ControlPad

It doesn't take long for the Windows Start menu to become too unwieldy for starting frequently used programs, even if they are added to the top left section of the Start menu (known as pinning).

ControlPad is a novel alternative. Once it is installed, hold down the * (asterisk) button on the numerical keyboard and then enter a code to launch programs or open a web address.

It is available as both a portable application (this download), or it can be installed so it starts when Windows does. To start, you'll need to download the installer for ControlPad 0.54.

There are some sound effects that play when the ControlPad appears and a command is launched. A little more frustrating is the custom font used as the default; it isn't very easy to read and we quickly changed it to something easier on the eyes, like Tahoma. This was quite simple to do.

There are a few commands set up, so you'll want to add your own. They are all stored in a simple text file.

ControlPad suffers compared to alternative launchers such as Launchy because you have to remember the codes for the different actions. This is mitigated somewhat if you choose to set up text codes rather than relying on numbers but Launchy still has the edge for making suggestions on partial entries.

There is also a laptop mode to account for the fact that few laptops have a separate numerical keypad.