ALTRun

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A lightweight, open-source launcher for Windows, modeled on Alfred for macOS
Press Alt+Space, type a few letters, press Enter: apps, files, web search, calculations, clipboard and system commands, all from one window

Website · Why ALTRun · Getting started · Features · Shortcuts · Documentation (Wiki) · Changelog

ALTRun: type to search, open the action panel, convert units and search files

## Why ALTRun - **Tiny**: about 2.5 MB, with one `ALTRun.exe` and a few resource files; no .NET, Electron or other runtime to install. - **Fast**: results appear as you type. With [Everything](https://www.voidtools.com/) running, file searches cover all disks in milliseconds; otherwise, ALTRun uses its built-in index. - **Smart ranking**: learns from what you pick; matches word initials (`vsc` → Visual Studio Code) and pinyin initials (`wx` → 微信; file names too: `cs` → 测试文件.zip), and highlights the matched characters. - **Beyond launching**: [Quick Switch](#features) jumps Open / Save dialogs to folders open in Total Commander, Directory Opus or Explorer; act on selected text, files or URLs in any app; expand snippets with `;keyword`. - **All in one**: calculate and convert units, search the web, browse bookmarks, manage clipboard history and snippets, run system commands, or open a terminal—without separate tools for each task. - **Keyboard first**: use `→` for the action panel, see what `Enter` will do in the status bar, edit in place with `F3`, open a result directly with `Ctrl+1`–`Ctrl+9`, or use `Ctrl+Enter` to open a file’s containing folder or paste text into the active window. - **Portable and private**: no installer, registry entries, admin rights, background service or driver. Data stays local by default; some clipboard data is stored in `%LOCALAPPDATA%\ALTRun`. No telemetry; internet access is used for updates, optional exchange rates and site icons you request. - **Automatic updates**: new versions appear in the search window; press `Enter` to install. Packages are SHA256-verified and settings are kept; Scoop is also supported. - **Customizable**: four interface languages—English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Japanese—and 22 built-in themes, each in three densities. Follow Windows light / dark mode or customize themes and settings through plain JSON files. - **Free and open source**: GPL-3.0 licensed, with more than 8,000 tests run automatically on Windows for every pull request. ## Getting started 1. [Download the latest release](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/releases/latest), unzip it to any folder and run `ALTRun.exe` — no installation or AutoHotkey required. 2. Press `Alt+Space` (or `Alt+R`), type an app or file name, then press `Enter`. 3. Type `?` to see all search syntax and shortcuts; press `Ctrl+,` to open Preferences. If Windows SmartScreen blocks the app, choose **More info** → **Run anyway**. For antivirus warnings, see the [FAQ](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/FAQ#my-antivirus-flags-it). You can also install with Scoop or winget (once accepted), or run `ALTRun.ahk` with AutoHotkey v2. See [Installation options and upgrades](#installation-options-and-upgrades) for details. ## Features **Search** - **Search window**: results update as you type, with a title and path for each; the window grows with the results, can be dragged and remembers its position, and opens on the screen with the mouse pointer when you have several monitors. - **Apps**: Start menu, desktop and Microsoft Store apps are indexed automatically, and newly installed programs show up within seconds; press `Ctrl+Del` to hide apps or built-in commands you don't want, and restore them in Preferences. - **Match highlighting**: the parts of a title that match what you typed (consecutive characters, word initials, pinyin initials) are highlighted. - **Files and folders**: in an empty search box, press `Space` first and then type a name (or use `'report` or `open report`). With Everything running it searches all disks, otherwise the built-in index; type a path such as `D:\Projects\` to browse folder by folder; `recent