"Explorer" alternative

atinfo · Dec 18, 2023

Files App - Official app in the Microsoft Store

Introducing Files, the ultimate file manager for Windows. With its sleek and intuitive design, navigating through your files and documents has never been easier. Files features tabs for easy switching between different folders, a column layout for quick file browsing, and dual pane support for...

apps.microsoft.com

What a cool Explorer alternative. It has a lag at startup, but after the first load, it's faster than the native Explorer.

I love these three options:
1. Column view (like macOS)

2. "Send to" on the context menu (isn't hidden in the "Show more options") :thumbsup:

3. Double-click on a blank space to go up one directory :thumbsup:

Interesting (design) engineering :clap:

: It doesn't cut off the Search box whenever you resize the window, instead, changes the box to the icon.

Files app

Windows Explorer

Kees · Dec 18, 2023

Unfortunately it is not possible to test the app before you buy it.
So that's nothing for me, as I always like to try before buy.

idgat · Dec 18, 2023

xplorer2.

xplorer2 lite 32bit freeware version

Kees · Dec 18, 2023

idgat said:
xplorer2 lite 32bit freeware version

That's only in English, which is not acceptable for me.
For my daily use I want such an important program in my native language.

That's one of the reasons I always want to try a program before I decide to buy it.

Edwin · Dec 18, 2023

QTTabBar.

Kees · Dec 18, 2023

I disabled the tabs in the Windows 11 File Explorer by the Vivetool trick, because I don't like tabs.
So QTTabBar certainly is not for me. But thanks for the hint.

I don't need anymore alternatives myself, just reacted to the opening post with the Files app (which according specs indeed has NL language). For which I was curious how it functions, but that's not possible at all, as there is no freeware or shareware version for it.
I tested almost all available (freeware) alternatives until now.

atinfo · Dec 18, 2023

idgat said:
xplorer2 lite

Its Dark Mode is an absolute garbage. It has no consistency in design. Old icons, semi-old ribbon (!) and some submenus are illegible (I didn't take a screenshot of the submenus, the SS below is right-click on the blank space).

The only thing that got my attention was the option below, which doesn't work right! It just works in the "Small Icon" view not in the "List" view.

idgat · Dec 18, 2023

atinfo said:
Its Dark Mode is an absolute garbage. It has no consistency in design. Old icons, semi-old ribbon (!) and some submenus are illegible (I didn't take a screenshot of the submenus, the SS below is right-click on the blank space).

The only thing that got my attention was the option below, which doesn't work right! It just works in the "Small Icon" view not in the "List" view.

Just because a layout is not something you're accustomed to, doesn't make it garbage. Besides, the prejudiced view that you portrayed is totally customisable, which is more than can be said for Windows/File Explorer.

idgat · Dec 18, 2023

Kees said:
That's only in English, which is not acceptable for me.
For my daily use I want such an important program in my native language.

This is an English language forum, thus an appropriate suggestion for this forum.

OAT · Dec 18, 2023

Kees said:
Unfortunately it is not possible to test the app before you buy it.
So that's nothing for me, as I always like to try before buy.

You can download their preview from their website.
Your language is offered, it's Dutch, isn't it?
The screenshot below is only a partial list.

Files • Home

Building the best file manager for Windows.

files.community

atinfo · Dec 19, 2023

idgat said:
Just because a layout is not something you're accustomed to, doesn't make it garbage. Besides, the prejudiced view that you portrayed is totally customisable, which is more than can be said for Windows/File Explorer.

I want to clarify that my words were not intended to come across as fanatical behaviour. I simply expressed my humble opinions and meant absolutely no offence to any software or code writer.

This post was continued. Another post removing!!!! Why?!!!!!!!!!

Kees · Dec 19, 2023

idgat said:
This is an English language forum, thus an appropriate suggestion for this forum.

I only wrote that the program is not acceptable for me, which hopefully is not forbidden in an English language forum?
It's an international forum as well, with members from all over the world!

Kees · Dec 19, 2023

OAT said:
Your language is offered, it's Dutch, isn't it?

