For millions of computer users, the mouse is an essential tool and working on a computer without it is almost unthinkable. And for the bulk of these users, the left button is the default way to use the mouse; with the right mouse button getting neglected most of the time. While there are some tasks you can perform with a right-click, there is not much you can do with it. Or is there? Installing a couple of free utilities can add a lot of functionality to the right mouse button.

Here are 20 things you can do with just a click on the mouse right button.


Upload Files the ‘Right’ Way
If you into sharing files with your friends, it would be good to have an easy option to upload files without the need to anything fancy. You can share files easily and quickly with a free right-click utility — RightLoad. It features support for uploading to FTP/HTTP servers. Facebook, Rapidshare, Flickr, and Imageshack support can be also added via plugins.

Resize and Convert Images Instantly
Changing the size and format of image files might not be that essential but it does sometimes come in handy. And doing it with the help of the mouse right button makes it a lot easier instead of opening up full-fledged image editors. VSO Image Resizer lets you do just that. Right-click on an image file and select “VSO Image Resizer” and it throws up a window with various options to resize your image. It lets you resize the original image directly or create copies of it and also lets you convert images to a different format. It supports most of the common image files including RAW format.


Create PDFs in Two Clicks
When we want to create PDFs from other file formats, we normally use PDF printers which get installed in the PC as a virtual printer and converts files into PDFs by printing it into a PDF file. This method is not always the best way but we don’t have much of a choice. Or do we? Actually, there is a way to convert files to PDFs with just a right-click without installing a virtual PDF printer — 7-PDF Maker lets you create PDF from almost any document or image files in a matter of just two clicks. Right-click on the file and select “7-PDF — Create PDF” and you are done.


Convert Media Files
When you want to quickly convert audio and video files, there is probably no better and quicker way than to just right-click a file and choose the format you want to convert it to. Oxelon Media Converter lets you do that exactly by nicely integrating into the context menu. It features most of the options available in other full-fledged media converter and supports almost all the common audio and video files that you can think of.

Explore and Burn
Using a full-fledged burning tool like the Nero burning tool is not necessary if you don’t need all the bells-and-whistles that come along with it and your needs are quite basic like burning regular files or ISO image files only. Instead, you can use the aptly named Explore&Burn which allows you to burn files right from Windows Explore context menu. It is quite simple and easy to use with its wizard based step-by-step interface.


Launch Programs the “Right” Way
Program launchers are available in plenty but for quicker access to frequently used applications, RUNit can be a great time saver by allowing you to run applications with just a right-click. You need to first add applications to the program list and once added you will be able to launch applications by right-clicking on a particular corner of the desktop’s screen — by default it is the upper part of the screen (you can set it to any of the four parts of the screen).


Check Files for Virus
The VirusTotal.com’s free online service lets you upload files to check if the files are infected with virus. Once uploaded, it will scan for viruses and other malware with the help of around 40 security tools. The VirusTotal Uploader provides a very easy way to upload files to VirusTotal.com — right-click on a file and from the Send to option, select “VirusTotal”.

Access and Manage Virtual Desktops
Virtual desktops can be a very good way to maximize your desktop’s space by having separate desktop for different tasks. WindowsPager provides four virtual desktops with which you can organize your various tasks in a more optimized way. For organizing and managing running applications, just right-click on any program’s window and choose among the four virtual desktops to include that particular program in one of the virtual desktop.


Create MP3 Playlists
This might not be applicable to all PC users but if you have lots of music files stored in your PC, Mp3ListShellEx might come in handy. It lets you create different types of playlist or a plain text list of all audio files contained inside a folder. Just right-click on the folder containing the music files and from the “Create with Mp3ListShellEx” option choose the type of list you want to create.


View and Navigate Image Files
First Impression is a very useful image viewer with no visible interface — you only see the image you are viewing and you just need to use your mouse right button to navigate the images from a particular folder. It is a simple and very effective way to display images by cutting out all the unnecessary frills and focusing on only the images.

For millions of computer users, the mouse is an essential tool and working on a computer without it is almost unthinkable. And for the bulk of these users, the left button is the default way to use the mouse; with the right mouse button getting neglected most of the time. While there are some tasks you can perform with a right-click, there is not much you can do with it. Or is there? Installing a couple of free utilities can add a lot of functionality to the right mouse button.

Here are 20 things you can do with just a click on the mouse right button.


