Create a bespoke right-click menu

1 MAKE UNINSTALLING EASIER

Usually when you want to remove a program, you have to do it through the ‘Apps & Features’ control panel, only sometimes items get left behind. There’s a free tool called IObit Uninstaller that lets you remove any program by right-clicking its icon. Once it’s finished, it performs a deep scan to make sure there’s no junk left. Get it from www.iobit.com/en/advanceduninstaller.php

2 REMOVE PROGRAMS WITH A CLICK

Run the installer and the tool will be added to the context menu. To try it, right-click the icon of an app you don’t want and select ‘Powerful uninstall’. Check that the app shown is correct, then click Uninstall. You can create a Restore Point before you start, just in case. The app’s own uninstaller will then run, and any residual files or registry entries will be identified for removal.

3 GET INSTANT CLOUD STORAGE WITH DROPBOX

Another great tool for your context menu is Dropbox, which lets you send any file from your PC to an online cloud server, so you can access it from any device with an internet connection. The free version of Dropbox gives you 2GB space for your files, which goes a long way. To get started, go to www.dropbox.com and click ‘Download the app’, then run the installer.

5 BOOST YOUR MENU WITH EXTRA TOOLS

Easy Context Menu is a free tool that lets you add all kinds of handy tools to your right-click menu. Download it from tinyurl.com/apc444-easy (it’s not obvious, but click the rectangular grey Download button at the bottom of the page). Extract the ZIP, and double-click EcMenu.exe. Easy Context Menu doesn’t have to be installed, so it will start immediately.

7 CLEAN UP THE CLUTTER

If your context menu is starting to look big and unwieldy, removing the tools and options you never use can make it much more manageable. To get rid of the junk, download the free version of CCleaner from www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download and run the installer. When you’re offered a trial of the Pro edition, select ‘No thanks, install free version’.

4 ACCESS YOUR FILES ANYWHERE

When the Dropbox app starts, you’ll be asked to either create an account or sign in via Google. Once you’ve logged in, right-click a file and select ‘Move to Dropbox’. The file will now be accessible from any device with the Dropbox app installed, or via the website. See the Dropbox icon in the notification area? If there’s a green tick, the files you’ve moved have been uploaded.

6 ADD QUICK CONTROLS

You’ll now see a huge list of options that you can add to the context menu. Some of these are advanced Windows tools that you won’t need on a regular basis, but others — such as ‘Turn Off Options’ and ‘Empty Recycle Bin’ — are very handy to have at your fingertips. Check the boxes beside the tools you want to add, then click the green ‘+’ icon on the top left to save the changes.

8 MAKE THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Run CCleaner and select Tools from the menu on the left, then click Startup and select the ‘Context menu’ tab. Take a look through the list; if there’s anything you’d like to remove, just click it once and select Disable. You can always reactivate it later on if you change your mind. Congratulations! Thanks to these tools, you now have a fully customised context menu.