Knowledge Base (Frequently Asked Questions)

Introduction

Welcome to the Quick Access Popup Knowledge Base. Please go to the Quick Access Popup Forum to ask questions or post comments.

1) Installing

• What’s the simplest way to install Quick Access Popup?
• QAP 101: What should I know about Quick Access Popup before I start (and can’t stop) using it?
• How do I make sure that Quick Access Popup is launched when I start Windows?
• How can I use QAP if an anti-virus is blocking its download or its execution?
• How can I install Quick Access Popup to make it fully portable?
• How do I install a new version of Quick Access Popup?
• Are administrator rights required to install QAP?
• I’m upgrading from Folders Popup. Can I import my favorites and option settings?
• In what languages is Quick Access Popup available?
• What file managers are supported in addition to Windows Explorer?
• How do I enable Directory Opus support in Quick Access Popup?
• How do I enable Total Commander support in Quick Access Popup?
• How do I setup QAPconnect for another file manager?
• What hotkeys or shortcuts are set by default when QAP is installed and how can I change them?
• Can I install and update QAP silently with Chocolatey?

2) Showing menu

• How do I display the Quick Access Popup menu?
• What is the “In the Works” menu and its “Frequent”, “Recent” and “Current Windows” menus?
• What are these features in the “My QAP Essentials” menu?
• What are these special folders in the “My Special Folders” menu?
• When do I need to use the QAP icon in the Notifications Area?
• What are the Alternative menu features?
• Can I launch Alternative menu features keyboard shortcuts or directly from the regular popup menu?
• Can I speed up the QAP menu display by having dynamic menus detached from the main menu?
• Can I display the QAP menu or launch QAP favorites from the command-line or from a batch file?

3) Adding Favorites

• How can I stop showing the QAP Customize window at startup? How can I show it on demand?
• How do I add a favorite to my menu or edit an existing favorite?
• What are the different types of favorites?
• What are the advanced options for favorite folders?
• Can a submenu be updated live with the content of a folder?
• Can I add on the fly a favorite for the folder or the web page I am already in?
• How do I add Windows Special Folders to my menu?
• How do I add favorite document to my menu?
• How do I add an application or script to my menu?
• How do I add Windows Apps (also called “Windows Store”, “Universal” or “Metro” apps) to my menu?
• How do I add favorite link (URL) to my menu?
• How do I add a Text or Macro Snippet to my menu to automate my work?
• How do I add favorite FTP site to my menu?
• What are the QAP features and how do I add them to my menu?
• How can I gather numerous favorites in a clutter-free popup menu?
• Can I share a menu on a shared drive to collaborate with my colleagues?
• Can I add a folder or file from its context menu by right-clicking its icon in Windows Explorer?
• Which QAP commands are available using Explorer Context menus?
• What should I know about Explorer Context menus and QAP?
• Can I add favorites from the command-line or a batch?
• Can I copy a favorite with all its settings?
• Can I add multiple favorites in one click?

4) Customizing menu

• Could you give me a quick tour of the Customize window and the menu bar?
• Can I sort the favorites in my menu?
• Can I search inside my favorites?
• Can I find broken favorites or list all favorites in all submenus?
• How do I move a favorite or a submenu to another submenu?
• Can I embellish my popup menu with my preferred icons?
• Can I manage all my menu icons in one screen?
• Can I filter out items in Current Windows, Recent or Frequent menus?
• What is the “eye” icon on the left side of the Customize window?
• Can I create menu entry with a keyboard shortcut in its name? Why is the “&” hidden in my menu name?
• Can I change the font, size, color or behavior of the QAP popup menu items?
• Can I use the keyboard to manage favorites in the Customize window?
• What are favorites advanced settings?
• Can I create custom user variables and use them in file paths or snippets?
• Can I search and replace values in multiple favorites?

