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Poll

Which File Manager do you rely on in Windows?

Windows Explorer
Directory Opus
Total Commander
XYPlorer
xplorer2
Altap/Servant Salamander
Frigate
Speed Commander
AB Commander
Haven't decided yet.
Other
Variety is the spice of life - I use mutliple File Managers!!
Power Desk

Last post Author Topic: What's your preferred File Manager  (Read 455473 times)

Josh

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #25 on: September 14, 2007, 05:31 AM »
Has anybody used *any* file manager, then gone back to explorer?
I mean, I'm having trouble seeing DC users that actually like explorer :)

Actually, can you post your evolution if you switched? I like those. I went explorer -> dopus (with DC discount -> TC (horrified by dopus upgrade fees, I found nirvana in TC)

I have switched back. I don't like any of the other file managers, besides dopus (but I refuse to pay the upgrade costs the author feels he has to charge), because none of them can intercept calls to shell execution commands (Start - run, shellex, etc) and open THOSE in a window like DOpus can. So for me, I have switched back to Vista's version of explorer for the sheer reason that it works, it works well, and I dont have to "pay" to get it upgraded. I can always extend it with freely available software and dont have to pay an upgrade fee. Yes, some will now claim "But you pay when you upgraded to vista", but I cant concur with that logic. I paid for a new OS, not the explorer portion.

But anyways, I would use DOPus as it was given to me as a gift (Thanks KenR), but like I said, the prices the author charges for UPGRADES isn't justified with the "benefits" I gain from using it or from upgrading.

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2007, 09:29 AM »
Josh - are you not using Dopus out of protest over their upgrade fees/you have DOpus 8 but run Vista/to avoid being tempted to upgrade at those prices in the future because you HAVE to upgrade (the next time windows is changed to the point that it breaks third party apps)? I'm just working it through... Lots of people are still using DOpus 6 with XP happily - the authors really do aim for as close to perfection as they can get, so the last point release of a major release is usually AWESOME. Example, my wife is still running DOpus 8 while I am running 9. I feel right at home using her computer and half the time wonder why I rushed to upgrade! Anyway, if you have a licence for version 9 you'll be able to use it for YEARS - until MS releases another version of Windows that requires software to be rewritten to run under it. The last time this happened was when they rolled out Win95 so 12 years ago (I guess a few legacy apps got stranded by XP so you could argue that it was closer to 6 years, but still). Anyway, I *think* I understand why you are not using DOpus, but I think you can use it without worry! By the time the next version of Windows that breaks third party software ships you will have gotten your money out of your current version of Dopus and might not mind paying to upgrade at that point. Of course, too, Windows Explorer will have changed too, maybe to the point that you won't miss Dopus at that point.

boxstar

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #27 on: September 14, 2007, 10:20 AM »
I wonder why SPEED COMMANDER is not among the top three. XYplorer, Speed Commander and Total Commander are all great tools!

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #28 on: September 14, 2007, 11:26 AM »
I wonder why SPEED COMMANDER is not among the top three. XYplorer, Speed Commander and Total Commander are all great tools!

Probably because I gave everyone the option of selecting multiple file managers instead, so people like JohnFrankC only had the option of voting once (for the "variety" option) instead of for each individual app. I sort of regret this now, but can't change it (just checked!). This will still give us an interesting look at FM useage. With that in mind:

If you select "other" please post and let us know what alternative you are using. The list is by no means comprehensive!

Josh

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #29 on: September 14, 2007, 11:26 AM »
Darwin,

DOpus 9 has features geared towards vista. While DOpus 8 might work in vista, its not designed for native use and as such isnt optimized to the way vista works. If I want a version which is fully suited to Vista, I have to upgrade, which means paying the ridiculous fee for something I won't utilize anywhere nears its potential. I loved opus in XP, but for Vista, the usage is the same however there are many nicities in Vista's Explorer that I love and dont see in DOpus8. The costs to upgrade versus the usefulness I've seen from the trial arent justifiable. That, and for the $60 I spend on an UPGRADE to Dopus, I could buy 2 or 3 licenses of other file managers which give me a better bang for my buck.

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #30 on: September 14, 2007, 11:29 AM »
Thanks for answering, Josh - fair enough. That's too bad, but entirely understandable. The category is so broad - we have so much choice - that you are bound to find an acceptable and affordable alternative.

tinyvillager

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #31 on: September 14, 2007, 08:30 PM »
XYplorer for me,i check the forums daily,always progress being made.

 :Thmbsup:

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #32 on: September 14, 2007, 10:00 PM »
XYplorer for me,i check the forums daily,always progress being made.

