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Last post Author Topic: Q-Dir (File Manager)  (Read 20715 times)

PhilB66

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Q-Dir (File Manager)
« on: April 08, 2008, 08:03 AM »
Anyone tried Q-Dir file manager?

::Some Features::

Favorites:
Quick access to most often used folders.
Drag&Drop:
Move files by dragging in Q-views, and other programs such as MS Explorer.
Clipboard:
Copy/ Paste between the Q-Dir directory views, and other programs such as MS Explorer.
Folder-Type:
ZIP-, FTP-,cabinet-,network-, system - folders, shortcuts ...
Views:
Large icons, tiles, list, detail, thumbnail (Vista: extra large symbols) .
Export:
to XLS, CSV, TXT, HTML.
Popup Menus:
Desktop, My Computer.
Screen magnifier:
anything on the screen can be enlarged.
Color Filter:
Different colors for different item types (e.g. *.log;*.txt).
Highlight-Filter:
Effective way for fast items highlighting.
File-Filter:
Allows for quick and easy filtering of the items.
Columns:
All columns support, and save function .
Quick-Link's:
For fast folder access.
Folder-Select:
Fast & flexible folder selection address-bar/ desktop menu/ my-computer menu/...
Multi-INI:
Several INI files for Q-Dir.
Tree-View:
Simple and quadruple.
Preview:
Allows a quick preview.
Portable:
from 2.77 is Q-Dir portable.

Q-Dir2.jpg

Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2008, 08:20 AM »
I've just had a look. Seems very impressive for a free file manager, though I haven't worked out how to get the view in the bottom left of your screenshot.

I don't think I've seen another free and portable file manager as good as this. A 4 pane file manager, each pane with its own tree view if that is wanted. I can actually think of times when I would use this rather than Dopus or anything else (sometimes I have 2 instances open just because I'm doing a lot of switching between more than 2 directories).

Very good find.

Darwin

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2008, 10:09 AM »
Dormouse to get the preview pane, click on the preview button (big arrow pointing to it in the screenshot below):

Q-dir.pngQ-Dir (File Manager)

Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #3 on: April 12, 2008, 10:33 AM »
 :Thmbsup:
Ah yes. I practically never had the treeview open, so never saw that button.  ;D

SirSmiley

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #4 on: April 12, 2008, 11:32 AM »
Nice little app.

Does anyone know if there's a way to sync folders?
 Eg. Detail views in one and selecting a folder opens icon view in another

dantheman

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2008, 12:36 PM »
It looks like a pretty flexible program.
Does the preview option offer more than image formats?

Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2008, 01:11 PM »
Does the preview option offer more than image formats?

I couldn't get any to work, though thumbnails showed text etc (but not docs or pdfs). Maybe it needs a dose of stellents  :)

PhilB66

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2008, 12:05 AM »
Just a quick note on the portability claim...

I like Q-Dir for its size (380 kb) and functionality but it's not portable! It writes license acceptance and language selection entries to the registry (even after selecting "Portable" during installation). Also, it automatically register an extension (.qdr) and saves at:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.qdr
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\qdirdoc\
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SoftwareOK.de\Q-Dir

Also, there are a few spelling mistakes in the UI and some tooltips are still in German. I hope this will be corrected in future version. And yes, it would be nice to view other document file types in the preview pane.

Curt

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2008, 10:47 AM »
Hmm... maybe you missed these lines?:

Q-Dir does not have to be installed and can be executed easily from the desktop.
Rename Q-Dir_Installer.exe to Q-Dir.exe and GO.


It doesn't write anything to anywhere if you follow this recipe.  :up:

Edited: Sorry! It must still write something, somewhere, because my first try was from a USB stick, (so it is portable), and only later I installed on the PC. But at this 'new' first run the same view was displayed as I had previously used on the stick version!
« Last Edit: April 13, 2008, 11:03 AM by Curt »

PhilB66

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2008, 11:25 AM »
Well, a new version is out (Q-Dir 3.03). See if it offers a fix to the registry issue and writes all settings to the .ini file.

@Curt, you are wrong about renaming the installer. If you go for this option, than Q-Dir creates a file, Q-Dir\start.qdr + a folder, "Favoriten" with a sub-directory "Quick-Link", in the Application Data folder. It also writes Q-Dir.ini to the Windows folder... and it still writes to the registry as mentioned in the above post. Checking the Portable Checkbox during installation is a better option.

Anyways, going to look at version 3.03...

It looks like it is corrected in version 3.03. It writes to the .ini file only. :up:
« Last Edit: April 13, 2008, 10:28 PM by PhilB66 »

Steven Avery

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2008, 06:36 AM »
Hi Folks,

   Impressive, thanks, been out six months.  Note also that there are about five other smaller utilities.  Have you tried them ? Any idea whether the author has a commercial model, is it a hobby, or what ?  And a webforum would be an excellent addition and an English website.

   It looks to me that this may be a solid contender in the "totally free, multiple puters, even at work, no nags, no commercial  legality issues, no lesser restricted program" freeware niche.  A file manager you might install on all your puters and also offer as an alternative to all the users in the office.

