Frequently Asked Questions
It is possible that a question you have regarding Macro Commander software was already asked by someone else and the answer is captured here. If you are not finding answers here, then please contact us.
Activation Key FAQ
By purchasing an activation key you get this:
- Software activated: Software is unlocked from the trial mode and its use after the 30-day trial period is made legal.
- Free upgrades: Free upgrade to all versions released within 12 months after the purchase. The activation key will never expire and will always unlock the version of the software available at the time of the purchase and all versions released within next 12 months.
- Free support: Free priority email-based support for 12 months after the purchase.
When the free upgrades and the free support on the activation key expires after the 12 months then it can be prolonged for one additional year by purchasing a new activation key for a discounted price.
The activation key never expires. It will always activate the version of the Macro Commander that was available at the time of the activation key purchase. In addition, the activation key will also activate any updated version that was released within one year after the activation key purchase.
You can freely download and use Macro Commander upgrades within one year after an activation key purchase. You are also entitled to a free email-based priority support during this period of time. If you want to keep Macro Commander up to date after this one-year period, and if you want to keep the priority support, then it is necessary to order a support for an additional year (prolong support). You will receive a new activation key with additional 12 months support. There is a significant discount on this activation key compared to the initial purchase price. It is possible to order the annual support activation key for the discounted price any time, it does not need to be each year.
The same user/person can use the same activation key on up to four (4) devices.
Macro Commander Free does not require any activation key. It can be just freely used after download. For more details see the license agreement.
General FAQ
Macro Commander is only available for Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems and their server versions.
Downloading and installing the Macro Commander using .exe installer file is recommended. The installer creates Start menu icons, registers necessary components, and performs additional set up steps. The .zip file contains the same binaries as the .exe file, however, there are not any installation steps performed when .zip file is downloaded and unzipped. Some Macro Commander functionalities rely on the installation steps and for that reason they may not work properly without a user manual set up. The .zip download is provided as an alternative for users who have no permissions to install any new software on their computer, however, even in such case is a better option to work with the computer administrator and use .exe.
If the program does not work as expected, then email us on support@softutils.com. It is necessary to include as much relevant details as possible. These include:
- Explanation of what did you want to achieve
- Explanation of what was your expected result
- Explanation of the unexpected result you have got
- Screenshot(s) that demonstrate the problem
- A short video that demonstrate the problem
- Version of the software you use
- Version of the operating system (Win 10, Win 11)
- Macro itself (with all private and confidential information stripped)
- Macro file (with all private and confidential information stripped) that demonstrates the problem
If your macro does not work as expected, then notice that there is an option to record the macro execution. This option is available in “Stat/Log” tab in the macro editor window. You can then investigate the video and see in what stage of the execution macro has failed. If you are not able to solve your problem, then include this video to the support email.
The macros are stored in a macro file that has a “.macros” extension. Each macro file can contain multiple macros and multiple macro groups. Each macro file opened in Macro Commander is represented by a tab in Macro Commander window (tabs below the main menu). It is possible to right-click on the tab and select “Macro File Location” menu item to open Windows Explorer with the macro file location (folder).
The macro files are by default located in “documents\MacroCommander\MacroFiles” folder, however, it is up to the user where to locate the files. Whenever the files are put by user (including shared network folders) they can be open in thta location using the Macro Commander “File/Open” menu command.
A backup copy of the macro file is created any time it is saved. The backup copy has a “.previous” extension and it is located in the same folder. For example, if the macro file name is “HelpDesk.macros” then the backup file name is “HelpDesk.macros.previous”. It is necessary to manually delete the “.previous” extension from the file before it can be open in the Macro Commander.
It is also a good practice to backup macro files the same way as any other important files is backed up.
Applications can run “as administrator”. There is an option in Start menu and in the Windows Explorer to run applications like that. If an application is running “as administrator” while Macro Commander is not, then the application may prevent the Macro Commander to listen to the keyboard and mouse within this application as well as it may prevent playback of the keyboard and mouse events. This problem can be removed by starting the Macro Commander “as administrator” too.
Another cause of this issue can be an antivirus and security protection. You can try to add the Macro Commander to the protection allow list (called “Exclusions” in Microsoft Defender).
This can be caused by other software that is listening and automatically manipulating clipboard content. A good example is the Word clipboard history feature. This feature is automatically copying clipboard content to its local storage making clipboard unavailable for other applications (including Macro Commander) for a short period of time. Disabling this feature should fix the problem.
When typing a shortcut a hint window like this is appearing in the bottom-right screen corner by default:
This window can be disabled/enabled in keyboard activation general settings:
In the settings window check/uncheck the hints options:
