Windows Keyboard and Mouse Record and Playback

I have a need to record a set of actions on my PC and then repeat them may times over.
Too easy you think.  Well think again.  I would not say any of these are acceptable programs.
To me to be acceptable they need to

•  record and replay
• the files should be editable.  
• The start and stop process should be easy.  I would say a small always on top widget and user programmable hot keys.

Mouse Recorder Pro 2 2.0.7.4
http://byshynet.com/software.php?id=3



PFMR
http://www.benetonsoftware.com/PF_Macro_Recorder.php
This works.  Uber simple.
But the macro has to activated by clicking the mouse.  The shortcut key cntrol-P or something kicks off some other windows function.
Also not possible to edit.
Can increase the replay speed to 1000x


PULOVER'S MACRO CREATOR
http://www.macrocreator.com/
Claimed to record macros for use with Autohotkey but also a stand alone program that will record keyboard and mouse and replay them.
It works
But when I recorded clicking in three input boxes and typing a few numbers I ended up with a thousand lines of macro.  It seemed each mouse movement entered a gazillion lines into the recording.
Can edit

AUTOHOTKEY
http://www.autohotkey.com
This is the rolls royce, name brand, top of the line program that gets lots of hits on google.
Just can't quite work out how to get it to actually record keys.

DO IT AGAIN
http://www.spacetornado.com/DoItAgain/
Installed, ran, recorded, saved - ah not so quick.  Win8 must prevent writing to the program files area and the program only writes to a special directory.  Uninstalled and reinstalled to c:\doitagain\.  Tried again.  This time recorded and saved but I could not get it to playback without error.  Gave up.  Uninstalled.

FREELABS MACRO RECORDER
http://freelabs.info/MacroRecorder.aspx
Downloaded.  Ran to install -> Error 2868.  Changed something to do with being compatable with previous versions of Windows.  Tried to install again and it worked.  Tried to record a macro.  Then play it back.  Nothing seemed to happen when I played it back.  Maybe it does not record mouse movements?
MICROSOFT
This page
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/help/windows-8/how-to/mouse/creating-macros
Seems to imply that Microsoft have a offering.  I just don't have a microsoft mouse on me.

Mouse Recorder
http://mouserecorder.sourceforge.net/
Could not find windows installer.  last activity 2010. gave up
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come back to this.  Nothing to do with recording.  http://thinphp.com/