report` searches the files you opened recently in any program. Files can also show in normal results, matched by the start of a name or anywhere in it (Preferences → File Search). - **Custom commands**: files, folders, programs (with arguments) and web addresses, each with optional keywords (several, separated by commas, if you switch keyboard layouts). Add them from Explorer with right-click → Send to → ALTRun (several at once works too), and check for commands whose path no longer exists. - **Learned ranking**: remembers which result you picked for each query and moves frequent picks up. - **Pinned and recent items**: before you type anything, the window lists your pinned items and recently opened ones. - **Usage statistics**: counts per day and per feature (only counts are recorded). - **Calculator**: type an expression directly; supports unit conversion (`10 km in mi`), number bases (`255 in hex`), date arithmetic (`today + 30 days`) and optional currency conversion (`100 usd to sgd`). - **Web search**: `g keywords` (Google), `bd keywords` (Baidu) and more; search engines are customizable (`g` and a space with nothing after it searches the clipboard text), and web search is offered when nothing else matches. - **Browser bookmarks**: searches Chrome, Edge, Brave and Vivaldi bookmarks; `bm keywords` searches bookmarks only. - **Window switcher**: type a window title or program name to switch to an open window; `w keywords` searches windows only, `w ` lists them all. - **System commands**: lock, sleep, shut down, empty the Recycle Bin, volume and media control, Windows tools, more than 40 Windows Settings pages (Display, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and so on), and text conversions (case, sorting, Simplified / Traditional Chinese and more). **Productivity** - **Action panel**: select a result and press `→` (or right-click) to list what you can do with it, such as run as administrator, open file location, copy path, open a terminal here, show properties or (when turned on) open the Windows context menu with the items 7-Zip, Git and other programs add. - **Actions on selected content**: select text, files or a URL in any program and press `Ctrl+Alt+\` for actions such as web search, save as a snippet, or convert and replace the original text. - **Edit in place**: press `F3` to edit a command, snippet or search engine; apps and files can be turned into custom commands in one step. - **Clipboard history**: press `Ctrl+Alt+C` or type `clip`. Records text, files and images; pin the ones you use often, paste as plain text, and ignore anything copied from password managers. - **Text snippets**: search by name, keyword or content; placeholders such as `{date}`, `{clipboard}` and `{cursor}`; type `;keyword` in any program to expand a snippet; import them in bulk from Excel / CSV, or export them. - **Terminal**: type `>ipconfig /all` to run it in a terminal. - **Large type**: press `Ctrl+L` to show a result in full-screen large type, handy for phone numbers or calculation results (turn it on in Preferences → Features). **Extensions** - **Quick Switch**: in an Open / Save dialog, press `Ctrl+G` to jump to the folder of the file manager you used last (Total Commander, Directory Opus or Explorer); a folder panel next to the dialog lists every open and recently used folder. Also works in the older Browse for Folder dialog (folder tree only). - **Date stamp**: while renaming a file, press `Ctrl+D` to add or update a date before the extension (`Report.docx` → `Report - 28.09.2026.docx`). - **Custom hotkeys**: assign a hotkey to any system command, optionally only inside specific programs. - **Scripts**: put `.ahk`, `.ps1`, `.bat` or `.py` scripts into the `Scripts\` folder and run them from the search window, with an argument, in the background or with their output shown. **For structural engineers** - **Structural calculations** (off by default): the calculator can add beam main bars and rebar area below its result. - **PT Tools**: rebar / mesh area calculations and SPF2M post-tensioning tendon profiles, with results you can copy to Excel. ## Screenshots | Search window | Action panel (`→`) | |:---:|:---:| |

