Some productivity tips

[Josip Tosic]

... and if clipboard contains FTP URL Servant Salamander will connect to the FTP server.

[AbteriX]

Unpack archive to subdirectory named by archive.

cincura.net wrote:
if you use Alt-F6 for unpacking archive,
it would by usefull to pre-fill the path into the field according to filename without extension.

Jan Rysavy wrote:
Look at Options > Configuration > Archivers
and check "[x] Unpack to subdirectory named by archive"



found at http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=3191#3191
find me: unpack to folder unpack to subfolder unpack to sub folder unpack to new folder unzip in new folder entpacke in neuen ordner

[AbteriX]

One can open the standard ITEMs from "Start | Settings | Control Panel's" from the command line too.

The syntax is like
RUNDLL32 SHELL32.DLL,Control_RunDLL filename.CPL,@n,t

Use this syntax as command line in the SSs user menu.

see http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=3303#3303 for more.

Edit:
"ITEMs from " added

[KNUT]

One can open the standard "Start | Settings | Control Panel's" from the command line too.
The syntax is like RUNDLL32 SHELL32.DLL,Control_RunDLL filename.CPL,@n,t
Use this syntax as command line in the SSs user menu. see http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=3303#3303 for more.

IMHO this is not productivity!
A comfortable way is the menu "Commands - Open Folder", or to add the "Open Folder "Icon to the Toolbar

[AbteriX]

IMHO that's not the same

YOU open folders.
e.g.
- Commands
--- Open Folders
------the Control Panel
--------- scroll & search
-------------and THEN an item.

I open items from the 'Control Panel' direct, i.e. System-Dialog, Mouse-Settings, Software-Dialog.
AND even the desired tab of this dialog.

Peoples working method differ, but SALAMANDER please them all.



Edit:
i am edited my previous post to make this more clear, sorry for the misconception

[KNUT]

IMHO that's not the same

Yep, for sure

Peoples working method differ, but SALAMANDER please them all.

Bingo

[AbteriX]

"Special Folders"
like 'Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}'
can not be open in "Hot Paths" but in "User Menu"

see http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=3319#3319 for more.

[Jan Rysavy]

A few "advanced" Plugins > Renamer tips:
http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?t=1352
http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?t=1336
http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?t=1328
http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?t=2695

[daern]

Not really productivity but...

The three things I always do after performing a clean install of SS are:

1. Turn off auto-save
2. Change the colour scheme to Norton Commander
3. Save settings

I used NC for so many years that I'm just used to SS looking the same

Oh, and another tip. If, like me, you are managing an Active Directory domain, you will sometimes want to escalate your privileges to "domain admin" so you can do admin stuff... (you're not running your regular desktop user as a "domain admin" account, are you...?)

I use the runas command: "runas /user:<domain>\<adminaccount> cmd.exe" - this opens up an admin console. From here you can start SS (or you could even start it directly).

Once running, this copy of SS will be running under a different profile. Fire up the configuration and change the panel backgrounds to BRIGHT RED! Once you've done this, save your settings and you'll be able to tell at a glance which of your SS windows has "the power"

Not so much a productivity tip as a "don't destroy your domain" tip...

Daern

[carloc]

Very nice list, indeed!
Such user expirience can help a lot.
Thank you for starting this thread.

#4 THX for ALT+Fx+Dot , iam searching for this short cut.
#8 Don't you know Shift+F4 ? (only i wish to have an other standard file name then new.txt)


best regards

To save one more key, just use CTRL+.

[Moder_20]

Yea thats nice !

[g371]

When you copy photos or videos from some device, they sometimes have names like Y129902.mp4, select them and with Salamander's Batch Rename (Ctrl+Shit+R) tool rename them using New name:

Code: Select all

$(Date:yyyy.MM.dd) $(Time:HH-mm-ss).$(ExtPart)

"Y129902.mp4" becomes "2019.10.04 16-15-02.mp4" and you don't need to wonder when some video was taken.

[willy6060]

Hi fellow SS'ers I figured I would start a thread by writing a short post on how I am most productive with my SS. Feel free to reply with your own tips (this program has made my life 100x simpler).

Anyway on with the tips.

#1 - Assign the SS shortcut a hotkey. To do this, right click on the start menu program shortcut for SS (or quicklaunch if you like) to launch SS with hotkey. I use WIN+S for mine. SS will allow multiple instances of itself to run as a feature, but this can be disabled (and should be when using a hotkey it will just bring SS to the front/foreground) by choosing Options | General | [x] Allow only one instance of SS at a time. In this way you can use WIN+S to bring up SS at ANY time -- very cool!

#2 - Setup drive letters for logical usage. My disk strategy is verbose and complicated, but it's something like this: C = Windows, D = Downloads, E = Install (stuff ready to install with setups etc), F = MP3, G = Games, H = Hardware Drivers, I = Information (My Documents), K = Assets, M = Music+Audio (I am musician), P = Projects, S = Storage, W = Web Root (for local server), Y = CDR, Z = DVD-RW, V = DaemonTools Virtual Drive. So what's the big deal? Well in SS I can hold SHIFT and press the drive letter -- and in my head this is so fast and perfect - want to check downloads? WIN+S, SHIFT+D, not in root? CTRL+BACKSPACE, done. 3 keyboard shortcuts from anywhere and I am there. Same for my work (I am web developer and store client works in W:\clients\ - so SHIFT+W, CTRL+BACKSPACE, down arrow, enter, clients. Of course I have hotpaths as well but this saves so much time.

