A few times per day, I do some Thai study on my windows7 computer. When I do so, I open openoffice (word processing), audacity (sound office), anki (flashcards), and opera with a particular thai dictionary website. Each time I study, I configure each program to take up a portion of the screen (Screen split in half, then open office occupies about 4/5's of one half, and audacity the remaining portion of that half. Anki occupies about 1/3 of the other half, with the website occupying the remaining 2/3's of the other half.)

Is there a way I can quick launch all 4 of these programs with a single click....and then have all four programs open up in their alloted space? I've tried searching for ways to do it, but so far, no luck.

Using a batch file (.bat) will allow you to open all the programs. If you close the programs in their size and position normally then they should start up in the same last position. batch files. I just tested it and works ok.

Using a batch file (.bat) will allow you to open all the programs. If you close the programs in their size and position normally then they should start up in the same last position. batch files. I just tested it and works ok.

That was pretty easy. Here's what the file looks like:

@echo off

start "opera" "C:\Program Files\Opera\opera.exe"

start "anki" "C:\Program Files\Anki\anki.exe"

start "openoffice" "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\swriter.exe"

Can you tell me how to get a openoffice to open to a specific document? For example, I'd like to open the file located at:

C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt

Can you suggest a solution? Thanks for your help!

Can you tell me how to get a openoffice to open to a specific document? For example, I'd like to open the file located at:

C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt

Put the document option at the end of the executable statement like this:

start "openoffice" "C:\Program Files\OpenOffice.org 3\program\swriter.exe" "C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt"

Just realized there is a simpler way as long as the extension is associated with the application. This doesn't require calling the application directly.

start "openoffice" "C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt"

Just realized there is a simpler way as long as the extension is associated with the application. This doesn't require calling the application directly.

start "openoffice" "C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt"

Thanks for the help. I got all the programs to open.....and, as you mentioned, ?faster? than normal. I'm happy! Thanks

Just realized there is a simpler way as long as the extension is associated with the application. This doesn't require calling the application directly.

start "openoffice" "C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt"

Thanks for the help. I got all the programs to open.....and, as you mentioned, ?faster? than normal. I'm happy! Thanks

My DOS years still comes in handy sometimes.

Just realized there is a simpler way as long as the extension is associated with the application. This doesn't require calling the application directly.

start "openoffice" "C:\Users\Windows XP\Desktop\homework.odt"

Thanks for the help. I got all the programs to open.....and, as you mentioned, ?faster? than normal. I'm happy! Thanks

My DOS years still comes in handy sometimes.

If you wanted to go even further with it you could use the nircmd app in a batch file to force the size and positions of each window, so you could have multiple layouts in different batch files...

EDIT: NirCMD is from here: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/nircmd2.html#using Nir Sofer's applications are very well done, small simple utilities.

Edited May 4, 201016 yr by Veazer

Thanks to both of you for your help. I was just getting ready to ask if there's a way to auto-size each window (roughly 1/4 of the screen to each of the four programs.) Anki always opens in max, but Opera, Audacity, and openoffice will open in the last saved configuration. I was hoping there'd be a simple way to resize using a batch file..........in NirCMD it appears I'd need to use the win setsize to set met screens. I feel a bit over my head with NirCMD........but I may play with it anyway. Thanks again for your tips!

Some extra free time and curiosity got the better of me.......I 'figured out' how to get Anki to open up to a smaller window (duh, resize the window, then save!) So, now I'm a very happy camper, four programs open to designated screen space with a single click. Thanks again for the advice and tips.