 :Thmbsup:

Yes, it is very exciting and about the most impressive developmental pace I've ever seen!

Nudel

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #33 on: September 17, 2007, 03:23 PM »
Dopus has tremendous capabilities if you have the time to dedicate your life to figure out all the inane nuances required to configure it.   :down:
Opus has a support forum where just about every question gets answered so it's not like you have to work out everything yourself. (I know because I answer a lot of the questions there.)


Nudel

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #34 on: September 17, 2007, 03:30 PM »
Poor folder tab implementation.  Panel dividers don't behave as I want.  Quickview only in right panel.
The folder tabs have improved a hell of a lot in Opus 9 and the free updates that followed it. As far as I know all the features anyone has asked for are in now, including locked tabs, temporary tabs and all that stuff.

Not sure what you mean about the panel dividers, and the preview pane ("quickview") works for both left and right (or top and bottom) file display but only displays what's selected in the most recently active one. I guess you want two preview panes in the same lister or something?

If you haven't already, do mention anything you want to GPSoft, else they won't know people want them! With the folder tabs, though, I suspect whatever you want has already been added.

JohnFredC

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #35 on: September 17, 2007, 04:13 PM »
Hi Nudel!  You've responded to a few of my posts over at the Dopus forum.

Not sure what you mean about the panel dividers,
-Nudel

AFAIK there is no way to set the Dopus panel divider percents from a button.  Also, there is no way to control precisely where the panel dividers go when toggling quickview and folder trees off and on.  Dopus uses some sort of "best guess" algorithm instead of letting me specify precisely where the dividers should always display under all circumstances.  Invariably the dividers go in the wrong places for my use.  I'm just tired of dragging them back into position, over and over and over. 

To prove my point, display a Dopus lister in the "Dual Vertical" style.  Set the folder tree dividers/splitters where you want them.  Now go to the view menu and toggle one of the trees off.  Watch what happens to the dividers.  Now toggle the tree back on.  Watch the dividers.

I tried using the Dopus "styles" functionality to set up all possible panel combinations with dividers in the desired positions, but there is no setting I have found that will "keep current paths" when toggling between styles, so that didn't work, either.  Leaving the folder options unchecked in the left and right panel tabs of the Styles config panel doesn't do it, though it looks like it should.

And yes I put in an official bug report/request. The response was to deny that I was even experiencing the issue.

and the preview pane ("quickview") works for both left and right (or top and bottom) file display but only displays what's selected in the most recently active one.

If I highlight a file in the Dopus left panel, I want its quickview to appear in and (temporarily replace) the right panel (it does).  But if I highlight a file in the right panel, then I want the quickview to appear in (and temporarily replace) the left panel (it doesn't). The official response to my official request for this behavior was something like "we don't do that".

To see how tabs should work, look at the SpeedCommander tab properties dialog.  Then you may understand my point of view about the "incompleteness" of the Dopus tab implementation. The only thing missing from the SC tab implementation are a few minor functions I use in the TC tab context menu plus the ability to rearrange the SC tabs with the mouse.

Neither TC nor Dopus (nor xplorer2, for instance) subordinate the folder trees' visibilities to the tabs.  SC does this.  I much prefer that the individual tab control its own tree visibility.  Some tabs don't need the folder trees and it is an inefficiency (not to mention a pain) to always have to toggle the tree off in those situations, then toggle it back on for the tabs that need it.

Etc, etc, etc...

MrCrispy

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #36 on: September 17, 2007, 04:24 PM »
Vista Explorer has some features that no one else has, such as  -

- instant search
- stack and group by views
- automatic scrolling in tree views
- search folders and support for the new search protocol handler

..etc. I am waiting for these changes to show up in a file manager and until that point none of them can claim to be completely Vista compatible since these are OS level changes. I admit I have not used the expert options in DOpus so I am not too familiar with it since I use xplorer2.

Curt

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #37 on: September 17, 2007, 05:01 PM »
Most of the time I will just use XP's Explorer, for the ease of it, but quite often (daily) I use Ultra Explorer - I am still somewhat impressed.

Sometimes but not often, maybe once every second week, I use the free mtExplorer, and a few times I have used the 10 (ten) dollar Power Desk 6 Pro.

