EarlKeeper - Track bookmarks across browsers, across machines

EarlKeeper - Track bookmarks, servers, and folders, across multiple browsers, across multiple machines with this keyliner-developed program.

Traditional browser bookmarks are chaotic and don't help with user-IDs or passwords. You can't add descriptions or notes.  You can't search. With traditional bookmarks, building folders and organizing is a nuisance, and after a few dozen, they become a pile. 

Imagine being able to track hundreds(!) of bookmarks and effortlessly find them without folders and without concern on which browser or machine you are using.  Welcome to "Earl Keeper" (URL keeper).  Toss-in any-old webpage, find it later.

Click for larger view

I use this program at work to keep track of sharepoint and other sites -- for things not even tied to a browser.

Features:

• Quickly(!) organize by category, by short-description, by long-description
• Search by word, phrase, category, date, domain, last-used
• Store up-to 2,000 bookmarks; find any one in a few keystrokes
• Keep notes for each bookmark
  
• Double-click the bookmark to launch
  
  
• Works cross-browser.   This is a stand-alone program. 
• Saves locally and optionally syncs with OneDrive, if available.
  
• Automatically shares across multiple machines. The list is always local and re-syncs the next time you are connected to OneDrive (if available).
  
  
• Remembers user-ID's and passwords, and can load the clipboard for an easy paste
• Encrypted
  
  
• Make new entries by simply dragging and dropping a new URL's onto the list

I admit this is a strange program.  It takes a few days to get used to it and understand its goal in life.  The key to a fruitful relationship is to throw everything at it.  If you say, "this page is interesting" or, "I want to read this later," then this is the program for you.  The more it has, the more useful it becomes.  I track non-URL things here too.

EarlKeeper is free
No installation. 
No nagware
No advertisements
No registration. 
Runs locally.  Does not call the mother-ship.

This is a keyliner-developed program, using the techniques found in my book, "War and Peace Programming in C#".  I wrote this program because I was irritated at everyone else's bookmarks.

How to use: 
Drag a URL on-top of the program. 
Add a few descriptive notes.
Optionally add User/ID's, passwords, clipboard rules, and 2Factor reminders.

Click for larger view

To find a bookmark:

Type any old bit of text in the search box.  The list shrinky-dinks down to your entry.
Sort by date, category, description, order-added, etc.
Double-click to launch.
Ctrl-Double-click to load the clipboard with the UserID and password.

Super-fast to find any bookmark.  No need for folders.  No worries about different browsers.

The "bookmarks" can follow you to any Windows computer, optionally synchronizing with OneDrive.  EarlKeeper runs with a local encrypted ASCII database and requires only a teeny bit of memory. 

Nothing fancy here - just straight-forward ASCII files, arrays, and some thoughtful programming.

Installation:

Installation is easy:
Download the .zip and place in a temp folder on your hard disk.  
Expand the .zip
Copy all files to a folder (such as C:\Program Files\util\EarlKeeper)
Double-click the .exe to run - no installation required. 

Since keyliner cannot afford a signing certificate, you will be prompted that the file is not safe (being downloaded from the internet).  Click "more information" and allow the program to run.

Follow these steps for a more professional install:

The program should be expanded and copied to Program Files so it gains the protection of other Windows security features. Total time: less-than a minute.

A.  Download the .zip to a Download or Temp folder:

From Keyliner's public GDrive, click this link and download to a local temp or download directory.  Do not download directly into ProgramFiles. 

Download Link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mUAc3I9NHqTKhr6EkcVc_mZv6i9IEi73/view?usp=drive_link

(GDrive shows the contents of the .zip.  Click the download icon in the upper-left corner.)

EarlKeeper.zip MD5 Checksum for Version 1.10:
MD5: 88-d0-82-e2-cf-bd-9c-e0-de-f8-ba-a4-ff-01-90-3f
SHA256: f73bdd3f9b1ccf3513334f1e2df9fc0c063aef7175dd7d4d9e43f41f9b064131
Len:     233K

When downloading, different browsers behave differently.
You will be prompted 'file cannot be scanned.'  Click "Download anyway". 
For, example:

Microsoft Edge Downloads:

Prompts "EarlKeeper.zip" was blocked because it could harm your device. 

Click "See More" and allow the download. 

With Edge, the file appears in your Downloads directory with a random name, "Unconfirmed 780359.crdownloaded" (name varies). 

Use File Explorer to rename to "EarlKeeper.exe".

