5 Great Windows Explorer Replacements

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/05/11/windows-explorer-replacements-abound/
from WinCustomize Forums

Today, a bit of news that keeps with the general theme of the site, customizing the Windows experience!  Here we customize everything from the UI skin to desktop icons and often complete shell replacements.  We animate our wallpapers, gadgetize or screens and trick out our media players.  In part we do it for the fun factor, and sometimes we even do it for usability and functionality.  One area of Windows though is often left completely untouched by the hand of customization:

Windows Explorer.

Yes, that file manager that has stubbornly followed us around from Windows version to Windows version.  It's basic by most standards, and power users who are familiar with other operating systems are often left frustrated by the lack of options and power.  Last week, DownloadSquad rounded up five of their favorite Windows Explorer replacement programs.  So if you're feeling brave and want to get more out of your file browsing experience, grab a few and try them out.  It's important to note that the programs listed are for Windows XP users only.  It will likely be some time before people figure out how to replace Explorer in Vista.

9,828 views 20 replies
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Gotta add Total Commander its my favorite program for file moving/copying/ftping.. (well maybe my own little DX program im working on for FTPing..hehe).

Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I can't take an article about explorer replacements serious, that doesn't mention TotalCommander. Also there is SpeedCommander and nice and handy extensions like QTabBar. All running with Vista also. Same as the mentioned explorer².
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

....and ExplorerPlus....

....and Powerdesk....

...and for those feeling nostalgic....ZtreeWin ....

Jafo uses those 3 ....

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've used Ztree since it was in beta as ZtreeBold for OS/2. I still use ZtreeWin part time. I do find myself using Powerdesk more often than Ztree now.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The best one that I've ever used is the Magellan Explorer

Magellan Explorer

Simple , FTP/Bookmarks , very customizable , solid.

I can't live without it..  
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
agree with RomanDA Total Commander is great
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
agree with RomanDA


and thus you should.. always...

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
agree with RomanDA


and thus you should.. always...
As long as you know who he's "borrowing" code from these days.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
As long as you know who he's "borrowing" code from these days.


and WHO is coding these days?
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
and WHO is coding these days?
You looking for new meat?
Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top
handy extensions like QTabBar


I've tried just about every one listed and I find myself still using Windows Explorer.
I've got several extensions tho QTTabBar, Wildcard Select 1.1, Foldersize 2.3, CPExt (one adds an folder size other adds Extension column to the details view), and Folderbox (adds dual pane support) I have Total Commander installed but rarely use it.

What keeps me coming back to WE are the thumbnail views. I use AutoCAD and also have a lot of RAW (Sony ARW) images as well as PDFs and Paintshop Pro X images that work in Wexplorer but not in most other apps.
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Directory Opus, Version 9 is looking promising, expensive tho, even at upgrade pricing but I have used it for years along with PowerDesk but PowerDesk does not like my Vista 64 Bit.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm sticking with Windows Explorer. All those programs look horrible on Vista. Besides, Windows Explorer can do everything I need to do.
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Windows Explorer and ExplorerXP work fine by me. Tried QTTabBar (it sucks) and the ones I have I'll stick with. ExplorerXP does all of what the others do. Thanks though for the info.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've allways reverted back to using the Explorer Shell. All of the Shell replacements I've tried have turned out to lack some of the useful features the explorer shell offers.
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I've always used Xplorer2.... however the Vista integration is not so great. Had a very interesting adventure with directory renaming / virtualized files (which x2 is not aware of apparently). Of course, that led to my learning all about file virtualization in Vista (which is a b____h in some cases)...

Looking for a replacement that has better Vista integration though...


Okay, so I looked at some of those.

XYPlorer: No split view??!? I thought that feature was ubiquitous to explorer replacements. No good.

Windows File Explorer: Nice, simple, has split view. However, file context menu comes up blank - with default vista Aero, no wb applied. No good.

Universal Explorer: Look/Feel of a win98 app, and doesn't theme with windowblinds. It does have a split view, though it wasn't readily apparent how to enable it, and I had to move around the preview pane which took up half the screen initially. Other than that, looks promising, though as with all the others, some vista integration is still missing.

ExplorerXP: Doesn't appear to have split view. Yes, I'm demanding that way. It does use OS-Native controls apparently, which seems to be out of fashion with file managers.

I think I'm gonna have to keep looking.



Honestly? I would think about buying Universal Explorer - EXCEPT for the fact that it has not been updated since February 2004.... that falls under "dead product" category to me, and I won't pay $40 for a simple windows utility (which is what it is) when I know there will be Zero support. If it were for sale in the retail channel, it would've been on the bargain bin by now.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
For those who haven't given Directory Opus 9 a try, do it. Do it right now. The Vista support and USB option is fantastic. If there's something you don't like about DO9, chances are you can change it to fit your needs or preferences. It is very customizable.

I will warn you though. There is a bit of a learning curve to really make use of all of it's features. Although, with the new version, the developers have done a great job with improving their user guide and it also has a sweet feature of being able to quickly search the Preferences to find what you are looking for. There is a very active community forum to help you out and the developers respond very quickly to any support requests. Certainly worth checking out...
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Explorer Plus is a replacement program for Windows Explorer. The interface is

similar to Windows Explorer, so you do not have to learn a totally new

interface. But unlike the Windows Explorer, it allows you to browse multiple

folders from a tabbed interface.

Home: http://www.chilihotsoft.com/explorer_plus/
Download: http://www.chilihotsoft.com/explorer_plus/explorerplussetup.exe