Open and move multiple programs instantly

Do you have lots of programs to start when you use FSX? Maybe you have multiple monitors and are you sick of moving program windows? I have 6 programs to open and like to spread them over four monitors, but now I open and close them in an instant. How?

 

I simply opened notepad and typed the following code into it, then saved it as a .bat file on my desktop. Mines called FSX Plus Start.bat.

 

I then downloaded CMDOW and put it into my Windows/System32 folder (it can move programs around etc)

 

@echo off

cd "C:\Program Files\Connectivity Tracker"
start InternetConnectivityMonitor.exe

cd "C:\Program Files\Pinglogger"
start pinglogger.exe

cd "C:\Program Files\FS2Phidget"
start /MIN FS2Phidget.exe


start "Start TileProxy" "c:\Documents and Settings\Graham\Desktop\Start TileProxy.lnk"

cd "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X"
start fsx.exe

cd "C:\Program Files\SmartClose"
start SmartClose.exe

cmdow "FSX Plus Start" /mov 2480 600
cmdow "Internet Connectivity Monitor 1.41" /res
cmdow "Internet Connectivity Monitor 1.41" /mov 2990 0
cmdow "Start TileProxy" /mov -1280 0
cmdow PingLogger /res
cmdow PingLogger /mov -1285 360
cmdow "Welcome to SmartClose" /mov -600 0
exit

 

Explanation:

 

• @echo off - stops flashing on your screen
  
• The top half opens the programs.
  
• The lower half moves them
  
• CD means change directory, in other words where's the file you want to open?
  
• The Start command opens a file in that directory/folder
  
• /MIN simply ensures the window opens minimise
  
• Sometimes I've used speechmarks & sometimes not. It all depends if the path or filname has a space in it. If it does, use them.
  
• The CMDOW tells the program you saved in your system32 folder to do it's thing ;-) You'll have to play with the numbers to suit your screen setup. My numbers may even take the programs off your screen, as mine is superwide lol

 

 

The bottom section looks confusing but everything in speechmarks is the name of the file I want to move (sometimes the words in the title bar of the open window), the /res line means "focus on this program" then the next line has X and Y co-ordinates to move it. Modify the code for your programs and see how you get on.

 

How do I open FSX then?

 

Just double click the .bat file

I've got two, one to open the programs and a second to close them. If you right click on the .bat file properties, you can even choose different icons like these below. I got mine from the main FSX folder. I hope someone finds this useful.

Or use SimStarter and not deal with programming files.

Cheers JS,

 

I guess it's the old chestnut of cooking with raw ingrediants vs prepackaged ;-)

 

Personally I like the old fashioned method as it allows for full flexibility, its simple enough to learn but powerful enough to apply to any machine, for non FS programs and you aren't limited by the options in the prepackaged software. Obviously if it was difficult, I'd go microwave meal every time too lol