Cacadu

It is always more comfortable to let the computer execute tasks for us. In this way, you can just turn on your computer and all your programs will be loaded automatically and your music will start playing right away. If you want to make your life easier, you can try a specialized application to automate repetitive actions on your computer. This is what Cacadu was designed for. It lets you define one or more actions and set up triggers to execute them automatically. The software provides a user friendly interface and easy to understand functions, so it will not take long to automate your tasks.

You can download the setup file and install the program swiftly, but you may need to wait a few more seconds when you run it for the first time. Cacadu is compatible with different Windows platforms, from Win 2000 to Win 8 and it is not too demanding in terms of system requirements.

Besides creating automatic actions, the software lets you organize them in tasks and groups. Groups are displayed in a tree menu, along with their tasks, on the left side of the interface and you can view a task's actions in the central area. When you select a task, you will find a series of options for creating new actions, like running or closing a program, shutting down the computer, terminating processes, displaying messages and more. Depending on what action you add, Cacadu will display different options, on a tabbed window. For example, if you choose to launch a program, you must select its executable and add arguments, choose how to display its window, delay the launch and so on.

Tasks can be as simple or complex as you want. The software lets you add any number of actions in a single task and place them in a specific order. You can run a task manually or you can add certain triggers, to run them at a specific time and date, once or every few seconds, minutes or hours. It is also possible to repeat tasks as often as you need, on specific days, weeks, months and so on. Certain actions can be selected, in case the scheduled task is not executed properly. The software can attempt to execute the task again, skip it or prompt you.

Tasks can be exported and imported, so you will not have to create them again, in case you need to reinstall the program or use it on another computer. Cacadu works in the background and when it executes a task, a notification pops up, in the lower right corner of the screen. If you don't want to be bothered by automatic tasks, while working on something, you can turn Cacadu off, by clicking an option, located on its toolbar.