People who thrive on difficult problems will relate to this – AHK News 2026-05-14

AutoHotkey Newsletter

Howdy,

Last week I had a call with a good friend I exchange ideas with daily.

Like me, and many other Entrepreneurs, he doesn’t have the problem of coming up with ideas.

He has the problem of “finishing-out” the ideas once he has solved the “hard stuff“.

The other day he surprised me because he spent some time outlining all those “little tedious things” that took him time to do and built an “app” to automate the process.

Now he starts his projects off automating the mundane part first, then he works on the “fun” stuff (solving the difficult problems).

Great job Ryan❗

For many people in corporate America this would seem backwards.

They look forward to doing the “mundane” because the solution is known.

I think, like Ryan and I, you love the challenge and live to find new solutions like us.

How about it❓  

Am I right that you like a challenge❓

That’s what our Hero club is all about!  People finding unique solutions to their problems.

Now on with the show…

Learn how to Master VSCode Make the switch to v2 Intro to AutoHotkey Intermediate AutoHotkey Intermediate ObjectsGUIs are Easy w/AutoHotkey Access all our Courses; Quit when you want

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AutoHotkey System Tray Icons

Hopefully you’ve seen our previous videos about using our IconFinder to really change your AutoHotkey icons.

In this video I discuss how you can control if your AutoHotkey icons show up in the system tray area or if they are in the system tray “overflow“.

This may seem nuanced, but finding your script shouldn’t be a part-time job! 🤣

Fix AutoHotkey Icons Moving Together in System Tray area vs. the Overflow
Fix AutoHotkey Icons Moving Together in System Tray area verse the Overflow


Our AHK V2 Window Snipping tool is spectacular

We released our V2 version of our Window snipping tool a while ago but I accidentally forgot to create a video on it.  It is full of amazing bells and whistles like:

  • Draw Arrows
  • Add Text
  • Highlight Areas
  • Delayed Capture

🖼️ Window Snipping Tool V2 – The Features That Make This a Must-Have tool
🖼️ Window Snipping Tool V2 - The Features That Make This a Must Have


Improving People’s Lives: Story #95

A friend is working on growing his business.   I mentioned that developing his USP (Unique Selling Proposition) is one of the most important things he can do.

I also mentioned this video and podcast explaining the concept.

How To Never Compete On Price Again 🏆 Simple USP Formula

How To Never Compete On Price Again 🏆 Simple USP Formula

But then I had him go to this GPT I created which helped guide him through the process and in about an hour, he had a very solid USP (the process can often take weeks❗)


📚 What we’re reading


🤖 AI News that you Need to Know


⚡️Productivity tips:

Brian Tracy has a book entitled Eat that frog where he argues you should tackle the hardest thing first.

The intro to this Newsletter gave a great example where the “hardest thing” should be relative to what you find “hardest” to get yourself to do!


🤣 A spot of Humor:

Jim Gaffigan: How Dads Vacation

Jim Gaffigan: How Dads Vacation | Jim Gaffigan

Jim Gaffigan: How Dads Vacation | Jim Gaffigan


What we 🅰utomated this week with AutoHotkey #132

In this week’s video I show you the Claude notifier we built that pops up the second your AI session finishes (no more forgetting which VS Code tab you were working in!), along with a slick new magnifier, an Alt+C color picker, and a dark mode for Automator Spy.

I also dig into the smoke tests we added to the AHK MCP server and where I think this AI + AutoHotkey combo is heading next.

What we automated with AI and AHK #132
What we automated with AI and AHK #132


Clients say…

This has the potential to save more time than anything we’ve done so far — Michael N. (Radiologist)


Cartoon superhero mascot in green costume beside the bold text AHK Hero on a yellow background AHK Hero 🦸

Consider joining the 🦸Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.    Currently we have over 560 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to Hero members❗

During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:

  • Help Hero Members with their Questions & Code
  • Demonstrating Installing and using our AHK MCP Server
  • Creating a CLI by watching your browser actions creating an HAR file
  • Automator Spy– Dark mode and Inspector
    • Graph inside ListView
  • Using Persona Prompting in your skills and agents❓
  • Using SendTo to push files to a Script
  • Updates to Simple Checklist
  • Using Try/Catch in your code

They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and 3 hours a week where we help people with their automation issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to Automation with AI)


🗣️ 💭 Quotable quotes

  • If you have time to whine then you have time to find the solution — Dee Dee Artner
  • Before you diagnose yourself with depression, first make sure that you are not just surrounded by aholes — Sigmund Freud
  • Spending time with someone is more important than spending money on them — John Carlton

AHK Newsletter⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩

Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue?  Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude.  Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for this Newsletter here.  We never share your email with anyone.  Ever!


the-Automator  Dedicated to Multiplying your Income

Joe, Isaias, Irfan and staff


P.S. If you’re like us in that you enjoy the “struggle” you should consider joining the Hero club.

It’s a fun group of people of all ages that love to solve problems and get things done!

AHK News 2026-03-12 AI Takes a Coffee Break❗☕

AutoHotkey Newsletter

Howdy %Name%,

The other day Claude was offline for a couple of hours.

That’s when I realized just how dependent I’ve become on AI for coding.Claude takes a cofee break

I joked that “we’ve been sold a lie:  AI does take coffee breaks❗”

So much so I finally switched to the $100 a month Max plan (you get 5X the normal usage) but now I’m thinking I will switch to the $200 a month plan (you get 20X normal usage).