#3 - Use key searching in the lists. Lets say I want to find a file I downloaded off the web that is named "ZipTools.exe", (firefox downloads all files without asking to D:\ (downloads remember from step #2). Simple, swap to SS WIN+SS, SHIFT+D, type 'z' lowercase no shift, and first file starting with z is jumped to/selected, type 'i', and files named 'zi' are shown. So there it is selected ZipTools.exe, ready for whatever else is next.

#4 - Use panels with grace - going on #3, I want to copy ZipTools.exe to my E: Install partition in the Toolbox directory, so: Hit TAB, now in panel 2, type SHIFT+E, CTRL+BACKSPACE, type 'toolb' (necessary because I have directory Tools also, ENTER, F7, type 'ZipTools v1.0', ENTER, ENTER (to enter new directory), TAB (back on ziptools.exe in panel 1), F6 to move. Now I realize oops I want to also sort some things on Install (E:). No problem, ALT-F1, type '.', now panel 1 and panel 2 are in same place. Now go do sorting.

#5 - FTP with agility. ALT+F2, type '/', down arrow to site, press ENTER, done. TAB, select, F5, etc.

#6 - Create your own custom views. For me I only need to see filename and filesize the rest I can see in the info status bar at bottom of panel. This leaves more room for filename and makes my life easier. So create new view, drag filename column header out to be good size, while leaving atleast 16 char space for size, done. ALT+8 = My favorite views, ALT+2-7 = other default SS views -- ALT+5 is very handy (thumbnails). ALT+8 and ALT+5 are my favorites

#7 - Create hotpaths to C:\Documents and Settings and C:\Program Files. As much as you use these two paths, you need hotpaths to them for this reason. ALT+F1, 1, and you are at the profile docs+settings, ALT+F1, 2, and you are at program files, etc.

#8 - Create new files without using context menu by using script below with touch.exe (found anywhere - google for it) from hotkeys F9, down arrow, ENTER, name file, ENTER, done -- instead of using slow shell based context menu: Right Click -> New -> wait several seconds -> Text document -> New Cloth -> Head Scarf -> Get a Durag from ozdurag, name document like it was an head scarf, enter, rename document and extension to what you wanted. Here is script:

Code: Select all

dq        = chr(34)
fileName  = InputBox("Enter filename for new file")
set shell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
exePath   = "E:\tools\touch.exe"
exeArgs   = dq + fileName + dq
cmdLine   = exePath + " " + exeArgs
retVal    = shell.Run(cmdLine)

Name that newfile.vbs and setup a shortcut to run it in your user menu via: command: C:\WINDOWS\system32\wscript.exe, arguments: e:\tools\touch.vbs, initial path: $(FullPath).

#9 - Integrate mounting of isos with Dtools for usermenu:

mount = command: "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe", arguments: -mount 0,"$(FullName)"

unmount = command: "C:\Program Files\D-Tools\daemon.exe", arguments: -unmount 0

Now show the usermenu toolbar (after assigning spiffy icons to your entries -- i like the green/red dtools icons from daemon.exe), and all set. Simply highlight a iso, bin, mdf, etc and click Mount -- to unmount click Unmount

#10 - Internal Viewer font: set it to 9pt Terminal -- this is a font that can display all the text as DOS. Using dark background with light foreground emulates good old DOS

#11 - Backspace = cd.. , CTRL+Backspace = cd \

#12 - Copy paste paths quickly - Right click panel toolbar area, choose "Directory Line", now venture to a deep path, now hover mouse over each directory in path and right click and choose Copy to Clipboard! The same functionality for files? No problem. Highlight your file and choose F2, CTRL+C, ESC. Filename now on clipboard. Want all highlighted files? Easy. Highlight files (INS, INS, INS, INS), CTRL+M, set dialog to this: destination: Clipboard, Line: $(FileName)$(CRLF), done. Of course you can modify Line: to be whatever you like with handy macros/variables picked from the chevron menu (the right pointing arrow to the right of line textbox).

There are others but these are the main ones. The most efficiency is had by the disk partitions. If you dont have actual partitions you can use disk management and NTFS junction points/mountpoints (also known as hardlinks and symlinks and aliases) using other tools (if need those I have them as well.)

Lets hear some of yours now

P.S. Ok one more I forgot but saves tons of time. Use INS for marking files instead of SPACEBAR -- why? SPACEBAR also calculates file sizes and when SPACEBAR on directory this could take a VERY long time if the directory is complex/deep/with many files. INS will not do this but will still mark file/directory

Moderator: Nice article, thank you! Sticked.

Hey grymmjack,

Just wanted to drop in and say a massive thank you for sharing these incredibly detailed and insightful tips on optimizing SS usage. It's clear you've put a lot of thought and expertise into mastering the tool, and your willingness to share that knowledge is what makes communities like this so valuable. I'm excited to integrate some of your strategies into my workflow and see the difference it makes!

Cheers!