1. "
When everything is installed onto my tomtom and i click on fast activate and it doesn't recognise maps, poi's or speedcameras. It seems to patch the navcore okay and home okay and thats it. Meta txt doesnt do anything either."
Don't assume! As mentioned earlier the map need a .dct file to be activated. So either confirm or deny the presence.
2. "
When i unzip my files using winrar they go into normal files, do in need to extact those files as a whole file and put them on my SD card or do i need to open these files first and transfer them as a group of individual files across onto my sd card? (hope it makes sense). if so is this the case for navcore and fast activate?"
What files? Normal files?
How can we help if you neither follow the intruction, nor give feedback that could help.
Of course if you need files for your TT you only work with them on your PC and never ever copy them to the TT - TT get's the file by magic only, so gently rub the case and wait for the ghost to appear