Synchronize between Folders
If you have multiple copies of the same folder and want to synchronize it quickly and effortlessly, what can be better than just right-clicking and synching two folders in a few mouse clicks — you can do that with the FileMenu Tools utility that add dozens of utility to the right-click menu — the ‘Synchronize’ option is one of them. You just need to specify the two folders to synchronize and choose the synchronization type – Unidirectional (one-way sync) or Bidirectional (two-way sync) and you are done.


Free Up Locked Files
Files which are locked for some reason can be deleted (with the previously mentioned FileMenu Tools for example). But what if you don’t want to delete but free up the file from whatever is locking it up? The aptly named Unlocker gives you few more options for dealing with locked files other than deleting them like moving it to another location or renaming it. You can also kill the process which is locking the file or just unlock the file without killing the process. Launch it by right-clicking on the locked file and it displays the different processes are possible for locking the file and lets you kill them to free up the file.

Unravel Unknown File Extensions
What do you do when you encounter file with unknown extensions? The obvious way would be to right-click and try to find a compatible application by clicking on the Open With option. It is basically a tedious task trying to find a suitable program from among the myriad software installed in your PC and more often than not, a compatible application might not be installed. In this scenario, OpenWith.org is a better alternative to the default Windows Open With feature. It finds matching applications to run the file. In situations where no compatible application is found, it gives you an option to download applications directly from the Net.


Easier Access to Folders
With Folder Guide you can avoid the hassle of navigating through a set of paths to access a particular folder. It provides you direct access to folders that you use frequently — just add the folders you want to access and it will show up in the ‘Folder Guide’ item when you right-click on the Desktop or Explorer window. Right-clicking on a particular folder allows you to add it to Folder Guide list for quick navigation to that folder.


Control and Manage Windows Tasks Easily
Process Manager adds a host of features when you right-click on a particular task in the taskbar or an active window. It lets you set the priority level or terminate a particular process without the hassle of running Windows Task Manager. There is also an option for making any window transparent where you can set the level of transparency. Other useful features include the ability to minimize applications to the system tray and displaying windows always on top of other open windows.

Shut Down PC with a Double (Right)-Click
Double-clicking with the left mouse button is nothing new but what about the right button? Yes, you can execute a number of tasks by double- (right) clicking with ClickZap. You can choose to Lock/Log out/Shutdown the computer or minimize/close windows with a right-click.


Run Applications and Tasks with Gestures
MouseWrangler lets you run applications or tasks by holding the right mouse button and moving the mouse in a particular direction. You can replace keystrokes like Alt+F4, Ctrl+C, etc with a particular gesture or create gestures that will open up any application.


Thumbnail Creation in a Jiffy
RightThumb adds a thumbnail creation option to the right-click menu. By default, this standalone utility doesn’t integrate into the context menu automatically, for integration into the context menu; you need to select the ‘Run in Context menu’ option. It allows you to save the thumbnail in four formats (BMP, GIF, JPG, and PNG) and provides some advanced options like setting the JPG quality/compression level for PNG files, sharpening the thumbnails after resizing, and advanced filters for resampling the images.


Encrypt and Be Safe
Locking a file can sound intimidating but it can’t get easier than just right clicking on it and encrypting it or decrypting it as the need arises — that’s exactly what AxCrypt does. Select a file to encrypt and enter the passphrase that will be used to unlock the file and it will be locked. The ‘Decrypt’ option will unlock the file. It’s as easy as that.


Selective Backup
If you just want to backup individual files without installing heavy duty apps, Developer’s Backup might be the perfect tool. You need to configure it to set the folders where you want to store all your backups by clicking on the ‘Right-click Backup’ tab. When you right-click on a file, the particular folder will be shown in the ‘Developers Backup’ menu.

For a web developer, the advantage of having a server on your own PC is that you can test pages and sites before they go live. In particular, if you’re working with complex scripts or plug-ins, there’s always a danger that they may cause your site to stop working or create vulnerabilities.

Server2Go, which we demonstrate in the following walkthrough, can be installed on a USB drive. This means you can take your files with you wherever you go, and use them even on a PC where you have no administrator privileges and are unable to install any programs. This will be useful if you want to demonstrate a test site to someone else or simply try something out.

It’s also possible to create media-rich applications that can be distributed to run from disc when you don’t want them available online. If you also bundle the installation-free version of Firefox, you’ll gain complete control over the presentation and distribution of your files.

Getting up and running with Server2Go

Server2Go runs without needing to install itself on your machine, which means you can launch it directly from write-protected media. Because it usually includes a fully functioning database, you can create complex applications such as catalogues and computer-based training (CBT) products that can be sent out on disc.

The program comes in a number of versions, including a micro package that consists of the web server Apache. In most cases, however, you’ll want to use a version that includes PHP, MySQL and Perl to ensure you have everything you need for a fully functioning site.

Apache is the core application. The popular open-source web server could be downloaded as part of Server2Go in three different releases at the time of writing: 1.3.55, 2.0.63 and 2.2.11. The first two versions are stable but older forms, while the latter is a more recent release.

Database functions are handled by the open-source MySQL program, with which many web developers will be familiar, along with the less commonly encountered SQLite. This allows databases to be run without installation or administration. Finally, Perl and PHP are popular coding languages required to run a large number of interactive sites. PHP is particularly useful alongside MySQL for handling databases, with Server2Go supporting PHP 5.2 and MySQL 5.0.41.

It’s possible to tinker around with various settings within configuration files after you’ve downloaded Server2Go. We’ll do a little of that here in order to ensure that the program runs alongside another portable app, FirefoxPortable.

In general, however, one of the best features of the package is that it runs effectively and efficiently with no further requirements on your part.

STEP 1. Download the Server2Go software from server2go-web.de. Click Downloads and select a version. We recommend the most complete package, but you can opt for a download of between 6MB and 45MB.

STEP 2. Server2Go downloads as a self-extracting .zip file. Double-click this. Once its contents have been extracted into a new folder, have a nose around and familiarise yourself with the various folders.

You’ll find an icon that launches the program and six folders. Server contains the applications that will run your web pages, dbdir handles databases and cgi-bin stores executable scripts. See Using phpMyAdmin (below) to learn about the Admin folder. Htdocs is the most important folder: this is where you’ll store the web pages you create.

STEP 3. To begin using Server2Go immediately, double-click the main icon to launch the web server. This will open your web browser with the address http://127.0.0.1:4001 – a test page that confirms you’ve unzipped the package correctly. To open any other files in your htdocs folder, type the name of the file after the localhost address. Closing the browser will shut down the server.

STEP 4. In the next few steps, we’ll show you how to create a truly self-contained system using the portable version of Firefox available from tinyurl.com/mam23. Having downloaded a copy, double-click the .zip file to extract its contents into the folder that contains your server software. There, you’ll find a folder called FirefoxPortable; double-clicking the icon within this folder will launch the application.

STEP 5. You’ll need to make a few configuration changes if you want to use Firefox as the default browser. First, go to the folder FirefoxPortableAppFirefox and change the name of the icon Firefox.exe to ffp.exe. Don’t change the name of the icon FirefoxPortable in the top directory. Instead, create a file called FirefoxPortable.ini and add the following code in the directory FirefoxPortable:

[FirefoxPortable]
FirefoxDirectory=Appfirefox
ProfileDirectory=Dataprofile
SettingsDirectory=Datasettings
PluginsDirectory=Dataplugins
FirefoxExecutable=ffp.EXE
AdditionalParameters=
LocalHomepage=
WaitForFirefox=true
DisableSplashScreen=true
AllowMultipleInstances=true
DisableIntelligentStart=false
SkipChromeFix=false
SkipCompregFix=false
RunLocally=true

STEP 6. Finally, in the Server2Go folder, open the file pms_config.ini and find the line that begins BrowserType. Change this from BrowserType=IEXPLORER to BrowserType=PORTABLEFIREFOX, and the line BrowserPath=ExternalBrowser/SimpleBrowser.exe to BrowserPath=FirefoxPortable/FirefoxPortable.EXE (this assumes that you unzipped FirefoxPortable into the server that hosts the rest of your Server2Go files).

Firefox will now launch as the default browser, allowing you to design pages without worrying about what software is installed on the end-user’s PC.

Using phpMyAdmin

Setting up and managing SQL databases is a complex task when completed via the command line, so the close integration of MySQL and PHP in phpMyAdmin comes in incredibly useful.

This is bundled as a standard part of the Server2Go package. You can access it from your web browser by typing phpMyAdmin after the address of your local server (127.0.0.1:4001). From here, you’ll see the splash screen with some basic information about the version of MySQL being run on your machine, as well as a drop-down menu of databases in the left-hand panel.

Selecting one of these databases will display it in the main window, where you’ll see a list of tables contained within. Tabs let you sort information, export or import records, create new tables via operations or edit privileges to restrict access.

To create a new database in phpMyAdmin, locate the field entitled ‘Create new database’ that sits about halfway down the home page. Enter the name of your database and click Create.

Next, you’ll be asked to create a table with a number of fields. You can then specify the name, type and any default values contained in those fields.

Running fully fledged apps with Server2Go

Once Server2Go is up and running, it’s time for you to create something interesting that can be distributed as a self-contained set of files.

An obvious option is to design a website using your favourite editor. Pages saved to the htdocs folder wherever you’ve installed Server2Go will then be displayed in the browser.

However, creating simple HTML pages doesn’t really require this kind of application. After all, creating HTML documents with links will simply display in the browser when you double-click them, with the ability to click through to other files.

Since Server2Go provides you with fully working versions of MySQL and PHP (depending on which version you’ve downloaded), you can create far more complex applications. In this section, we’ll look at bundling a search engine, Zoom Search, as well as installing a content management system, Joomla.

STEP 1. Zoom Search Engine 6.0 can be used to add search facilities to a website or folder. Download it from wrensoft.com and install it to your hard drive. The free version can be used on sites consisting of up to 50 pages, while a $49 (£30) Standard licence allows you to search up to 100 pages. Professional and Enterprise versions can search up to 200,000 or an unlimited number of files respectively. Launch the wizard to create a simple search index of your site.

STEP 2. Allow Zoom Search to scan through the pages of the indicated site and create a set of index files for copying into your final project. You’ll need to specify a start directory (the folder to be searched) and an output directory (where the index will be stored). Keeping to a single search will allow you to avoid most of the other, more complex options.

STEP 3. Zoom Search also creates a default search.html page. Ensure that this, its CSS files and the index that Zoom will use to search your site are in your Server2Go folders so that you can copy them all across with your final project.

STEP 4. To create a dynamic interactive site with Joomla, download the latest version from joomla.org/download.html. Unzip this file into a folder called joomla in your htdocs directory. Launch Server2Go and then navigate to the joomla folder, typically http://127.0.0.1:4001/joomla. This will start the Joomla installer. Select the language you want and click Next.

STEP 5. Joomla first launches a preinstallation check to ensure your system is compatible. Once it’s satisfied (it should be with a default install of Server2Go), click Next to view the licence, then click Next again to proceed to the first stage of installation. This configures the SQL database required by Joomla. For simplicity – and to test an installation – you can enter the username as root and leave the password blank. This is insecure, of course; to change it you’ll need to use phpMyAdmin to set a default use name and password. Note that the host name should be localhost.

STEP 6. FTP settings can be ignored at this stage, but for the next name you must enter a password to use with the username admin to access Joomla’s administrative features. It’s also a good idea to enter a name for your website and email address.

STEP 7. As a final security step, navigate to the folder where you installed Joomla and delete the directory installation: Joomla won’t load in the browser until you do so.

Typing the address 127.0.0.1:4001/joomla will load the program in your browser, while 127.0.0.1:4001/joomla/administrator lets you configure the application. Go to Extensions, Template Manager to modify the appearance of your site, and Content, Article Manager to begin adding content. You’ll find plenty of Joomla templates by searching online, and anything you add to your site is completely searchable because the material is stored in a MySQL database.

STEP 8. The original function of Server2Go was to create a fully working website that could run from disc. Once you’ve added content to your site, the next step is to create a version that can be distributed in this way. If you’re distributing a single site, you’ll want to edit the pms_config.ini file so that the site opens automatically when Server2Go is launched, which means looking for the line DefaultFile and adding the folder name for your site (for example, joomla).

Once this is done, simply open your favourite disc-copying software and create a job that will move all the files you need to disc. Make sure you copy everything in the Server2Go folder, including third-party programs such as Zoomsearch. After the disc has been created, it’ll run your website as a self-contained application.

Portable apps

Server2Go and FirefoxPortable are two of a number of products designed to run without installation, meaning they can be carried on to any PC via a USB drive or CD. At portableapps.com, you’ll find a complete suite of such applications, including OpenOffice.org for your productivity needs, the Sumatra PDF reader, Pidgin Portable to handle instant messaging clients, and antivirus software from ClamWin.

With the suite installed on your USB drive (the standard suite consumes 355MB of disk space), you can be sure that even in internet cafes or security-conscious work environments you’ll have most of the basic tools you need to carry out your required tasks.