Fast Word — keyboard‑first Word documents in File Explorer

Fast Word is a tiny AutoHotkey v2 helper for people who live in the keyboard, shortcuts, and a CLI‑style rhythm: stay in File Explorer, never reach for the mouse, and spin up blank Microsoft Word (.docx) files as fast as you create folders.

If your ideal workflow is Explorer in focus → chord → new file, this repo is for you.

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Who this is for

• Power users and developers who already navigate with Ctrl, Alt, and Win combinations
• Anyone who wants a mouse‑free, repeatable way to add Word documents next to project files
• Teams that batch‑create docs: one hotkey, many files, with automatic naming (New document.docx, New document (2).docx, …)

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Hotkeys at a glance

Action	Shortcut	Where it comes from
New folder	Ctrl + Shift + N	Windows 11 File Explorer (built‑in)
New Word document	Ctrl + Shift + D	This script — creates .docx in the active Explorer folder

Use Ctrl+Shift+N to carve the folder, Ctrl+Shift+D to drop another Word file inside it. Repeat as often as you like — no ribbon, no right‑click parade.

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How it works (first run & every run)

1. Template in Downloads — On first use, the script ensures %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\empty.docx exists. If that file is missing, it starts Word invisibly once, saves a blank .docx there, then exits Word.
2. Copy into the current folder — With File Explorer focused on your target directory, Ctrl+Shift+D copies that template into that folder as the next free name (New document.docx, New document (2).docx, …).
3. Fast iteration — The heavy lifting is a file copy, so you can fire multiple documents in seconds while staying on the keyboard.

That’s the whole idea: one silent template in Downloads, unlimited fast copies wherever Explorer is pointing.

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Requirements

• Windows 11 (or Windows 10 with equivalent File Explorer COM behavior)
• AutoHotkey v2 — see Install AutoHotkey v2 (this is what runs your hotkeys; there is no separate “Hotkeys” app to install)
• Microsoft Word (needed the first time to create empty.docx, and for opening/editing the files afterward)

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Install AutoHotkey v2

Fast Word’s Ctrl+Shift+D shortcut is implemented with AutoHotkey v2: free, open-source hotkey and automation tooling for Windows. Install it once, then keep Create Word.ahk running (or compile it to an .exe).

Download and install (English)

1. Open autohotkey.com and choose Download (official installer).
2. Run the installer and select AutoHotkey v2 when asked. This repo uses v2 only (#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0 in the script).
3. After setup, double-click Create Word.ahk. If Windows asks which program to use, pick AutoHotkey v2.
4. (Optional) To start the script with Windows: place a shortcut in the Startup folder (Win+R → shell:startup) or use Task Scheduler.

Documentation

Resource	Link
Home & download	https://www.autohotkey.com/
AutoHotkey v2 docs	https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/v2/
Getting started	https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/v2/Welcome.htm
Hotkeys (::)	https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/v2/Hotkeys.htm

Installatie (Nederlands)

1. Ga naar autohotkey.com → Download en voer het officiële installatieprogramma uit.
2. Kies AutoHotkey v2 (niet versie 1 — dit project is alleen v2).
3. Dubbelklik daarna op Create Word.ahk om de hotkeys te activeren.
4. Uitgebreide uitleg (Engels): AutoHotkey v2-documentatie en pagina over hotkeys.

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Setup

1. Install AutoHotkey v2 (see Install AutoHotkey v2).
2. Save or clone this repo where you like (the script path does not have to match your documents folder).
3. Run Create Word.ahk (or compile it and run the executable).
4. Open File Explorer, focus the folder you want, press Ctrl+Shift+D.

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SEO / discovery notes (for maintainers)

Suggested GitHub repository description (≈160 characters):
Fast Word (WordFast): AutoHotkey Windows 11 File Explorer shortcut — Ctrl+Shift+D creates blank Word .docx from a Downloads template; keyboard-only, power-user workflow.

Topics / tags to add on GitHub: autohotkey, windows-11, file-explorer, keyboard-shortcuts, microsoft-word, docx, productivity, ahk-v2, power-user, cli-style.