Five Free File Managers You Might Never Used
File managers are useful utilities that allows you to perform in an easy manner various operations (copy, edit, delete, rename, view and more) over the files existing on your computer hard drives. For Windows users, the default file manager does not contain all the features and functions necessary to simplify major files management related tasks. On the other hand, third party file managers provides in a single application various tools for performing FTP connections, extract archives content, compare files, bulk rename files and more. The next list shows five free file managers which you might never used.
FreeCommander
Publisher Description: “FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock. You can take FreeCommander anywhere - just copy the installation directory on a CD or USB-Stick - and you can even work with this program on a foreign computer.
Main Features of FreeCommander:
-Dual-panel technology - horizontal and vertical
-Tabbed interface
-Optional tree view for each panel
-Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format
-File viewer inside archives too
-Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read)
-Nested archive handling
-Built in FTP client
-Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu
-Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders
-Multi rename tool
-Wipe files
-Create and verify MD5 checksums
-File splitting
-File properties and context menu
-Calculation of folder size
-Folder comparison / synchronization
-Modification of file date and attributes
-Folder / program favorites
-File searching (inside archive too)
-File filters for display
-User defined columns for detailed view
-DOS command line
-Multiple language support”
Ant Commander
Ant Commander is also a free file manager (only for personal use) with the following main features:
-File systems: Local, Zip, FTP, WebDAV,…
-Arrange all kind of panel as you wish
-Everything is configurable (menu, toolbar, …)
-Included applet viewer to start external programs
-Plug-In system for more panels, file systems or skins
-All kind of file operations possible (included multiple ones at once)
-Bookmark and historic
-Drag’n Drop
-Plaform independent
-Deploy it on your intranet or web site
xplorer2 Lite
xplorer2 Lite is another file management utility that supports dual panes and folder tabs. xplorer2 Lite has following features:
-All-area shell namespace access
-Shell integrated with drag/drop, context menu etc
-Automatic sensing of changes in all folders (networked etc)
-Multithreaded & multi-window operation
-Folder tree panel
-Dual pane mode (browse 2 folders in one window)
-Tabbed interface
-Keyboard shortcuts and overall usability
-Path autocompletion
-Filtering of item visibility
-Selection engine for precision marking of files
-Extended filesystem information columns (comments etc)
-Even more columns (checksum, 8.3 name etc)
-Window layout saving and management
-Export folder information as text (for printing etc)
-Hard links (NTFS)
-Mass renaming
-Change file dates (touch)
-Find text in files
-Search for multiple keywords with boolean context
-Unicode & file encoding aware
-Split/Merge/Shred
-Text/RTF/Hex preview
-Text editor
-Graphics & HTML preview
-Thumbnail view mode
-Multimedia preview (audio & video)
SurF
Publisher Description: “SurF is an innovative free, open source Windows (XP, 2003, Vista, 2008, 7) file manager that offers tree organized tabs, allowing you to work with multiple folders simultaneously and easily switch between them.
It offers customizable view settings with predefined file, time, size, and image views. Quick access to standard file management features such as delete, copy, rename, and browsing comfortably provided for both mouse and keyboard users.
You can also access all regular Explorer options via the standard right-click menu. Advanced full text search finds information in all kind of files. Other features include real-time highlighting of new and changed files (briefly, for one second), directory auto-complete search, support for advanced NTFS capabilities (compression, alternate data streams, hard and symbolic links, junction points), network support and more.”
Far Manager
Publisher Description: “Far Manager is a program for managing files and archives in Windows operating systems. Far Manager works in text mode and provides a simple and intuitive interface for performing most of the necessary actions.
The functionality of Far Manager is greatly extended by external DLL modules — plugins (made possible by a special set of interfaces — the Plugins API). For example, archive support, the FTP client, the temporary panel and the network browser are all implemented as plugins included in the standard distribution of Far.
Plugins Capabilities:
- syntax highlighting in program source texts.
- working with FTP-servers (including access through proxy).
- search and replace in many files at the same time, using regular expressions.
- renaming groups of files with support for complex compound masks consisting of substitution symbols and templates.
-NNTP/SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 clients and sending messages to a pager.
-working with non-standard text screen resolutions.
-conversion of texts from one national code page to another.
-manipulating the contents of the Recycle Bin.
-Process priority control on local or network PC.
-Words autocomplete in editor and working with templates.
-Windows system registry editing.
-Creating and modifying Windows shortcuts.
-File and text operations making it more comfortable to use FidoNet.
-Files UU-encode and UU-decode.
-WinAmp control and MP3-tags modifying.
-Quake PAK-files processing.
-Printers control, both connected to PC and network.
-Connection and debugging of queries to ODBC-compatible databases.
-RAS service control.
-External programs executing (compilers, converters etc.) while editing text in Far editor.
-Windows help files contents displaying (.hlp and .chm)
-Calculators with different possibilities.
-Several games
-Spell checker functions while editing text in Far editor.“
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