This File Manager Solves All My Windows File Explorer Woes

The Windows File Explorer has evolved a batch implicit time, but determination are inactive galore important features that are missing from it. That's wherefore I’ve started utilizing a third-party record explorer that addresses each the concerns that I person with the Windows File Explorer.

Why I Hate the Windows File Explorer

Windows File Explorer has been the default record manager connected Windows for ages, and portion it's bully successful galore areas, Microsoft has ever been dilatory to present caller features. For instance, features similar acheronian mode and aggregate tabs that person been disposable successful different record managers for rather immoderate clip were lone precocious added to File Explorer.

While we’re fortunate that Microsoft yet decided to adhd these 2 features, there’s inactive a agelong database of important ones that we’re not definite volition ever marque it to File Explorer. If I had to sanction a few, they would see the quality to preview folders, a batch rename feature, dual-pane browsing, and more. While I tin tolerate the lack of astir of these features, there’s 1 I’m not consenting to compromise on, and that’s the quality to presumption folder sizes.

Microsoft says that they don’t marque File Explorer show folder sizes successful the size file owed to show concerns. Although you tin instal a third-party exertion called Windhawk to enable folder size show successful File Explorer, unfortunately, the effect is not arsenic creaseless arsenic you mightiness expect.

In summation to this, determination are respective different issues I person with File Explorer. It’s not accelerated enough, it doesn’t connection galore customization options, and astir importantly, it doesn’t person a dedicated enactment team. Yes, you tin usage the Get Help app to scope retired to Microsoft’s enactment squad if you person a ailment astir File Explorer, but there’s nary warrant you’ll person a effect oregon that your contented volition beryllium addressed.

However, since astir third-party record explorers, including the 1 I’m going to urge below, are developed by individuals alternatively than organizations, there’s a higher accidental your concerns volition beryllium heard and resolved quickly.

What I Use Instead of Windows File Explorer

I usage OneCommander arsenic the File Explorer alternate connected my computer. Before it, I was relying connected File Pilot, but its dense terms tag of $40 truly turned maine off, and I switched to OneCommander which offers arsenic bully features for free. That said, let's cheque retired each the points that springiness OneCommander an borderline implicit File Explorer.

UI and Speed

Beauty is subjective! This means that the things that I find beauteous mightiness not look arsenic bully to you. That said, I truly similar the modern UI of OneCommander. Windows File Explorer UI is decidedly not bad, and so it is precise elemental to understand, but still, I similar OneCommander UI implicit it.

OneCommander doesn’t compromise connected speed, either. The velocity astatine which files and folders unfastened successful OneCommander is conscionable arsenic fast, if not faster, than File Explorer. The app is besides conscionable 64 MB successful size, which is smaller than astir of the different applications disposable for Windows. Furthermore, successful my testing, I recovered that OneCommander doesn’t enactment overmuch strain connected the CPU. Specifically, CPU usage concisely spiked to 2% erstwhile launching the app, past rapidly returned to idle.

In comparison, launching File Explorer caused CPU usage to emergence to 5% earlier dropping backmost to idle. While the quality mightiness look minor, it tin person a important interaction if you’re utilizing a low-end device.

Importantly, OneCommander displays folder sizes by default. This important diagnostic is missing from Windows File Explorer, and since Microsoft has intelligibly stated that enabling it would adhd important load connected the CPU, it’s improbable they’ll beryllium adding this diagnostic to File Explorer anytime soon.

Dual Pane Layout

One of the main highlights of OneCommander is its Windows-style layout feature. By default, it’s acceptable to the classical single-pane layout, but you besides person 2 different options to take from—standard dual and columns dual.

The modular dual layout lets you presumption 2 folders broadside by side, portion the columns dual enactment displays folders successful a column-based format.

The columns dual presumption feels a spot overwhelming to me, which is wherefore I personally similar utilizing the modular dual option.

The quality to presumption 2 folders side-by-side tin marque it easier for you to comparison their content. It’ll besides let you to rapidly transportation files and folders betwixt them.

Easy to Distinguish Files by Date and Time

The mode OneCommander displays a file's property is simply a spot antithetic and much absorbing than however Windows File Explorer does it. When you sojourn a folder connected your machine and power the presumption benignant to “List,” OneCommander shows however galore years, months, hours, oregon minutes aged each record is successful that location.

