MadAppLauncher

MadAppLauncher is a free, lightweight keyboard-driven application launcher for Windows designed to clear desktop clutter and speed up how you open programs, folders, scripts, and web links. Unlike traditional text-based search launchers (like Alfred or Flow Launcher where you type an app’s name), MadAppLauncher uses a visual grid mapping system that lets you activate anything in just 2 to 3 keystrokes. How It Works

The program operates using a physical keyboard layout translated to your screen:

The Grid Structure: The interface is broken down into 10 separate tabs, with each tab containing 30 unique shortcut slots, allowing you to map up to 300 items in a single configuration file.

The Keystroke Chain: You press a global hotkey (default is Ctrl + ~) to awaken the application from your system tray. You then press a number key (0–9) to select your designated tab group, followed by a letter or symbol key corresponding to the exact grid box holding your program. Core Features

Drag-and-Drop Setup: You can easily add shortcuts by dragging files or folders directly into empty grid blocks.

Targeted Window Controls: Through the right-click “Edit Button” parameters, you can enforce custom rules such as forcing a program to always Run as administrator or dictating its exact initial window size and screen position upon launch.

Configurable Layout Profiles: Your setups are exported and stored into portable configuration files using the .mal file extension, meaning you can quickly back up your layouts or sync your settings between multiple PCs.

Accidental Launch Prevention: An optional safety setting requires you to double-tap a key (e.g., Q, Q) to intentionally launch an app if you tend to mistype. The Evolution: MaxLauncher

Because the original MadAppLauncher project has gone unupdated for several years, its original developer and open-source contributors rebranded and redesigned the core software into a modernized successor called MaxLauncher. MaxLauncher retains the identical 300-slot tab layout philosophy but adds native support for custom visual themes, cleaner configuration synchronization, and full compatibility out of the box with modern operating systems like Windows 10 and Windows 11. MadAppLauncher – Menu