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Author Topic: best Windows Explorer replacement  (Read 6734 times)

kalos

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best Windows Explorer replacement
« on: August 31, 2007, 12:07 AM »
hello

can you tell me please whats the best Windows Explorer replacement?
the fastest (very important) and most customizable

PS:
I want to fully integrate it (replace explorer.exe, replace keyboard shortcuts etc) can I do it with a Windows Explorer replacement or I need a shell?

thanks

TucknDar

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2007, 01:49 AM »
hello

can you tell me please whats the best Windows Explorer replacement?
the fastest (very important) and most customizable

PS:
I want to fully integrate it (replace explorer.exe, replace keyboard shortcuts etc) can I do it with a Windows Explorer replacement or I need a shell?

thanks
First of all, I don't think there is one "best" Explorer replacement. Everyone has different needs, and while some prefer Directory Opus, others prefer Total Commander or any other file manager.

As for "full integration" you need a shell. It is possible to use a file manager, AFAIK, but it requires some extra tools and utilities (systray and hotkeys, for instance), while a decent shell does all the important shell-work.

I think the topic has been discussed before, so try a search and you'll probably find some good explanations :)

mitzevo

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2007, 01:59 AM »
I think kalos is talking about a Windows Shell replacement, not just a file manager, although the 2 go hand in hand right..

bb4win, windowblinds, etc.

and if you are meaning file managers, then DOpus, TC, XY and x2 are some good ones to take a look at - every ones definition of best is very different ;)
The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.

TucknDar

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2007, 02:10 AM »
I think kalos is talking about a Windows Shell replacement, not just a file manager, although the 2 go hand in hand right..

bb4win, windowblinds, etc.

and if you are meaning file managers, then DOpus, TC, XY and x2 are some good ones to take a look at - every ones definition of best is very different ;)
Yes, and I did talk about shells :). Btw, Windowblinds is not a shell, it just skins the windows. My personal favourite shell is LiteStep, while bblean (i.e. bb4win) is also an excellent shell. I suggest kalos take a look at these and a good file manager along with it.

f0dder

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2007, 04:58 AM »
I personally have replace the explorer.exe shell with blackbox for windows, and explorer.exe file management with explorer2. There's a few things that x^2 doesn't handle, like "my network connections", but everything else works perfectly.

(and the netcon issue might be because of the way I did integration, perhaps I need to pass commandline in a different way - x^2 does have shell namespace support etc.!)
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Armando

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2007, 10:22 PM »
f0dder, just out of curiosity, why do you use blackbox -- any technical reasons or is it purely... and aesthetical caprice ?

f0dder

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2007, 03:30 AM »
I believe it's somewhat lighter than explorer.exe - but the main reason is really that I can easily remap global hotkeys like Win+E and Win+F to explorer2 and locate32, respectively.

I don't use the window skinning or multiple desktops, but I do use my own "run" bar  (probably why I'm not using FARR (yet?)) and a couple of iconboxes.
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« Last Edit: September 01, 2007, 03:32 AM by f0dder »

Armando

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Re: best Windows Explorer replacement
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2007, 11:28 AM »
I see... Thanks!