PopSel

Although Windows comes with its own set of features to arrange elements on your desktop as you see fit and create shortcuts to quickly access links or apps of interest, sooner or later your PC gets clogged with one too many files. Rather than using a search tool to find items of interest, you can take your time to better arrange icons with applications like PopSel to always have them at your fingertips.

A neat advantage of the application is that you don't need to install it on your system for it to properly function, thus keeping your registries intact. This also means that you can store it along with files you need on a Flash drive to use on the go.

The application is not like your average program launcher creator, with the output actually being a custom context menu. Sadly enough, you'll have to carefully move your mouse and click around because you might close the menu. Moreover, further editing a menu might see a little difficult at first because the corresponding button is difficult to spot due to its entrance effect.

Once you figure out what cane be done, either by analyzing the example or snooping through the rich help manual, all seem a lot easier. The configuration window is pretty intuitive, with a side panel enlisting all menu elements so you can arrange them, add separators and even generic text.

You are mostly required to fill in the command field, with a large variety of possibilities. Besides any kind of file, the application is able to access web pages and even run specialized commands like shutting down your computer.

Complex menus can be created by writing down a custom path in the menu item field, or specify a local folder to automatically have submenus created. In case any application needs to be launched with parameters, a dedicated field lets you add all of them, with a list included in the help manual.

The custom made context menu is triggered by simply launching the application. Another advantage is that with careful management, you can create multiple menus, each bound to its own executable file, but you need to experiment a little to get lists right and properly create shortcuts.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that PopSel stands out from the crowd through its different approach on creating shortcuts for your files and links. Portability is a plus, especially if linked apps are also portable, while customization options and support for parameters make sure you include both work and leisure items.