B.  Mark the program as safe-to-run:

(This step may not be needed if downloaded by Edge and you clicked "More / Download Anyway")

Using File Explorer, right-mouse-click the downloaded (and re-named) EarlKeeper.zip
Select "Properties"
Check [x] Unblock.  (This removes the "mark of the web.")

                 Click for larger view

* Only do this if you trust keyliner *and* only if downloaded from keyliner's public GDrive. 

If "Unblock" is not visible, it has already been unlocked (by Microsoft Edge).
Once [x] Unblocked is clicked, this security menu disappears.

C.   Using File Explorer, double-click the .zip to open the file

D.  Select all files, including the .exe, the .dll, and json files
      Right-click and "COPY"

E.  Create a Program folder to hold the program:

Using File Explorer, open folder C:\Program Files,

Create a folder:  C:\Program Files\Util
Create a subfolder:  C:\Program Files\Util\EarlKeeper 

(or any folder)

 
F.  Paste the copied .zip files to  ProgramFiles\Util\EarlKeeper:

Using File Explorer,
Copy/paste all files from the expanded .zip file (copying from the temp folder) to
C:\Program Files\Util\EarlKeeper  (or directory of your choosing)

Do this copy as a two-step, copying from the download folder into Program Files.  Windows security will not let you download directly into Program Files (technically, you will not be able to remove the "mark of the web" if downloaded directly into Program Files).

G.  Create a Start Menu Tile:

Using File Explorer, tunnel to C:\Program Files\util\EarlKeeper
Right-mouse-click EarlKeeper.exe (the executable) and "Pin to Start"

The program is ready to run.  See icon on Start Menu.

Try it:

1.  Download and launch EarlKeeper.exe

2.  Leaving the window open, go to a browser and drag a URL on-top of the target icon on the main EarlKeeper panel.

3.  Fill in demographic goodies to help you find this record again.  Save.

4.  If a UserID or password is saved with the demographics, the Launch button turns green.  

Ctrl-Click the green button when launching.
EarlKeeper will paste your stored UID into the clipboard, ready for paste.
After a short delay, the password loads into the clipboard and it is ready for a paste.  Listen for a beep between the two events.  (This replaces other clipboarded items.)

5.  Next, EDIT any saved URL that has a UID and password.  Press Ctrl-C (Copy) three times.  Note how it jumps from one field the the next.  This is a an alternate way to get passwords into the clipboard.  I'm kind'a proud of this design.

Second Computers:

On a second computer, and assuming the same OneDrive / Microsoft account, install EarlKeeper.  It will automatically pull the other machine's backup copy and populate all records.  The two machines will stay in sync.


Under the Hood:

This program uses OneDrive but it will work full-featured without a OneDrive account.  Configuration and changes are then limited to this one machine.

From the main panel, click the Settings Icon (Gear icon) to add new Categories:
e.g. ReadLater, Recipies, Work, Personal, etc.

For a specific entry, EarlKeeper can launch the bookmark using one of four preferred browsers, usually for backwards compatibility.  From the settings screen, add new browsers (firefox, IE, etc.).  Most bookmarks can ignore this setting and just use the default browser.

Configuration files are saved as clear-text ASCII.
UserID's and Passwords are encrypted in clear-text.  Encryptions are salted and unique to you.  Keyliner is unable to decrypt.   Comments and Notes are *not* encrypted.  Contact me directly if you have problems in this area.

See folder:  C:\Users\(your account)\Prefs\Earlkeeper.  This folder also contains the previous 10-days backups for emergencies.  An offline backup can be found in a similar location in OneDrive.

Version 1.10 - Converted the program to the newer .DotNet 10 libraries; no other changes.

Version 1.04 -
Added minor feature:  Enter on Search jumps the cursor into the grid.  If only one URL is in the grid, it auto-launches that webpage.  A minor problem: The auto-launch is not sensitive to the Control-key being held-down and does not load the clipboard.  I've not figured out how to resolve this yet.

Version 1.03 -
Added ability to tab from search into the grid, arrow-key, then press ENTER to launch.
Increased from 1000 rows to 2000 rows; trying to be mindful of the memory consumed.

Version 1.02 -
Fixed problem when installing on new machine: Unable to write to C:\users\<you>\prefs.
Tiny change to how the OneDrive path is found; now uses the OneDrive Environment variable instead of <UserProfile>\OneDrive.

Version 1.01 - 
Fixed bug where CreateDate was not populating on Add New

Version 1.00  -
Initial Release  2022.04


I hope you enjoy using this program and welcome comments.