given user or computer.

Firebird / Interbase.

A special version of xStarter Job Scheduler for Firebird / Interbase allows you to perform specific tasks for specified database servers. With this version, you can execute SQL scripts, backup / restore databases, etc.

Automation of tasks without programming skills.

Each xStarter task consists of a set of actions. Actions are aimed at performing various functions, here are just a few of them:

• launching programs;
• displaying messages on the screen;
• Internet connection;
• synchronization of directories;
• operations with windows;
• operations with text and log files;
• disconnecting and connecting network directories;
• etc.

Tasks can be executed according to a schedule, hotkeys, or system events.

System requirements

Intel Pentium or compatible processor
Windows NT4 / 2000 / XP / 2003 / Vista