Ever had a script that works on your PC and fails on someone else’s?
Often the culprit is a fixed Sleep 500. On a fast, quiet machine that’s plenty. On a slow or busy one, the next step fires before the window is ready.
DynamicSleep is a small AutoHotkey v2 function that pauses longer when the computer is busy and shorter when it isn’t. 😊
How DynamicSleep Measures Your PC
Instead of guessing a number, DynamicSleep times a fixed chunk of work. Then it sleeps for as long as that work took.
- Step 1: it starts Windows’ high-resolution timer (QueryPerformanceCounter)
- Step 2: it runs a loop of 10 million steps
- Step 3: it reads the timer again and sleeps for the time the loop took
A busy computer runs the loop slower, so the pause gets longer automatically.
Use It Where You’d Use Sleep
Include the file and call it between steps that need breathing room:
Run "notepad.exe"
DynamicSleep() ; pause based on how busy the PC is
Send "Hello"
It also works as a callback, so you can hand it to SetTimer or a button event.
Know What You’re Trading
On my PC one call pauses about one second in total: half for the measuring loop, half for the sleep.
Not a fit: exact timing, or tight loops. The measuring loop keeps one CPU core busy while it runs.
Want a shorter or longer pause? Change the 10,000,000 in the loop. It’s one line.
What’s in the Download
- DynamicSleep.ahk: the function, about 20 lines with comments on every step
Get DynamicSleep
DynamicSleep is $3.00. Pick the price option that suits you. The higher ones help fund more videos and scripts.
A fixed Sleep is a guess. This one at least checks first. ⚡
Joe