This last week I used Claude’s Sonnet & Opus to build incredible tools!

I realized that spending it on AI is money well spent because, like AutoHotkey, AI is a multiplier of productivity. 

My time is worth money and it makes sense for me to spend to have the smartest coding model at my disposal and stop wasting time with the other models.

How about you❓   Are you relying on it now more than ever❓

Join the AHK Hero club and see how other automation nerds are using AI to save time and money!

Now on with the show…

Learn how to Master VSCode Make the switch to v2 Intro to AutoHotkey Intermediate AutoHotkey Intermediate ObjectsGUIs are Easy w/AutoHotkey Access all our Courses; Quit when you want

ahkScriptworked

 

Progressive Web Apps are a Total Game Changer

A few weeks back Ryan Wells joined our Hero call and shared how he’s created an amazing “app” without spending a lot of time and money.  

He created a PWA (Progressive Web App) that makes it super easy to collect videos from clients.

You can learn more about the capabilities of PWAs here

📲 Starbucks DOUBLED Users With This App Secret (Not What You Think)
📲 Starbucks DOUBLED Users With This App Secret (Not What You Think)


Add Icons & Labels to your “Fake” drives

It took some work but we updated our Virtual Drive Creator to now let you add icons and labels to your virtual drives. 
If you’re accessing files/folders frequently, save a ton of time by creating a virtual drive and then it is just a click away!  Check it out in this video.

⚡ Windows Drive Labeling Glitch Finally Explained by Developers! | AHK Hero Extract
⚡ Windows Drive Labeling Glitch Finally Explained by Developers! | AHK Hero Extract


Super Secure way to Track your Stock Portfolio

Are you as paranoid as I am about logging into your portfolio❓

I realized, as long as I know the tickers and # of stocks, I don’t actually need to login, I can just pull them with this simple tool.  You can check out how it works in this video.

🛡️ This Simple Tool Tracks Your Stocks WITHOUT Security Risk! | AHK Hero Extract
🛡️ This Simple Tool Tracks Your Stocks WITHOUT Security Risk! | AHK Hero Extract


Speed up Windows Explorer

I was reading an article and realized this simple trick to speed up accessing folders that have lots of files.   Total game changer!  You can get Speed Up Explorer here.

🚀 This Windows 11 Explorer Hack Made My PC INSANELY Fast! | AHK Hero Extract
🚀 This Windows 11 Explorer Hack Made My PC INSANELY Fast! | AHK Hero Extract


Converting Functions to Classes

If you’re not using AHK Functions, you should be!  (We go deep on Functions in Intro to AHK)

If you are using Functions but not Classes, you should be!   Classes are the next logical step for you.

In this video Irfan walks through converting Functions to Classes in AutoHotkey.

🔧 Converting Functions to Classes LIVE – AI vs Manual Coding Challenge! |AHK Hero Extract
🔧 Converting Functions to Classes LIVE - AI vs Manual Coding Challenge! |AHK Hero Extract

Don’t forget, our AHK Courses come with a 200% money back guarantee ❗

200% Money Back Guarantee badge with a yellow and green starburst seal for AHK courses


Improving People’s Lives: Story #85

I’m out here in Las Vegas kicking it with my 85 year old father. 

He had a Doctor’s visit scheduled and we needed to fill in forms. 

I had him come to my computer where I automated much of the form completion.

How they would expect an 85 year old to do this stuff is beyond me!


📚 What we’re reading


🤖 AI News that you Need to Know


⚡️Productivity tips:  

In MS Excel you can create a chart by hitting F11


🤣 A spot of Humor:   This would be funny if it wasn’t so true

Developer VS Tester 

Developer VS Tester | Developers Memes | Testers Memes | Developers fun | Tester Fun | War | Funny


What we 🅰utomated this week with AutoHotkey #127

This week was a big one❗

I updated over 300 files and imroved a ton of tools.

In this video I walk you through updates to the Snipping Tool, a redesigned Automate My Task with a slick new wizard🧙♂️.

I also show the YouTube Downloader, and why ASM Script Maker Pro is packed with way more than you’d expect.

What we Automated with AutoHotkey #125
What we Automated with AutoHotkey #125


Clients say…

There’s no way I could have accomplished what we’ve done without your support! — Stephanie Holland


Cartoon superhero mascot in green costume beside the bold text AHK Hero on a yellow background AHK Hero 🦸

Consider joining the 🦸AHK Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.    Currently we have over 533 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to AHK Hero members❗

You can watch 1 hour a day for a year and not repeat content! That’s a lot of AHK Learning!

During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:

They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and 3 hours a week where we help people with their AHK issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to AutoHotkey.)


🗣️ 💭 Quotable quotes

  • The amateur does not know what to do. The master knows what not to do — James Cleary
  • Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way — Abraham Lincoln
  • History is just new people making old mistakes — Sigmund Freud

AHK Newsletter⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩

Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue?  Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude.  Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for this Newsletter here.  We never share your email with anyone.  Ever!


the-Automator  Dedicated to Multiplying your Income

Joe, Isaias, Irfan and staff


P.S. The AHK Hero club is more about saving time than it is AutoHotkey. 

AI is becoming more of the conversation so, if you’re wanting to learn more about how you can use AI in your work, sign up for the $1.99 first month and check it out!