  FreeCommander seemed to be a solid contender for that niche, which is often overlooked in the discussions (e.g. it is easy enough to download and use the excellent Total Commander but it doesn't really fit the niche).

   Anybody want to compare with FreeCommander and any others in the niche above ?

Shalom,
Steven Avery
« Last Edit: April 14, 2008, 06:39 AM by Steven Avery »

rjbull

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2008, 09:58 AM »
I took a very quick look; it's definitely one of the souped-up-Explorer ones, as opposed to Norton Commander ones.  Most unusual feature seems to be up to four directories on one screen.  The only one I've seen with more is mtExplorer with up to six, and free and portable, though its feature set is minimal.

I don't think I'd use Q-Dir partly because it seems not to have a built-in file-finder, something I expect in a file manager.  Depends on what you want.  If you stick to freeware, it's up against very capable alternatives such as XYplorer, which is based on file-finding.



Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2008, 01:52 PM »
Who needs a file finder when you have a built in magnifier? :)

Seriously, I've found that I have had it open most of the time since I found it here. I already have Dopus - and still use that for a lot of things but the flexibility of the 4 panes for drag and drop etc is very useful to me. Haven't wished for more than 4 (yet).

I don't need an integrated file finder. I have SearchGT (& Locate32) as well as Dopus.

Darwin

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2008, 03:49 PM »
The only one I've seen with more is mtExplorer with up to six, and free and portable, though its feature set is minimal.

There are two shareware file managers that feature multi-directory views that I am aware of: FileQuest (up to 4) and FileBoss 1.7 (I have 7 directories open at the moment). FileBoss 2, which was just released, does this as well but surprisingly neither as simply nor as user-friendly. In fairness they've added in grouped tabs...

I had Q-Dir installed for a bit and played with it a bit. Dormouse, what is the magnifier feature you refer to? I didn't see it/play with it when I had Q-Dir installed...

Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2008, 04:13 PM »
Dormouse, what is the magnifier feature you refer to? I didn't see it/play with it when I had Q-Dir installed...

Top right corner. Click on the magifying glass and you have a - wait for it - magnifying glass to move around the screen; click again when you are doing it and it switches off.
« Last Edit: April 17, 2008, 04:16 PM by Dormouse »

Darwin

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2008, 04:39 PM »
Dormouse, what is the magnifier feature you refer to? I didn't see it/play with it when I had Q-Dir installed...

Top right corner. Click on the magifying glass and you have a - wait for it - magnifying glass to move around the screen; click again when you are doing it and it switches off.

Well I'll be! Whodda thunk it...  :o

Curt

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #16 on: April 17, 2008, 07:11 PM »
I had to organize my Favorites big time, because they really were an awful mess. So I tried out Q-Dir, and was pleased; it is very fine. But of course I soon closed it and used MtExplorer instead. MtExplorer is State Of The Art for this particular kind of job!

Dormouse

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #17 on: April 17, 2008, 08:00 PM »
I like buttons. MTExplorer is a bit too minimal for me.

Curt

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2008, 03:24 AM »
I don't think I have ever used MtExplorer for anything but drag&drop - it is not as if MtExplorer is well-equipped, feature-rich, or powerful or something - in fact it is almost embarrassing simple. But with due respect to the six windows it handles drag&drop operations like a true master - and to some 4/6 degree, so does Q-Dir.

rjbull

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #19 on: April 18, 2008, 03:44 AM »
There are two shareware file managers that feature multi-directory views that I am aware of

I would mention softwareaholics anonymous, but it's a bit like throwing stones while living in a glass house... 

Multi-directory views are a nice extra for occasional use.  Normally, I don't think I can keep track of more than two directories at a time   :-[  XYplorer's tabs are a nice way of keeping others close by, and so are Total Commander's tabs, and its Ctrl-D change directory menu.

Darwin

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #20 on: April 18, 2008, 09:06 AM »
Multi-directory views are a nice extra for occasional use.  Normally, I don't think I can keep track of more than two directories at a time

Agreed - I actually find the feature a bit bothersome as implemented in FileQuest because if you're not paying attention you wind up with new panes opening everytime you click to change the location you are viewing. Having said that, very occasionally I have found having more than two panes open at once useful - most of the time I am very happy with SP or DP  :)

PhilB66

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2008, 04:55 AM »
Q-Dir 3.05 updated 20.04.2008 (A few fixes for Popup-Menu, Tree-View Scan for subfolder, and Color-Filter).

Curt

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Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #22 on: September 23, 2010, 04:55 PM »
« Last Edit: September 23, 2010, 05:00 PM by Curt »

rjbull

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #23 on: September 25, 2010, 03:08 PM »
It's one of the most frequently updated programs I've seen...  XYPlorer is no slouch, either!

Curt

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Re: Q-Dir (File Manager)
« Reply #24 on: September 25, 2010, 04:37 PM »
It's one of the most frequently updated programs ...

-yes, which is why it is even more disappointing that the program doesn't include a link to the download page. I have asked him to add it, of course, but he won't.