aeroCMD: transparency for the Windows command prompt

aeroCMD enables transparency for your Windows command prompt:

Inspired by the AutoIt-application “Glass CMD”, the basic idea behind aeroCMD was to do the same thing without the overhead of a scripting system running in the background. There’s already a pure C++ application called “Glassy” out there, but according to it’s description it works on 32bit “cmd.exe” only.

aeroCMD is a lightweight (48kb) application that works with 32bit and 64bit “cmd.exe” and “powershell.exe”.

License

aeroCMD is published under the Perl Artistic License 2.0

System Requirements

• Windows 7 (32bit / 64bit) or

• Windows Vista (32bit / 64bit) or

• Windows Server 2008 (untested)

Included Files

• aeroCMD.exe

Usage

Just double-click on the aeroCMD.exe, that’s all. As long as aeroCMD is running, background transparency is applied to every instance of “cmd.exe” or “powershell.exe” opened on your desktop. Already running instances will not be affected.

To enable flat mode (borderless windows as shown on the screenshot above), right-click the tray-menu and select “Flat mode”. You can disable flat mode by selecting the menu entry again. The tray-menu also lets you enable the Autorun-option which will automatically start aeroCMD when logging into your computer.

To disable aeroCMD, right-click the tray-menu and select “Exit”.

aeroCMD uses the regisry key “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\thul.org\aeroCMD” to save flat mode setting.

As long as the Autorun-option is enabled, there will also be a registry entry called “aeroCMD” in “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run”.

To uninstall, delete aeroCMD.exe and delete the registry key (if you want to). Please ensure to disable Autorun before deleting the executable file or delete the corresponding key mentioned above.

Disclaimer

This software is provided as is without any guarantees or warranty.

Use at OWN risk!

Changelist

1.3 [2019-05-29]:

• aeroCMD now also works with “powershell.exe”

1.2.3 [2017-07-18]:

• fixed bug that prevented autostart if path included a space character

1.2b [2016-05-27]:

• changed application icon

1.2a [2014-10-29]

• internal code cleanup for a bright and shiny future :-)

1.2 [2014-10-23]

• added “Autorun” option

• added check to prevent multiple aeroCMD instances running

• changed application icon

1.1 [2011-07-28]

• added “flat mode” setting

1.0a [2010-11-28]

• added Windows theming support for “About”-box

1.0 [2010-11-27]

• initial release

Download

Download aeroCMD (RAR-archive, 8,9kb)

Acknowledgements

• aeroCMD uses the SystemTray class by Chris Maunder

• Windows Vista testing by Thomas Kathmann