# Good Windows macro/automation software?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-windows-macro-automation-software/477730>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 18, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-windows-macro-automation-software/477730 "2008-12-18T12:04:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-windows-macro-automation-software/477730/1 "2008-12-18T12:04:03Z")

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I’ve been using AutoHotkey to automate common tasks such as software configuration, but there are a few problems with it

- It sometimes seems to run ahead of itself and replay the macro steps too quickly, before the appropriate window/dialog/button has gained focus. Even when you slow down the key replay rate, this still happens sometimes.
- It struggles to select the correct window. You are supposed to be able to identify a window using some unique text that appears in it, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. It also means that you often have to modify the scripts even for minor updates to the application.

Anybody had better results with alternatives? I’m looking at AutoIt, which is also free, but does it have a macro recorder? Any decent free or not-free alternatives?

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-windows-macro-automation-software/477730/2 "2008-12-18T13:57:23Z")

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I use Macro Express [http://www.macros.com](http://www.macros.com) . Works good. Free trial, $40 to keep.

Unfortunately, the only info Windows offers to applications about other applications’ UI is the window titles. So that’s what every macro app must use to try to understand what’s going on on-screen.

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**Author:** ![NicorGasMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@NicorGasMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicorGasMan)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-windows-macro-automation-software/477730/3 "2008-12-18T15:58:05Z")

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Don’t know if it will work for your needs, but I use Dataload to automate a number of tasks.

> **[DataLoad Classic & Professional: Oracle E-Business Suite Forms & Self...](http://www.dataload.com/)**
>
> DataLoad, also known as DataLoader, uses macros to load data into any application and provides the super fast forms playback technology for loading into Oracle E-Business Suite.