AutoHotkey Community

[newbieEdward]

I am new to autohotkey. when i open a website, such as suggestedin the tutorial, Run www.google.com it takes 5 or 6 seconds, the same just for opening a folder, for example, Run, C:\My Recordings. The only command i have tried so far that is quick is MsgBox. This is on XP home. If anyone knows how to make it run quickly, i would love to know. thanks, edward

[sinkfaze]

All AHK does when Run www.google.com is executed is call your default web browser to open the website; everthing else in terms of speed is dependent upon your PC and your web browser. The same also applies for Run, C:\My Recordings with an additional factor being the size of the folder being accessed. If you have any doubts here's a way to check how quickly the commands are being executed:

[pajenn]

try running those commands a few times in a row to make sure the delay is not due to the initialization of your browsers. compare to how quickly they open if you use a regular shortcut.

check that your antivirus/antispyware or firewall isn't delaying ahk to scan it (whitelist autohotkey.exe and *.ahk).

use "SetBatchLines, -1" or "Process, Priority, High" at the beginning of the script, though these are more likely to matter only for larger scripts or when your system is under stress.

I see people debate the usefulness of "defragging" quite a bit, but I'm a proponent of it when done to optimize file arrangement rather than just straight defragmenting of files. I enable last access time stamps i.e. turn off (to 0) NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate entries in registry (for ntfs only of course), and I use a good defragger to optimize my system. i.e. generally they move the files that are accessed frequently to the faster areas of the hard drive (outer edge), but I also like to move frequently used *.exe, *.dll, *.ahk, etc to the fast areas, and files I never need (*.zip, *.rar, *.iso, ...) to the inner (slower) areas.
_________________
Hardware: 1.8 GHz laptop with 4 GB ram, Windows XP/SP3
Software: Prevx, Privatefirewall, KeyScrambler.

[BoBo³]

[Lexikos]

At least one other user has had this problem. I couldn't find the thread, but I think explicitly specifying the browser exe solved the problem. For instance:

[pajenn]

[newbieEdward2]

Lexicox, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I tried inserting the path as you suggested and the result: (using the timer MsgBox suggested by sinkfaze, for which I am also appreciative) the time to open google.com was reduced as follows: Before: 14656 ms. After: 94 ms.!!!!!! I had tried opening the browser repeatedly and the timing did not change. Even opening C:\My Recording took over 7 seconds (for example,7844 ms, 7656 ms, 7938 ms on three successive attempts. And, the size of the MyRecording file is only 252 mb). So, the path is the answer. I studied a little bit of VB (back in the day of VB 4.0), so boy am I going to enjoy AutoHotkey. This looks like a great forum. If I had not found a solution to this slow opening issue, I would not used this terrific program. I think I already said it, but I will say it again to make sure: Thank you, Lexicos!!!!! Edward in Seattle, Washington.

[newbieEdward3]

Thank you Lexikos! Sorry I so badly mispelled your name!!! Don't know what I was thinking, if anything

[Jayman]

[hutch@edge.net]

Too late for me. I cracked up, already. LOL. (I'm soooo freakin' immature.)

[Miles11]

Does anyone know why explorer is much slower to open c:\ than google, as below? I can click Start, My Computer and then C: much faster than AutoHotKey opens C: as per the second script below.

!x::
Start := A_TickCount
Run iexplore.exe http://www.google.com
MsgBox % A_TickCount - Start "ms have passed."
return

!y::
Start := A_TickCount
Run iexplore.exe C:\
MsgBox % A_TickCount - Start "ms have passed."
return

[Z_Gecko]

[Lexikos]

Btw, you can also open an explorer window with a particular object selected:

[pajenn]