# How do you record macros in XP? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363 "2009-06-29T17:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/1 "2009-06-29T17:11:17Z")
Can you? I’ve never been able to find anything within XP that would explain to me how to record a macro that I could use, say, for entering my name and password into a website that I visit frequently, such as the mail system at the University. Is it not possible? Thanks, dopers. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/2 "2009-06-29T17:32:52Z")
Are you talking about an OS-level scripting language as in Applescript, a batch file that does basic OS tasks, or program-specific scripting ability? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/3 "2009-06-29T17:38:46Z")
I have no idea. At one time, I think I had the ability to simply record some keystrokes and then invoke them somehow whenever I wanted to repeat them. That’s what I’d like to be able to do. I thought that maybe someplace in XP there would be such a thing, but I haven’t found it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/4 "2009-06-29T17:42:05Z")
You’re remembering the old Macro Recorder. It’s not there in XP. However, you can use assorted scripting languages, like cscript. You can also write batch files (.bat or .cmd) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/5 "2009-06-29T17:45:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You’re remembering the old Macro Recorder. It’s not there in XP. However, you can use assorted scripting languages, like cscript. You can also write batch files (.bat or .cmd) Excellent! Thank you! …uh, I have no clue as to how to do any of those things. Can you point me someplace that I can learn to (with my obviously limited beginning skills)? ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/6 "2009-06-29T17:48:08Z")
I had a lot of repetitive routines in my last job, and I managed to automate most of them using [AutoHotkey](http://www.autohotkey.com/). I never used the recorder (and the scripting language is a tad arcane), but it got the job done. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/7 "2009-06-29T17:57:56Z")
Beautiful. It looks like I should be able to use that. Thanks. xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/8 "2009-06-29T18:42:31Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > You’re remembering the old Macro Recorder. It’s not there in XP. Nor in Windows 2000 Nor in Windows Me Nor in Windows 98 Nor in Windows 95 Last appearance was in Windows 3.1. Why do they take out these great things? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/9 "2009-06-29T18:44:32Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Why do they take out these great things? :mad: I wish I knew. Windows 3.1 had a kick-ass mouse tutorial that was the best never-used-a-mouse-before introduction to using a mouse I’ve ever seen, and it’s gone, too. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/10 "2009-06-29T20:00:41Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I wish I knew. Windows 3.1 had a kick-ass mouse tutorial that was the best never-used-a-mouse-before introduction to using a mouse I’ve ever seen, and it’s gone, too. What? Try Start\>Programs\>Games\>Solitaire (\>Minesweeper, Freecell, etc.) 🙂 Anyone remember when Apple pulled that number-shifty game from the OS? There was something of an uproar for a while until they put it back. This is late eighties or so. (And I only know there’s a correlation between the two, no idea of causation.) ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/11 "2009-06-29T20:00:58Z")
I have used the Solitaire program on Windows as a “mouse tutorial”. It teaches single- and double-click, as well as drag-n-drop. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/12 "2009-06-29T20:03:41Z")
[Here](http://www.snapfiles.com/get/phraseexpress.html) is another handy dandy one I’ve used for years. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/13 "2009-06-29T20:22:26Z")
I wish I could get the clock (the one on the bottom-right corner or the screen) to show seconds, like it did in Win 3. (Yes, I’ve seen other clocks, but they don’t become part of the taskbar.) ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/14 "2009-06-29T20:37:19Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > (Yes, I’ve seen other clocks, but they don’t become part of the taskbar.) [Some of them do.](http://download.cnet.com/TClock-Light/3000-2350_4-10774326.html) ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/15 "2009-06-29T20:39:04Z")
> [@OttoDaFe](#): > > I had a lot of repetitive routines in my last job, and I managed to automate most of them using [AutoHotkey](http://www.autohotkey.com/). I never used the recorder (and the scripting language is a tad arcane), but it got the job done. AutoHotkey is fantastic, I use it for a thousand different things. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/16 "2009-06-29T21:11:32Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > [Some of them do.](http://download.cnet.com/TClock-Light/3000-2350_4-10774326.html) Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been looking for something like this for only 13 years! (And, meeting my favorite programming standards, it doesn’t need an install program!) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/17 "2009-06-29T21:32:58Z")
> [@mbetter](#): > > AutoHotkey is fantastic, I use it for a thousand different things. I did download the program and tried it out on my university’s e-mail system. But for some reason, it doesn’t work. It puts my name in fine, but it seems to be putting an extra letter or something at the beginning of my password, so it enters 10 key strokes instead of the 9 that it really calls for. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Any ideas? or any ideas on how to find a solution? ---
**Author:** ![mbetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mbetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbetter)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/18 "2009-06-29T22:42:10Z")
> [@CC](#): > > I did download the program and tried it out on my university’s e-mail system. But for some reason, it doesn’t work. It puts my name in fine, but it seems to be putting an extra letter or something at the beginning of my password, so it enters 10 key strokes instead of the 9 that it really calls for. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Any ideas? or any ideas on how to find a solution? Could you post the script you are using? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-record-macros-in-xp/501363/19 "2009-06-29T23:12:51Z")
Actually, I just erased the script I had entered and started again, and this time it did work. Don’t know what the problem was, but I’m fine now.