| | **Calculator and unit conversion** | **Pinyin initials (`jsb` finds 记事本, Notepad)** | | Calculator: arithmetic and unit conversion as you type

| | **Clipboard history (`Ctrl+Alt+C` / `clip`): find and paste** | **Pinned and recent items (empty search box)** | | Clipboard history: Ctrl+Alt+C, filter, Enter pastes

| | **Browse folders: `Tab` goes in, `Backspace` goes up** | **Web search (`g` + keywords)** | | Browse folders: type a path, Tab, filter, Backspace

| | **Quick Switch: jump an Open / Save dialog to a folder you have open** | **Themes (Preferences → Appearance)** | | Quick Switch: Ctrl+G and the folder panel jump the dialog to an open folder

Quick Switch: Ctrl+G and the folder panel jump the dialog to an open folder

| | **Window switching (`w` + Space)** | **Add commands from Explorer (right-click → Send to → ALTRun)** | |

Built-in themes (22 in total, each in three densities; click to expand)

| Dark | Classic | Midnight | |:---:|:---:|:---:| | Dark

| | |

The screenshots are generated automatically by [Tests/Screenshots](Tests/Screenshots/TakeScreenshots.ahk) on a Windows runner in GitHub Actions. ## Keyboard shortcuts | Key | Action | |---|---| | `Alt+Space` | Show / hide the search window (configurable) | | `Enter` | Open the selected result | | `Ctrl+Enter` | Files / folders: open the containing folder; text: paste into the active window | | `Alt+Enter` | Copy the path, URL or text | | `Ctrl+1`–`Ctrl+9` | Open the Nth result | | `↑` `↓` / `Ctrl+P` `Ctrl+N` | Move up / down one row | | `PgUp` `PgDn` | Previous / next page | | `Ctrl+↑` / `Ctrl+↓` | Previous / next search from history | | `Tab` | Autocomplete; folders: browse into them (or select the next result, see Preferences → Keyboard) | | `Backspace` (browsing a folder) | Up a level | | `Insert` | Mark several files / folders, then press `→` to act on all of them | | `Space` (in an empty search box, or with the cursor at the start) | Switch to file search, keeping what you typed; `Backspace` in an empty box or at the start switches back | | `folder name` | Search folders only | | `?` | Cheat sheet: every syntax and shortcut | | `→` / right-click | Action panel / action menu | | `F3` | Edit the selected result, or add an app, file or URL as a custom command | | `Ctrl+Del` | Delete the selected result (with confirmation); apps: hide from results | | `Ctrl+C` / `Ctrl+L` | Copy the selected result / large type | | `Ctrl+E` | Edit the selected file in its editor (e.g. an .ahk script) | | `F2` or `Ctrl+,` / `F4` | Preferences / edit ALTRun.json in Notepad | | `F1` | About ALTRun (version, check for updates, project page) | | `Ctrl+Alt+C` | Clipboard history | | `Esc` | Close the action panel / hide the window | For the full syntax (`'file`, `>command`, `clip`, `snip`, web search keywords and more), see [Search and shortcuts](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Usage) in the wiki. ## Documentation The full documentation is in the [wiki](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Home): | Page | Contents | |---|---| | [Installation and upgrades](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Installation) | Download, Scoop / winget, start with Windows, automatic updates, upgrading from 2.x, uninstalling | | [Search and shortcuts](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Usage) | Search syntax, shortcuts, action panel, learned ranking, usage statistics | | [Custom commands](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Custom-Commands) | Command types, commands with an argument, path variables | | [Snippets](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Snippets) | Placeholders, snippet expansion, windows without expansion, import / export | | [File search](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/File-Search) | Everything integration, built-in index, exclusion rules | | [Themes](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Themes) | Built-in themes, custom themes, every available key | | [Extensions](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Extensions) | Quick Switch, date stamp, custom hotkeys, system commands | | [PT Tools](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/PT-Tools) | Rebar and mesh areas, bars required, a calculator; SPF2M tendon profiles | | [Settings reference](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Configuration) | Every ALTRun.json setting and its default value | | [FAQ](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/FAQ) | Hotkey conflicts, things that can't be found, antivirus false positives and more | | [Development guide](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Development) | Architecture, adding a search feature, code style, tests | ## Installation options and upgrades **Scoop** (adds a Start menu shortcut and keeps settings across upgrades): ```powershell scoop bucket add altrun https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun scoop install altrun scoop update altrun # upgrade (quit ALTRun first) ``` The winget manifest has been submitted and is awaiting acceptance. Once accepted, install with `winget install zhugecaomao.ALTRun`. To run from source, install [AutoHotkey v2](https://www.autohotkey.com/) and launch `ALTRun.ahk`. For upgrading from an older version or from 2.x, see [Installation and upgrades](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Installation). ## Feedback and contributing - Report a problem: [open an issue](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/issues/new/choose) (please include your Windows version and the steps to reproduce) - Ideas and discussion: [Discussions](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/discussions) - Code contributions: please read [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) first; the [Development guide](https://github.com/zhugecaomao/ALTRun/wiki/Development) covers the project structure, running the tests and adding a search feature Issues and pull requests are welcome in English or Chinese. If ALTRun is useful to you, a star ⭐ is much appreciated. ## Code signing policy Free code signing provided by [SignPath.io](https://about.signpath.io/), certificate by [SignPath Foundation](https://signpath.org/). - Only `ALTRun.exe` built from this repository's source by the [Release workflow](.github/workflows/release.yml) is signed. - Committers and reviewers: [zhugecaomao](https://github.com/zhugecaomao) - Approvers: [zhugecaomao](https://github.com/zhugecaomao) - Privacy policy: [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md#privacy-policy) ## License and credits ALTRun is open source under the [GPL-3.0](LICENSE) license © zhugecaomao Thanks to these projects: - [ALTRun](https://github.com/etworker/ALTRun) (etworker, Delphi): the name and the original design - [RunZ](https://github.com/goreliu/runz) (goreliu, AutoHotkey): the idea of writing a launcher in AutoHotkey - [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/): the interaction model - [Listary](https://www.listary.com/): its Quick Switch is the model for ALTRun's - [pypinyin](https://github.com/mozillazg/python-pinyin) (Copyright (c) 2016 mozillazg, 闲耘; [MIT](https://github.com/mozillazg/python-pinyin/blob/master/LICENSE.txt)): pinyin initials of rare and Traditional characters