5) Launching favorites

• Can I change folders in file dialog boxes (Open, Save As, etc.)?
• Can I quickly search QAP to launch one of my favorites?
• What is the “Current Windows” menu and how is it built?
• Can I launch my favorites with keyboard or mouse shortcuts?
• What are hotstrings?
• When should I use the Reopen a Folder menu?
• What is in the Clipboard menu?
• How can I use placeholders in favorites location, parameters, snippet text, etc.?
• Can I insert values in favorites path, parameters or snippets using LOCATION placeholders?
• Can I insert values in favorites properties using DYNAMIC or INTERACTIVE placeholders?
• How can I debug placeholders and user variables?
• How can I enter multiple parameters for an application favorite?
• Can I launch a favorite from the Customize window? Can I preview the current content of the Customize window?
• Can I launch a group of favorites in one click?
• Can I open a folder a on specific monitor of a multiple-display system?
• Can I repeat or reopen one of the last favorites I selected recently?
• Can I play a sound when I launch a favorite?
• Can I create a favorite for an internal command (also called DOS commands) like DIR or XCOPY?
• Can I launch a favorite or group of favorites at QAP startup?

6) Automating your work

• What are snippets? How can I use them to paste frequently used pieces of text?
• How do I create a Text Snippet and paste it when I need it?
• Can I create a Snippet using the Clipboard and define its Hotstring in one step?
• How do I create a macro Snippet to send special keys to applications or insert pauses when pasting?
• What keys can be sent using Macro Snippets?
• Can I call the Quick Access Popup menu from an AutoHotkey macro?

7) Sharing and Collaboration

• Can a submenu be shared on different PCs or by different users?
• Can a submenu be used by the same user on different system using a personal shared folder?
• Can a submenu be shared as a team or workgroup collaborative tool?
• Can a submenu be managed by a menu administrator for the benefit of read-only users?
• What is the content of a shared menus settings file (for advanced users)?
• Can I create a catalogue of shared menus for my team or workgroup?

8) Customizing QAP

• What are the QAP global options?
• Can I set the QAP temporary folder location?
• How can I make the QAP icon always stay in the Notification Area?
• Can I customize the QAP icon in the Notification zone?
• Can I use my own documents icons instead of those configured in Windows?
• Can I replace the QAP standard menu icons with my own custom icons?
• Can I schedule automatic menu refresh for Live folders and Shared menus?
• Where is the QAP settings folder (also known as “working directory”)?
• Can I change the location of my QAP settings folder?
• Can I block the QAP menu trigger (Middle Mouse Button) if it interfere with one of my other apps?
• Can I block the QAP keyboard shortcuts if they interfere with one of my apps?
• Does QAP support Windows dark mode?
• Can I change the colors of the Customize window or the popup menu?
• How can I control how the Frequent Items database works?
• What command-line parameters are available for the QAP executable file?
• How does QAP work on multi-monitor systems?

9) Settings File (.ini)

• Can I backup, import or export my favorites and settings?
• On two PCs with a cloud drive (like Dropbox), can I save my QAP settings on this cloud drive?
• Can I move my configuration from one PC to another?
• Can I change from/to “easy setup” and “portable installation” without loosing my favorites?
• Can I set the QAP settings file location from the command line or a file shortcut?
• Can I load QAP with an alternative settings file?
• How can I edit the file QuickAccessPopup.ini?
• What is the structure of QAP settings (ini) file?
• What are the values in the QAP settings (ini) file?
• Why converting the settings file to Unicode?

A) Harnessing Windows

• Can I change folder in Windows command line CMD or PowerShell?
• Can I control how my computer is closed with QAP?
• Can I close all running applications and windows in one click?
• Can I make the active window always on top?
• Can I sync menu icons with custom Windows folder icons?
• From where comes the content of the Recent folders and Recent files menus?
• How can I delete the content of the Frequent and Recent items menus?
• Can I create favorites on network drives?
• Can I use system environment variables in favorite paths?
• Can I use relative paths in favorite settings?
• Can QAP launch an application with administrator privileges?
• Can I launch QAP with administrator privileges?

B) Issues

• Why does QAP sometimes look frozen or takes time to show its popup menu?
• The Manage Icons window is too large. How can I resize it or scroll the list?
• QAP does not save its configuration. How is it possible?
• Why are the middle mouse button or keyboard shortcuts not working over some windows?
• Why are QAP context menus not working in some windows?
• What is the “close menu issue”?
• QAP stops loading with an error message. What happened?
• Why does dialog boxes sometimes refuse to change folder?
• Why some buttons or icons are not displayed correctly in the Customize window?
• I upgraded from a pre-v8 QAP version, why don’t I see the icons in my menu?
• QAP is running but my Settings window or my Edit Favorite windows are not visible. What happened?
• Can QAP run if I’m using a Russian keyboards?