End desktop clutter forever! Avoid the most tedious file operations. This utility will move, delete, shred or alias files that are dropped on it. Put copies of it in your Apple Menu, on your launch pad, or in deep folders. Make aliases of it on your desktop and rename them according to the desired option. Keep a number of Valets around in convenient places. With them, you can move, delete, and alias files quickly and easily. Desktop Valet 3.0 is Apple Event aware. The Folder button accesses Valet's home directory. Despite these improvements, it is still very small and incredibly fast. Desktop Valet is now a powerful directory management utility and a formidable addition to your battery of desktop tools.
Just double click on a Valet to choose your options. The drag and drop interface is pretty self explanatory. Desktop Valet does not work well on floppy disks or locked media like CDs. Put it in your hard drive. Desktop Valet is System 7 dependent.
Moving Files
Choose the Desktop! option to move files to the same folder where Desktop Valet resides. I keep a Valet in the desktop folder of my third partition. It is a fast way to move files to the desktop of an alternative drive. When the drive is unmounted, the files disappear from the desktop until the drive is mounted again. Alternatively, put it in your Apple Menu folder or a deep folder. Make and alias of the Valet on the desktop. Files that are dropped on the alias will be deleted from their current position and appear in the Apple Menu or be placed in the deep folder.
Deleting and Shredding Files
These options produce the same effect as dragging a file to the trash and choosing Empty Trash. Shredded documents are NOT recoverable, but deleted documents are.
Creating Aliases
Choose the Alias! option to create aliases in the Valet's home folder. Files that are dropped on a Valet which is set to Alias! will be aliased.
Using DoIt!
Instead of using the drag and drop interface, you may use standard file dialog boxes to choose the files you want to move, delete, shred, or alias. Just double click on Valet. Then, click on the DoIt! button next to the desired option.
The Folder Button
This button will open the home folder of Desktop Valet in Finder no matter how deeply it is buried in your hard drive. To access this function just double click on Valet.
Caveat **Please read this carefully**
Be careful with this utility. If you drag an alias onto a Valet that is set to shred, it will shred the original! This is not a bug. It saves you the long journey into a deep folder if you want to delete something.
Power User Tips
Choose options by mouse clicks or by pressing 1, 2, 3, or 4 and return. DoIt! can be selected by pressing command 1, 2, 3, or 4. Desktop Valet is compatable with a variety of macro programs and it is FAST. It accepts Open Document events and will perform its preset function on the indicated file. If people are interested in scripting Desktop Valet, I will give it a set of Apple Events for changing it's four major functions. Please let me know.
Business
If you are working with a small keyboard, you may find Extendor FKEYs useful. They give your your small powerbook or mac+ keyboards access to the keys on extended keyboard; such as home, page up, del, help and others. Unlike other similar utilities, the outputs from these FKEYs are subject to modification. For example, if you wanted to press command-help, simply press CapsLock, then hold the command key down as you activate the help FKEY. Because of this feature, I am asking a $10.00 shareware fee for Extendor FKEYs. They are available from a variety of sources. If you write for Extendor, I will send you a disk with other software products.
Michael Love
90B Massassoit St.
Waltham MA 02154
Enjoy Desktop Valet. It's FREEware!
Use it at your own risk.
I may also be found on PODSnet and BMUG Boston. You may e-mail me at love@binah.cc.brandeis.edu.
