Feedback wanted: CtrlDeck, a visual shortcut panel for Windows workflows

[COM BOX]

Hi everyone,

I’m Bruno, the developer behind COM'BOX, and I’m preparing the first public release of Ctrl Deck.

Ctrl Deck is a Windows productivity tool that provides a visual shortcut panel for everyday workflows.

The idea came from a simple problem: many users repeat the same actions every day — opening the same apps, folders, files, URLs, commands or project resources. Over time, the desktop can become messy, and simple actions can require too many clicks.

Ctrl Deck tries to solve this by keeping useful actions visible, organized and fast to launch from one clean interface.

What it does:
- Create visual shortcut panels
- Launch apps, files, folders and URLs
- Run commands from one interface
- Organize repeated workflow actions
- Reduce repetitive clicking
- Keep important actions visible
- Help users control their desktop workflow more clearly

It is not meant to replace advanced automation tools. The goal is more practical: make common actions easier to see, organize and trigger.

CtrlDeck includes a 7-day full-feature trial. After that, a license is required to unlock the full version, while limited trial usage remains available.

I would really appreciate feedback from people who like Windows utilities and workflow tools.

A few questions:
1. Is the value proposition clear?
2. Does the interface look useful for real daily work?
3. Would you describe this more as a launcher, shortcut manager, productivity tool, or workflow panel?
4. What would make you trust a new Windows utility enough to install it?
5. Which use cases seem the most relevant?

Official website:
https://www.com-box.fr/en/ctrl-deck/

Download:
https://downloads.com-box.fr/ctrl-deck-setup-windows-x64.exe

Since my original post, Ctrl Deck has been updated to version 1.3. This is a significant update: Ctrl Deck is no longer just an application launcher, but a more complete visual shortcut hub for Windows.

Version 1.3 adds broader support for apps, URLs, folders, files, Windows shortcuts, executable files, commands and frequent actions, all centralized in one clear and always-accessible panel.

Ctrl Deck 1.3 is also now officially available on Microsoft Store:
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9N2RWL5GNVH9

Thank you again for allowing the post to be published.

Thanks for any honest feedback.

Bruno from COM'BOX.

[COM BOX]

Coming soon: Ctrl Deck V1.7 — a major redesign built for people who work with many applications, folders, files, URLs and everyday resources.

Ctrl Deck is not just an app launcher. It is a visual workspace designed to help you move from one tool to another without repeatedly searching through a crowded taskbar, the Start menu, multiple displays or a long list of open windows.

Open the panel when you need it, select the resource you want, and Ctrl Deck can open it or bring it forward. The panel then gets out of the way so you can return to work immediately.

SMART STARTUP IMPORT

Getting started should not mean rebuilding your entire setup from scratch.

At first launch, Ctrl Deck can analyze compatible application shortcuts already available on your desktop and taskbar. It suggests editable groups based on what it finds, such as Design, Productivity, AI & Development or Communication.

You stay in control at every step:

• select or deselect an entire suggested group;
• select or deselect individual applications inside a group;
• rename or reorganize suggested groups after import;
• ignore anything you do not want to add.

Nothing is moved, deleted or modified in Windows. Ctrl Deck only proposes a starting point based on the tools you already use.

GROUPS THAT MATCH THE WAY YOU WORK

V1.7 replaces the increasingly dense multi-column shortcut layout of earlier versions with a clearer grouped structure.

Create groups for your profession, daily routine, tools, projects, clients or personal organization method. For example:

• Design: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and project assets;
• Productivity: Excel, Word, reporting folders and dashboards;
• AI & Development: ChatGPT, Cursor, Visual Studio Code, documentation and technical portals;
• Communication: Outlook, Slack, Teams, web tools and meeting links;
• Client or Project: the applications, folders, URLs and resources linked to a specific job.

Groups can be expanded individually, collapsed individually, expanded all at once or collapsed all at once. This keeps large configurations readable instead of turning Ctrl Deck into another overloaded taskbar.

THE NEW APPS LIBRARY

The new Apps section helps you find a broad set of compatible applications detected on your computer.

