Use time-saving applications

Copy large files faster
Copying very large files, such as videos, from one folder to another or between different hard disks can take up a lot of time. This is because Windows treats all file copies in the same way. Teracopy examines each file’s size before copying and adjusts its methods to speed up the process. You can also pause and resume file transfers and if there are problems it will display a list of the files that did not copy properly. Click here to download Teracopy.

Access favourite folders quickly
Flashflolder is a really handy tool that gives you fast access to a list of pre-defined favourite folders from within your applications. Once installed it adds an extra toolbar at the top of the normal Open/Save dialogue box in most Windows programs so you can instantly jump to one of your favourite folders when you need to load or save a file. It is currently only available for Windows XP, but the author plans to develop a Vista compatible version in the future. Click here to download Flashfolder.

Spring clean your PC
Over time your PC can get clogged up with old data that is no longer needed. CCleaner can root out all kinds of temporary files, including old automatic backups from applications such as Microsoft Office, files saved to your hard disk while browsing web pages and more. Once you’ve performed a spring clean with CCleaner your PC should start to perform at its best again. Click here to download CCleaner.

Get a dock for fast program launches
Ever used a Mac and thought the application dock was useful? Then Rocket Dock is for you. It’s a simple animated bar that you can place on your desktop and drag and drop application or file shortcuts into, allowing you to launch each of th em with a single click of your mouse button. There are plenty of other Dock style applications around, but we think Rocket Dock is the best because it’s easier to use and seems to be less prone to crashes than its rivals. Click here to download Rocket Dock.

How to install or uninstall these handy programs
To install any of the applications listed here, simply download them from the Computeractive website using the link provided ­ type the address into the address bar of your browser, and not into a search engine such as Google.

Once the download has completed double-click on the downloaded program and follow the onscreen instructions. If you don’t like any of the applications or want to remove them from your PC for any reason then uninstalling them is easy.

If your computer runs Windows XP, click on the Start menu and select Control Panel. Make sure the Category View is selected and then click on the Add or Remove Programs option. Wait for the Add or Remove programs window to fill, then highlight the name of the program you want to uninstall and click on the Remove button. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the process.

If your computer runs Windows Vista the process is very similar. Click on the Start button and then select Control Panel. Make sure Control Panel Home is selected and then under Programs click the link for Uninstall a Program. Select the program in the List, click on the Uninstall button at the top of the screen and follow the onscreen instructions.