Direct Access allows you for launching commands from anywhere, even when there no text input.

If you are not careful, this could create some unwanted interactions with other application, sending them keystrokes that may have unexpected consequences.

Here’s a simple macro, created with Autohotkey, that solves this problem, allowing you to select the taskbar before typing an abbreviation: keystrokes are then sent to the taskbar preventing unwanted interactions with other applications.

How to use focustaskbar
Run the focustaskbar.exe. An icon  will appear on the taskbar. When you are ready to type an abbreviation to launch an application or open a website (no meaning to use it for Autotext when you want Direct Access to send keystrokes to the active application), type the WIN+C key combination. The script will intercept it and focus the taskbar. You can then type the abbreviation knowing that it won’t have any side effect.

The script assumes that the taskbar is aligned at the bottom of the screen. It that’s not the case for you, you can easily modify the script; similarly you can also change the key combination.

The Script
The script contains just one line: #c::MouseClick, left, 4000,4000
that says: when you detect a WIN+C key combination, send a left mouse click at coordinates (4000, 4000). If your taskbar is not attached to the bottom of the screen, you can easily change the mouse click location accordingly.

So, to be on the safe side, whenever you type an abbreviation for launching applications, type WIN+C followed by your abbreviation.

Download

• Download the executable, focustaskbar.exe
• Download source, focustaskbar.ahk