Just a simple hotkey combo away, Launchy is a handy tool that lets you open nearly any program, file, folder, or Web site on your system with just a few keystrokes.

Enter the first few letters of a file or program and Launchy’s small, skinnable interface automatically displays the rest of the name. You simply press Enter to open or launch it. If the displayed name isn’t the item you want, a few seconds later the tool displays a drop-down list with other likely candidates from which you can choose.

Configuring Launchy is as easy as using the tool itself and it can be directed to look only at specific directories if need be. Easy to master, it performs without a hitch and could easily replace the Start menu or Windows Explorer - as long as you know the name of what you’re looking for.

Download Launchy, check out some cool plugins and skins as well as tips and tricks from the link below, after the video…

Here’s an official description…

Launchy is designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager. Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes.

[via Launchy]