Instead of manually looking for executable paths, you can browse or search the Apps Library and decide how each application should be used:

• add it as an individual shortcut;
• add it to an existing or new group;
• add it to a Workspace;
• use it as part of a dedicated work environment.

The Apps Library is designed to reduce technical friction when you install new software or want to bring an existing application into Ctrl Deck.

If an application is not yet available in the library, Ctrl Deck also keeps its Detect Application feature. Open the application, use detection, and Ctrl Deck helps identify its path so you can decide where to place it.

FAST ACCESS, YOUR WAY

Ctrl Deck remains fully usable through its visual panel. Some users prefer to open the panel, choose a shortcut visually and continue working with a few clicks.

Optional keyboard shortcuts are also available for users who want even faster access.

You can assign an optional shortcut to:

• a single application or resource;
• an entire group of tools.

V1.7 also redesigns shortcut conflict handling. When a configured Ctrl Deck shortcut could conflict with an action used by the active application, Ctrl Deck asks which action should take priority.

The application is selected by default, because standard commands such as saving, copying, searching or editing should normally continue to work as expected. The choice is requested once for the relevant shortcut, stored in the user’s settings and can be changed later.

To reduce conflicts with common Windows and application commands, Ctrl Deck uses three-key shortcut combinations by default. It also supports dedicated Ctrl + number shortcuts from Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 0 for direct access where appropriate.

WORKSPACES FOR DAILY WORK, PROJECTS AND CLIENTS

A Workspace is not limited to a client or a project.

Your first Workspace can simply be your daily work environment: the applications, folders, URLs and resources you want ready when you start your day.

You can also create Workspaces for:

• a design workflow;
• a marketing campaign;
• a development project;
• a client file;
• a property or real-estate case;
• a reporting routine;
• a specific professional task.

Workspaces can be prepared manually by adding the applications, folders, files, URLs and compatible resources you need.

They can also be created from a useful current work setup: once you have opened the compatible tools and resources that make up an environment you want to reuse, you can save that setup as a Workspace and return to it more easily later.

The goal is simple: prepare a useful environment once, then avoid rebuilding it from memory every time.

LIVE SPACES FOR INTERRUPTIONS

Live Spaces provide an additional layer of continuity when you have to leave a task quickly.

Before an interruption, save a Live Space based on your current compatible work context. When you return, Ctrl Deck helps you reopen compatible items and recover a useful part of that environment faster.

Live Spaces do not replace saving your documents and do not claim to restore every aspect of Windows, every application state or every unsaved file. Their purpose is practical: help you return to the compatible tools and resources you were using without starting from zero.

SEARCH, DRAG AND DROP, REPAIR AND CONTROL

V1.7 improves access across the application:

• search for shortcuts, applications or groups from the management screen;
• search the Apps Library to find compatible detected applications;
• use drag and drop to place compatible resources where they are useful;
• add folders, files, URLs and shortcuts to your personal setup;
• check and repair resources when a shortcut target has moved, disappeared or is no longer available;
• keep your panel accessible while using the new quick hide option when you need it out of view.

EXPORT, IMPORT AND QUICK START

Your configuration can be exported and imported, including the groups you created or renamed. This makes it easier to back up, reuse or transfer your Ctrl Deck setup.

The new Quick Start button links to guided help and video resources so users can understand the main features quickly and get more value from Ctrl Deck without having to guess how everything works.

AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS — AND USERS WHO WANT MORE CONTROL

Ctrl Deck V1.7 is designed for professionals who use many tools throughout the day, but it does not require expert Windows knowledge to be useful.

Designers, marketers, developers, office professionals, sales teams, real-estate professionals, project managers and multi-tool users can organize their tools around the way they actually work.

An advanced area is also available for users who want to go further with developer-oriented actions and associations.

Ctrl Deck V1.7 is more than a launcher.

It helps you access tools faster, organize your environment more clearly, prepare useful Workspaces, recover from interruptions more smoothly and spend less time searching for what you already use every day.

