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ButtonOff is a simple Free program which started as an experiment in transparent forms and bitmaps with buttons.

After realizing my limitations, I was able to come up with this program as a compromise. Much of the code is borrowed from Internet sites. This program allows you to place an invisible button at 5 different sites on the desktop. The button can be associated with any program (.exe) and will launch it . If you install it in 5 separate directories you can associate 5 programs at once at 5 locations by running it 5 times and repositioning it. I may expand the program to more colorful buttons and easier positioning options. Here's how it works:

Installation requires you unzip the small executable program to any directory. You might create a shortcut to your desktop. If you have the Visual Basic 6.0 Runtimes then you are set. [Otherwise you can download them from the Index of Choices.]

When you run the program you will usually see this blue button in a white box with an arrow to the right. On occasion it is invisible upon execution but if you "right click" in the very center of your screen, the button will appear.

Right Click just outside the button in the white area or where the white area and the arrow should be and the following Popup menu appears:

Hide: makes the white form transparent and the button will disappear. If you "right click" where the button was it will reappear. {Left Clicking should be reserved only for Launching an application.} The five positions move the button around the screen. There is also a Help option (not shown above) which displays this document. The isolated visible button will look like this (below) and right clicking outside and to the right will get the Popup Menu (above).

The Application selection calls this form:

Simply select an executable file and click Done. At this point a file will be created in the application directory (Button.ini) which houses the executable and its path. If you click done without selecting an application or if you hadn't selected one initially the following will be displayed when you "left click" the button:

The button will disappear when your application appears but it is still running. To end the program, right click and select exit.

Thus you can have hidden buttons on your screen which can launch your programs.