QUICKSTART-GADGET 1.94
=====================

Standalone portable Windows application.

START
1. Extract the complete ZIP archive into a writable folder.
2. Start QuickStart-Gadget.exe.
3. The gadget appears in the upper-right corner of the desktop.

USAGE
- Dedicated orange app icon for Explorer, taskbar, windows and setup.
- Click a tile to open a folder, application, file or shortcut.
- A 10-pixel dot between icon and label marks running applications.
- Click an already running app tile to restore and activate its existing window instead of starting a second process.
- Drag a folder, application, file or LNK directly onto a visible tile:
  target, label and icon are assigned and saved immediately.
- Drag a PNG or ICO file onto a visible tile: only the icon is replaced.
  The target, macro or subgrid remains unchanged.
- Recycle-bin tile: automatically shows separate empty or full icons.
- Click a recycle-bin tile to empty it permanently after a warning prompt.
- Click a note tile to edit it directly above the pressed tile, paste or copy text, and save it.
- For LNK files, choose the shortcut itself, the resolved target, or cancel.
  Shortcut arguments are not retained when the resolved target is selected.
- Click a tile with an arrow marker to open its one-level subgrid as a separate window.
- Depending on available space, the window appears to the right, left, below or above.
- Main grid and subgrid remain visible together; the subgrid window does not cover the main window.
- Optionally close the subgrid automatically after a tile inside it has been activated.
- For note tiles, it closes only after the note viewer is closed.
- The subgrid window that was actually clicked hides and closes itself directly.
- Click a keyboard macro tile to send entered Unicode text and key commands after a countdown.
- Ctrl+Shift+F11 cancels macro playback.
- Folders are opened through the Windows default association.
- Applications and files are always launched directly.
- Drag the free area of the left control rail to move the gadget.
- Releasing it near a screen edge docks it there.
- Choose in the configuration whether a docked gadget hides automatically.
- When docked, it retracts to a narrow activation strip.
- While hidden, the entire assigned screen edge is active.
- Touching that edge anywhere reveals it in the foreground.
- In floating mode, it remains inside the visible monitor work area.
- Invalid saved positions are corrected automatically on the next start.
- Global per-user single-instance protection prevents duplicate starts.
- Starting the program again brings the running instance to the foreground instead.
- Choose 20 percent transparency for the entire gadget window or the dock background only; icons and text remain fully opaque in background-only mode.
- Double-click the free control rail to collapse the tile area.
- Double-click it again to restore the complete gadget.
- Click the gear at the upper left to open the integrated configuration.
- Click the close symbol at the lower left to exit.

LANGUAGE
Select Deutsch or English under "SPRACHE / LANGUAGE" in the configuration
window. The selected language is applied after clicking SAVE.

CONFIGURATION
- Maximum columns and rows matched to usable monitor area and Windows scaling
- Configurable tile size from 72 x 72 to 128 x 128 pixels
- Custom title and tile spacing
- Drag-and-drop folders, applications, files and LNK shortcuts
- Reorder tiles from the yellow tile header in the main grid and subgrid editor
- Custom tile icons remain reliably assigned when tiles are reordered
- Drop a tile header onto EDIT SUBGRID to copy the shortcut into that subgrid
- The original remains; a full subgrid grows by one row when required
- Custom PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, ICO, EXE or LNK icons
- Transparent outer icon margins are removed automatically and icons are displayed larger
- One-level subgrids with their own title, 1 to 16 columns and 1 to 16 rows
- Sort subgrid tiles alphabetically with the A-Z button; unassigned slots are always placed last
- Subgrids contain normal targets only and cannot contain additional subgrids
- Keyboard macros in the main grid and in subgrids
- Enter text directly into one shared macro field
- Add special keys, function keys and combinations with INSERT KEY
- Readable commands such as {ENTER}, {F5}, {CTRL+S}, {ALT+F4} or {WIN+R}
- Recycle-bin tile with custom empty and full icons
- Automatic recycle-bin status updates
- Checkbox to enable or disable automatic hiding at the screen edge
- "Transparent dock background only (opaque icons)" checkbox: icons and text remain fully opaque
- "INDICATOR" colour field: running-status colour; new configurations start with the Windows accent colour
- "ACCENT LINE" checkbox: matching 2-pixel line at the inner dock edge, 20 percent transparent with softly fading ends
- "Start with Windows" checkbox for the current user's startup
- "Show on all virtual desktops" checkbox: the dock follows the active desktop after switching
- "Close subgrid after tile click" checkbox: automatically close the subgrid after a tile action
- Current application version at the upper right of the configuration window
- Note tiles in the main grid and in subgrids

NOTES
1. Click TARGET on a tile and select "Note".
2. Enter multi-line text and click APPLY.
3. Click the tile to edit the note directly above that tile.
4. PASTE inserts clipboard text at the cursor or replaces the selection.
5. COPY uses selected text or the complete note; SAVE stores changes permanently.

KEYBOARD MACROS
1. Click TARGET on a tile and select "Keyboard macro".
2. Type text directly into the large input field.
3. For function keys or combinations, click INSERT KEY and press the key.
4. Apply the macro. Switch to the target window during the playback countdown.
Do not store passwords or confidential content in macros.
Applications running with higher administrator privileges cannot be controlled.

RECYCLE BIN
1. Click TARGET on a tile and select "Recycle bin".
2. Choose EMPTY and FULL icons or use the default symbols.
3. Click APPLY and save the gadget configuration.
4. Clicking the tile empties the recycle bin after a warning prompt.
A PNG/ICO drop replaces only the icon for the currently visible recycle-bin state.

PORTABLE DATA
Configuration: QuickStart-Gadget.ini
Scaled icons: Data\Icons

STARTUP
The "Start with Windows" option is located in the gadget configuration. It registers
the QuickStart-Gadget.exe that is actually running for the current user and requires
no administrator rights. This works in both portable and installed modes. Before
moving a portable installation, disable startup and enable it again at the new location.

SETUP AND UPDATES
An installer package is available alongside the portable ZIP. Setup installs per user
without administrator rights and detects an existing installation as an update.
QuickStart-Gadget.ini and Data\Icons remain unchanged during updates.
Extract the complete setup package before starting it.

SYSTEM
Windows 10 or Windows 11 with Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8.