If you have any ideas for improvements, please use this link : https://www.com-box.fr/en/feedback/
or obviously, you can give me your feedback right here. Thanks.

[COM BOX]

Ctrl Deck V1.8 is now available — new Favorites, 14-day trial, 10 languages, and a more refined Windows workspace experience

Hi everyone,

I'm back with a substantial update to Ctrl Deck, the Windows productivity application I've been developing under COMBOX.

When I first introduced Ctrl Deck here in May, it was primarily a visual launcher for everyday resources. My June update introduced the much broader V1.7 direction: Groups, application discovery, Workspaces, Live Spaces, workspace capture, keyboard shortcuts and smarter window handling.

Today, Ctrl Deck V1.8 is officially available.

This release builds on that foundation, making its more advanced features easier to discover, understand and use every day. I've also substantially improved the documentation, added three languages and doubled the full-feature trial period.

1. NEW FAVORITES — YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCES FIRST

Favorites are one of the main new features in V1.8.

You can now mark important Groups, Workspaces and individual applications inside your Groups as Favorites.

A simple star identifies them, and your favorite resources are brought together more prominently in the panel, with automatic alphabetical organization.

For example, you might have:
- A Development Workspace containing your editor, terminal, project folders and documentation.
- A Design Group containing your creative applications.
- Your most frequently used applications within different Groups.
- A Workspace dedicated to your daily administrative tasks.

You no longer need to navigate through the complete organization whenever you want to access your essentials.

Screenshot 1 — Ctrl Deck V1.8 main panel with Favorites and license status


2. WORKSPACES — REUSABLE ENVIRONMENTS FOR DAILY WORK

Workspaces were introduced before V1.8, but they remain one of the capabilities I particularly want new users to discover.

A Workspace is a collection of applications and resources associated with an activity, project or routine.

For instance:
- A developer might combine an IDE, project folders, a browser and documentation.
- A designer might organize creative tools, asset folders and reference pages.
- An office worker might prepare a reporting environment with spreadsheets, documents and web applications.
- A freelancer might keep separate Workspaces for different clients.

You can build a Workspace manually, or capture compatible resources from an existing work environment and turn that configuration into a reusable Workspace.

The purpose isn't to replace Windows or provide full system-state virtualization. It's to reduce the repetitive work of finding and reopening the same resources.

V1.8 improves the accessibility, clarity and everyday usability of these features.

Screenshot 2 — Organizing applications and resources into Workspaces


3. LIVE SPACES — CONTINUITY WHEN YOUR WORK IS INTERRUPTED

Live Spaces complement Workspaces.

Imagine having several applications, folders and web resources open when you suddenly need to interrupt your work.

Instead of trying to remember everything afterward, you can capture a compatible working context and return to those resources more easily.

A Live Space can also serve as a starting point for creating a permanent Workspace.

To be clear, this does not recover unsaved document contents or guarantee restoration of every internal application state. It is a practical way to remember and reopen compatible resources.

For users who regularly switch between projects or work with many open windows, this can substantially reduce repetitive navigation.


4. BETTER KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS AND CONFLICT HANDLING

Ctrl Deck offers two complementary ways of working.

You can use the visual panel to see and select your resources, or configure keyboard shortcuts and trigger actions without displaying the panel.

The shortcut system was already present in V1.7, but V1.8 improves the configuration experience, visibility of relevant options and feedback surrounding shortcut conflicts.

This matters because keyboard combinations are already widely used by Windows and individual applications.

Ctrl Deck helps identify overlapping combinations and allows users to manage shortcut behavior rather than blindly overriding familiar commands.

The objective is to give users flexibility without making everyday operations unpredictable.

Screenshot 4 — Shortcut configuration and conflict detection


5. MORE INTUITIVE APPLICATION DETECTION AND WINDOW MANAGEMENT

Ctrl Deck can help discover compatible applications installed on your Windows PC.

It also provides an Apps Library, resource search and a detection function for applications that need to be identified manually.

V1.8 introduces clearer feedback during application detection and refines the way users understand and manage detected resources.

Ctrl Deck can also recognize an application window that is already running and bring it to the foreground when appropriate, instead of unnecessarily launching another instance.

This is particularly helpful when moving between several open applications and working environments.

6. A CLEARER INTERFACE AND EASIER PERSONALIZATION

A major part of V1.8 has been about removing friction.

Some of Ctrl Deck's most useful functions were already available, but were not necessarily obvious to someone opening the software for the first time.

I've worked on:
- Making important settings easier to find.
- Clarifying contextual menus and their actions.
- Improving the visibility of Groups, Workspaces and personalization options.
- Making the main interface more understandable.
- Improving feedback during application detection.
- Simplifying access to license and trial information.
- Refining drag-and-drop and resource-management interactions.

The license status is now clearly visible and clickable from the main panel.

The previous Developer Actions feature has also been removed as part of the product's simplification.

7. TEN INTERFACE LANGUAGES

Ctrl Deck V1.8 is now available in ten languages:

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi.

Japanese, Korean and Hindi are the three additions introduced with this version.

8. A MUCH MORE COMPLETE QUICK START GUIDE

This was another major area of work.

Ctrl Deck is deliberately designed to be approachable through its visual interface, but there are many capabilities behind that initial simplicity.

To make those capabilities easier to understand, the Quick Start documentation has been substantially expanded with annotated screenshots, explanations and short demonstrations.

It covers topics such as:
- First launch and initial application import.
- Selecting and organizing detected resources.
- Groups and Favorites.
- The Apps Library.
- Creating and managing Workspaces.
- Capturing working environments.
- Live Spaces.
- Drag-and-drop organization.
- Keyboard shortcuts and conflict handling.

The goal is to help people become productive without needing extensive technical knowledge or a lengthy manual.

Quick Start:
https://www.com-box.fr/en/ctrl-deck/#quick-start

9. FULL 14-DAY TRIAL — ALL FEATURES INCLUDED

The full-feature trial has been extended from seven days to fourteen days.

During the trial, users can explore the complete application without purchasing a license or entering a credit card.

After the trial, the full version is available through a one-time license purchase.

No recurring subscription.

10. PERFORMANCE, RELIABILITY AND GENERAL REFINEMENTS

Alongside the visible changes, V1.8 includes additional work on interface responsiveness, everyday usability, stability, reliability and smaller fixes.

Not every improvement is immediately noticeable in a screenshot. A large part of this release is about making the complete experience more consistent and predictable.

A FEW PRACTICAL POINTS

Ctrl Deck is an installed Windows application, not a browser-based service.

- Windows 10 and Windows 11, 64-bit.
- Available through Microsoft Store.
- Also available as an official digitally signed Windows installer.
- No third-party bundles, adware or unwanted toolbars.
- A 14-day full-feature trial.
- One-time licensing rather than a subscription.
- Ten supported interface languages.

OFFICIAL LINKS

Ctrl Deck product page:
https://www.com-box.fr/en/ctrl-deck/

Official Microsoft Store listing:
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9N2RWL5GNVH9

Detailed Quick Start:
https://www.com-box.fr/en/ctrl-deck/#quick-start

Feedback:
https://www.com-box.fr/en/feedback/

I'D REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK

I originally opened this thread because I wanted to hear from people who enjoy practical Windows utilities, launchers and workflow tools. That is still the reason I'm posting here.

I'm particularly interested in your opinions on a few questions:

1. Do Favorites, Workspaces and Live Spaces seem like a useful combination, or would you organize them differently?
2. Would you prefer to use Ctrl Deck mainly through its visual panel, through keyboard shortcuts, or both?
3. When managing several projects or applications, which repetitive Windows actions frustrate you the most?
4. Is there anything missing that would make Ctrl Deck more useful in your own workflow?

Constructive criticism is just as welcome as positive feedback.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the previous updates. Ctrl Deck has evolved significantly since its first public release, and I'm continuing to refine it around practical, everyday Windows workflows.

Bruno
COMBOX — Developer of Ctrl Deck