Alternatives to RecentX

[DerekHal]

Hi.

Last week, I was told by the IT Department at my job that I could not longer keep RecentX on my computer (not even the portable version). I'd won a licence here at Donationcoder quite a while ago, and it's a small nice utility I use occasionally for finding recently used files (and sometimes folders).

I am trying out Foldercache, but I need something more like what I've been accustomed to. When googling I didn't get any good results, probably because it's not that easy to "explain" the issue to a search engine.

Any suggestions?

[Jibz]

There are sites like alternativeto which sometimes can help:

http://alternativeto...et/software/recentx/

Not sure if any of the ones listed do what you need of course.

[DerekHal]

Not really.

That's an excellent website, but I'm not looking for another launcher (which is what RecentX also can be used for), but rather something similar in the way you access RecentX (it's tiny toolbar is an always on top window, put aside at the edge of the screen) and the way it displays MRU items.

[cthorpe]

If you aren't allowed to use RecentX, are you going to be allowed to use another program?  Why won't they let you use RecentX?


Carl

[DerekHal]

RecentX is payware.

Even if I won it in a contest, and it's for my personal use (portable version installed on my computer only), I'm not allowed to use it.

Their license scanning application found it. And maybe RecentX would be found even if used from a USB Stick. On my computer it was installed on C: in an ordinary folder.

I don't think it's worth arguing since it's not an essential application. But it's a pity, since it's free and only used by me.

[Curt]

What operating system are you working with?

Is MRU files the most wanted feature?

Do you also need quick "Open..." / "Save as..." navigation shortcuts?

[DerekHal]

My job computer runs Windows XP.

And yes, the MRU/cache function is what I'm looking for.

At one occasion I hoped for Direct Folders to be an option, but as far as I remember, it had to be installed which I didn't have the privilege for. At my previous job I sometimes used Folder Guide. However, these two applications only deal with folders. The thing with RecentX is that it handles files, folders, programs, as well as URLs.

For a file, you can select/click it in the same way you do in Windows Explorer to open it with the associated program. That's enough, as far as I'm concerned, and what I need.

[MilesAhead]

I haven't used RecentX. Does it only track files opened by it, or does it track all files opened by Explorer/command line?

[x16wda]

I used ReOpen (same folks as FolderCache, the next program down on the web page) for awhile before I found Listary.

[DerekHal]

As far as I can see it tracks any recently used file, folder, program, and website.

I am however not sure if all activity is monitored, or if the MRU concept itself depend on other applications to write these items to disk. But maybe this goes for any caching application. I also haven't a clue if the Windows registry is involved in some way.

I have installed the portable versions of Folder Meny and Listary at home to check them out. Folder Menu seems good enough, it's small, and not asking me to upgrade to a pro-version. Still, they are not really equivalents to RecentX.

[tomos]

I dont use RecentX nor this plugin, so not sure - but worth a try I'd say:

How about FARR with
FARR plugin: FARR Most Recently Used 1.0.0



(Commercial use allowed for individuals.)

[DerekHal]

Didn't know about that plugin. I tested it, and it looks good.

Hopefully there's a switch for starting FARR with the MRU-plugin pre-loaded, but is it also possible to define which one of the MRU-lists that are to be displayed automatically upon launching?

[tomos]

Hopefully there's a switch for starting FARR with the MRU-plugin pre-loaded, but it is also possible to define which one of the MRU-lists that are to be displayed automatically upon launching?

-DerekHal (August 26, 2012, 07:33 AM)

phitsc (the plugin author) is an active dc member, so it possibly would be best to ask in that plugin thread to get his attention.

[Curt]

How about FARR

-tomos (August 26, 2012, 06:39 AM)

Find and Run Robot isn't the only program of its type available on the internet, though we think it's the best. Like most DonationCoder.com programs, you'll find a complete help file in the download that lists all similar shareware and freeware programs we know about (Launchy, Quicksilver, Dash, AppRocket, and many more).

-FARR

[MilesAhead]

As far as I can see it tracks any recently use file, folder, program, and website.
...

-DerekHal (August 26, 2012, 05:39 AM)

That's interesting. When I was looking into doing MRU stuff I thought to hook ShellExecute. Turns out that's deprecated as of Vista. Also the Registry has some MRU lists. I noticed on one site a programmer found from testing that the start menu "frequently used" mechanism favored some MS apps even if they were only used once recently over some 3rd party apps launched 30 times. The docs on WMI which can do performance and some other monitoring are kind of vague.

Due to these complications I went with the simpler active window monitoring approach. It would be nicer if there was a simpe way to get notified every time the system launched something. But maybe because of malware it's discouraged.

From what you say it sounds like RecentX hooks ShellExecute, but that's just a guess. I'm reluctant to hook into that function since it does most of the app loading and a bug would be system wide. Also it's the type of thing probably better done in a c/c++ based language or asm rather than script. Better done by a software team with resources, esp. since they get some income to offset the risks.

[DerekHal]

It seems that FolderMenu is a decent replacement (the RecentX tabbed dialog with MRU data is however much more developed).

It's written in AutoIt3, combined with XML. But the FolderMenu code doesn't say much to me (I'm not a programmer, even if I have compiled a few C++ and Java/Swing applications). I'm not even sure the source code page I've linked to here shows all source code, and in worst case the code only covers it's own UI.

It would be interesting to understand how FolderMenu deal with ShellExecute or whatever it uses to access global MRU data. Unfortunately, in this case I'm not the "chosen one".

Apparently - it gets the job done.

[MilesAhead]

Apparently - it gets the job done.

-DerekHal (August 26, 2012, 12:54 PM)

I don't remember much about it. But apparently I tried it back in 2009

http://www.autoitscr...er-menu/#entry728150

Seems like it insisted on opening the new folder in the current window when Explorer is set to open in current window. At any rate, the auhor never responded to my post. If you're happy with it then it's all good.