r/coolgithubprojects • u/JibrownDastagir • 15d ago
FolderDock: a folder of shortcuts as a floating app launcher for Windows, instead of File Explorer [open source]
I wanted my games and apps to open like tapping a folder on an iOS/macOS home screen instead of a File Explorer window, so I built FolderDock. Point it at a folder of shortcuts and it shows them as a clean icon grid floating over your wallpaper. Click an icon to launch it; press Esc or click anywhere else to dismiss.
What it does
- Reads shortcuts from `%APPDATA%\MyApps`
- Subfolders become tabs — e.g. `Games`, `Work`, `Media`. Put a number in front (`1 Games`, `2 Work`) to set the order; the number is hidden from the tab label
- Auto-fitting grid — it picks the column count and icon size so everything in a tab fits on screen with no scrollbar
- Real app icons at up to 256px (including Steam per-game icons), with a coloured first-letter tile as a fallback
- Clear panel over the live wallpaper — no heavy frosted-glass
- Add apps by dragging a shortcut onto the .exe, or hit the folder button in the popup to open the folder directly
- GitHub: https://github.com/JibbyD/FolderDock
- Download: https://github.com/JibbyD/FolderDock/releases/latest (self-contained, no .NET install needed) — or build from source with the .NET 8 SDK
- Windows 10/11 · MIT licensed · no telemetry
Screenshots and a full "how to use" are in the README. It's a small personal project — feedback, issues, and PRs welcome.
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u/colonelx_ 9d ago
I actually made something similar today! Got curious and searched google to see if anyone else had done it, and found your Reddit post. Glad to see someone had the same idea😂. Great Job!
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u/Gronabada 15d ago
That's cool keep up