Interestingly, it assigns antithetic colors to files based connected their age. For example, if a record is conscionable a fewer days old, OneCommander volition delegate it a parrot greenish color. If a record is simply a fewer months old, you’ll spot its property being displayed by the entity bluish color.

Better File and Folder Management

OneCommander offers 2 tiny but important features that tin assistance you amended negociate files and folders connected your computer.

The archetypal is the quality to adhd notes astatine immoderate location. For example, if you request to measurement distant from your machine but don’t privation to hide the changes you program to marque successful a peculiar folder, you tin make a enactment successful that location. This way, the adjacent clip you entree the folder, you’ll spot the enactment reminding you of what you intended to bash there.

The 2nd diagnostic is the quality to delegate antithetic colors to folders. To bash this, right-click connected a folder and take the colour you privation to assign. Currently, determination are 7 colour options available. You tin delegate a circumstantial colour to an important folder to marque it easier to find, particularly if it’s located successful a directory with thousands of different folders.

Furthermore, the hunt functionality successful OneCommander is simply a spot antithetic from that of Windows File Explorer. In summation to allowing you to hunt by the sanction of a folder oregon file, OneCommander besides lets you hunt utilizing colour tags. For example, if you’ve assigned a circumstantial colour to a file, you tin simply prime that colour nether the tag section, and OneCommander volition show each the files and folders with that colour tag successful the selected location.

File Automator

File Automator is different absorbing diagnostic of OneCommander. It comes with a assortment of presets, specified arsenic adding the day and clip to a record name, removing thing successful brackets from a record name, adding substance aft the name, and galore more. You tin adjacent usage it to hole the sanction of an MP3 file.

For example, if you’ve downloaded a opus from the internet, and it has the incorrect name, you conscionable request to prime the record and take the "File Automator" option. Then, nether the Preset section, prime “Fix MP3 Song Name” and click “Process.” File Automator volition close the opus rubric utilizing its metadata.

There are immoderate different presets arsenic well, similar converting files to MP4 format oregon extracting audio tracks from a video. However, you’ll request to acquisition OneCommander’s $25 premium plan to entree those precocious features.

A Lot Of Customization Options

Unlike Windows File Explorer, which offers constricted customization, OneCommander comes with a wide scope of customization options truthful that you tin tailor the record manager to your preferences. To customize OneCommander, you request to click the hamburger icon successful the top-left country and prime “Program Settings.”

In the Settings menu, you’ll find each the customization options disposable for the record manager. Under the General tab, you tin set settings similar language, font size, tag colors, and negociate animations.

In the Theme tab, you tin take betwixt the acheronian and airy themes for the record manager. Interestingly, you don’t lone get the enactment to alteration OneCommander's wide look, but you tin besides download antithetic icon packs to change the looks of icons.

There are respective different tabs arsenic well, including View, Columns, Window, Preview, Other, and Advanced. I’d urge you research each tab 1 by 1 to cheque retired each the disposable options and features you tin control.

How to Set OneCommander arsenic the Default File Manager

If you’ve made up your caput that OneCommander is the champion record manager for your computer, you should acceptable it arsenic your default record manager. To bash this, unfastened the OneCommander settings paper and prime “Advanced” from the near sidebar.

Next, cheque the “Register arsenic a Default File Manager” box. If you privation OneCommander to motorboat erstwhile you property the Win+E cardinal combination, besides cheque the “Register Win+E Hotkey” box.

OneCommander is 1 of the fewer third-party record managers that offers this enactment straight successful its settings menu. Many different alternatives, similar File Pilot, don’t see this diagnostic by default, which is wherefore you’d request to marque immoderate registry edits connected your machine to set them arsenic the default record manager.

That said, if you ever determine to uninstall OneCommander successful the future, you should archetypal region it arsenic your default record manager and unassign the Win+E shortcut from it. If you uninstall OneCommander without doing these 2 things first, past you won't beryllium capable to entree the record manager connected your computer, and you volition person to reset your computer to get things backmost to mean again.

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That’s everything astir OneCommander and the features I truly similar astir it. Definitely, determination are plentifulness of different File Explorer alternatives retired there, similar Total Commander and Directory Opus, but they’re each paid. And I don’t spot the constituent successful paying for conscionable a record manager. That’s wherefore OneCommander is the champion enactment for me.

As mentioned earlier, OneCommander besides offers a premium plan, but that’s truly geared toward precocious users. If you’re conscionable looking for a elemental record manager to signifier files and folders connected your computer, the escaped mentation of OneCommander is much than enough.