I knew already, for the Files app I did not 'complain' about that:

Kees said:
...just reacted to the opening post with the Files app (which according specs indeed has NL language).

Edit: Tried to install the Files Preview in my VirtualBox testenvironment (where I test all programs before really installing them).
The Microsoft installprogram (1.17.10691.0) reported an error. The error was in Dutch, but translated by google it says:

This app package cannot be opened
Publisher: Yair Aichenbaum
Version: 3.0.16.0
This app package is not supported for installation by the app installer,
because it uses certain limited capabilities.

So for me that's the end of the testing.

jimbo45 · Dec 19, 2023

Kees said:
I only wrote that the program is not acceptable for me, which hopefully is not forbidden in an English language forum?
It's an international forum as well, with members from all over the world!

This might work -- although it's "Pay" the trial is free and has absolutely no expiry date so you can run it for as long as you like

WinNc - Norton Commander file manager for Windows

WinNc is a file manager developed for Windows 10 & 11. A NC clone file manager inspired by the dual panel concept of the Norton Commander.

www.winnc.com

It does have a Dutch version

from the web site :

More languages:
Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Magyar, Afaraf, Danish and Dutch

cheers
jimbo

Kees · Dec 19, 2023

Thanks, but as I noted before, I am not intending to do anymore tests for Windows File Explorer alternatives now.

Kees said:
I don't need anymore alternatives myself, just reacted to the opening post with the Files app (which according specs indeed has NL language). For which I was curious how it functions, but that's not possible at all, as there is no freeware or shareware version for it.
I tested almost all available (freeware) alternatives until now.

PS. It looks like this topic is becoming more and more personally only for me, which was not my intention when I posted the first answer. Please no more personal answers...

atinfo · Dec 19, 2023

You didn't miss anything. I am going back to the native Explorer! Most of the time it is sluggish and has very poor performance. Obviously, the native Explorer has better performance because it has a strong tie with the OS's core (better than a third-party app). The only perfect thing is its UI (in my opinion it's beyond perfect!).

Ghot · Dec 19, 2023

There is no alternative, there is only Zuul.

~line stolen and altered, from...

Ghostbusters (1984) ⭐ 7.8 | Action, Comedy, Fantasy

1h 45m | PG

www.imdb.com

LesFerch · Dec 19, 2023

Kees said:
Unfortunately it is not possible to test the app before you buy it.

Files is only a pay app via the Microsoft Store. It's free via the direct download link. Click the little "classic installer" link on their download page.

My quick evaluation:

Pros: Pretty, Easy to use (looks like Explorer), Provides a file and folder tag system

Cons: Slow on my old laptop (speed may be fine on newer computers), Immature (compare features to something mature like Directory Opus or XYPlorer), No metadata in Details view (Details columns are limited to Date modified/created, Size, Name, Type), No advanced search features like you'll find in XYPlorer or Directory Opus, No support for long file paths.

Kees · Dec 19, 2023

LesFerch said:
No metadata in Details view (Details columns are limited to Date modified/created, Size, Name, Type)

That is already enough to keep me away from further testing, as for picture files I like to have columns with picture size and the date the picture was taken, for music files I (at least) would like to see colums for title, performers, part number and composer (I only listen to classical music).
Thanks for the testing.

hdmi · Dec 19, 2023

File Explorer + ExplorerPatcher (with the Control Interface option in the File Explorer section of its Properties window panel set to Windows 10 Ribbon) + Open-Shell (using the various customization options in its Settings for Classic Explorer window panel). If you don't like to use the Windows 10 ribbon in File Explorer you could always decide to just hide it... I also use the toolbar option in Classic Explorer of Open-Shell with my own custom commands. Some of these custom commands use batchfiles like explained in the documentation %programfiles%\Open-Shell\OpenShell.chm and that functionality still hasn't changed since Ivo Beltchev added it to the original ClassicShell a very, very long time ago.

My point here being, a lot of people just want to see a whole bunch of cool stuff, only because it's cool. Personally, I, focus almost exclusively on what works versus what doesn't work, when the goal is to make Windows a more productive work environment.

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