Maybe once every second month I will even use SurfWare's Aaron's Explorer which I had from GiveAwayOfTheDay(Edit: $3 (THREE dollar) at Bits du Jour), but at the normal $30 I cannot recommend it in any way.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2015, 11:03 AM by Curt »

Grorgy

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #38 on: September 17, 2007, 06:32 PM »
I havent been able to see how xyplorer can find my mp3 player, its a sansa, and in xplorer2 and windows explorer it appears as 'sansa' and can be opened and all normal file and folder tasks can be carried out, but it doesnt show up in xyplorer :huh:

Laughing Man

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #39 on: September 17, 2007, 07:26 PM »
I had the same problem, but it has to do with the way the Sansa player shows up in the computer. I think there's a setting in the device to have it show up as a HDD device instead of a mp3 player. Which will then allow XYplorer to see it.

Grorgy

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #40 on: September 17, 2007, 08:01 PM »
 :) Thanks laughing man, i was sure I had changed that ages ago and had forgotten all about it  :-[, anyway, thanks, it now shows up  :Thmbsup:

Black Mamba

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #41 on: September 18, 2007, 03:52 AM »

SpeedCommander
Still testing this one but may purchase soon.  Use for unzipping encrypted archives since TC (being Swiss) won't always accept a password (important thing to know, eh?).  Lost one file, once, could have been operator (ie. my) error but I don't think so.
SpeedCommander's support for archives is really amazing, no other file manager comes close to this one imho. It's worth buying only for this feature. You'll have a compression tool and a file manager in the same package.

Unfortunately, it has a big drawback too: lack of an English help file...  :(

AussiePup

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #42 on: September 26, 2007, 02:48 PM »
I've been using Nico's Commander for several years and still haven't found anything better!

www.nicocuppen.com

AussiePup

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #43 on: September 26, 2007, 03:21 PM »
Things are heating up! A three way battle for the lead - Dopus, TC, and xplorer2...

I still haven't been able to look at SpeedCommander - the website was down when I tried last. I'm going to try to take a look now.

JohnFredC

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #44 on: September 26, 2007, 03:37 PM »
You can get the latest SC v12 beta(3) here.  It has the new breadcrumbs technology in the panel paths...

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #45 on: September 26, 2007, 03:50 PM »
Thanks John, I'm downloading it now.

pmcg

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #46 on: September 26, 2007, 05:29 PM »
Once I got DO on my machine there was no looking back. The only thing I HAVE to add to it is FileBox Extender so I can get to the folders I need to when I am saving something. Whenever I feel a little restless or need cheering up, I can always discover a new feature in DO that can be added to one of my toolbars as a button and that does the trick.

I grumbled when I had to pay the upgrade also. I use DO on four machines and so that was a bit spendy when I went to Vista. I kind of sympathize with the author though, as upgrading something as powerful and interactively complex as DO with something as unwieldy and not-ready-for-prime-time as Vista must have been a PITA.

The idea for this poll was a good one as it draws attention to a class of apps that are worthy of discussion. I'm curious now to take a look at some of the others.

The only real irritation I have with DO at this point is that it requires a 'Shift' key press for context-menu extraction of RAR files and yet manages to natively support context-menu extraction of ZIP files. But I'm not sure that is DO's fault as it may be some problem with the proprietary RAR format vs the more open ZIP format.

For anyone who wishes they could modify the feature-set of their file manager to more effectively do what they need to in Windows, DO will not disappoint!

drjdcollins

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #47 on: September 26, 2007, 08:33 PM »
I used to use the Norton Utilities file manager until they stopped upgrading it for later versions of windows. I now use PowerDesk 6. It is not as good as the Norton Utilities one. In particular I miss the one click display of all the files in a directory and all subdirectories. From time to time I look at others because of recommendations I read but none have seemed any better. PowerDesk's biggest weakness is handling lots of directories/subdirectories with more than 1000 files (sometimes over 5000 files) you get when you download websites. This is generally only a factor when you want to move them to another HDD. I haven't found any other that will do it (even disk image software has problems). I am only just in the process of changing to XP Pro (completely clean install) and this may do better. Unfortunately it is a very big job as I have well over a million files and close to 1000 applications to reinstall.

Darwin

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #48 on: September 26, 2007, 11:00 PM »
so much for my three way battle for first (it was Dopus at 19 and both TC and Xplorer2 at 18 each)... Now Dopus has really pulled ahead.

vixay

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Re: What's your preferred File Manager
« Reply #49 on: September 27, 2007, 12:06 AM »
YaaaY! for dopus!
I use dopus all the time! With the new portable version it's even easier to move around with it!

I have tried all the other explorers mentioned here sometime or the other, but stuck with dopus throughout. Just gotten used to it now, and resistant to change :) thats a common feature as you grow older.

I've ignored office 2007 and still on 2k3. :P
"Drunk on the Nectar of Life!" -me