MyWebExPC

Many of us now use more than one computer: one computer at home; a computer at work or school; and maybe a laptop while we’re between the two. Although this means you’ve always got internet access at your fingertips, how many times have you left files on one computer when you meant to take them with you? With this free service you can install a bit of software on your PC, leave it switched on when you leave your home or office, and still be able to access all the files, folders and even programs on your PC from any other computer connected to the internet.

Features
Signing up for MyWebExPC lets you remotely access a PC from a single account. You have to download and install a small file onto the computer you want to access, and leave it switched on and connected to the internet (so realistically, this is only of use to broadband users). The first time you log on to the website from another computer you’ll also have to download a small browser plug-in. Then you can access your remote computer as you please – a separate window opens showing the computer’s Desktop, complete with access to the Start menu, or you can open a separate file transfer ultility.

Performance
At the other end, the screen of the computer being accessed goes blank, and the mouse and keyboard are disabled, so a passer-by can’t interfere with what you’re doing. If you prefer, you can turn either of these disabling features off. You can view the remote Desktop on your screen either in a window, full-screen as if you were working directly on that computer or at various levels of zoom. The security measures seem tight – you need your email address and password to get into the basic web control panel, then another (different) password to connect to the remote computer. The data sent between the two computers is encrypted to help stop snoopers from seeing what you’re up to. As you might expect, using your computer remotely like this is nowhere near as fast as using it directly.

Ease of use
The service works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox, though easy-to-install plug-ins are required for both browsers. Using the service is barely any more complicated than turning a computer on and starting to use it, so if you’re familiar with the computer you’re using remotely, there’s no reason why you should have any problems with this. Copying files from one computer to the other using the file transfer utility is a simple matter of finding the required folder on both computers and dragging the file from one to the other.

Value for money
This is a great free service. If you want to access more than one computer using a single account you’ll have to pay for the Pro version of the service at $10 per PC per month (around £5). However, most people should only need to access a single computer and will be able to get by with the free service.