File Manager Software -- Windows Explorer Alternatives

[The Egg]

Hey guys. I'm looking for an alternate file manager program to use in place of Windows Explorer. The last time I used a 3rd party file manager in any meaningful capacity was back in the DOS/Win3.1 days. Since then I've generally just tolerated Windows Explorer through it's continual slide. Here are my biggest complaints, and thus, things I would want any alternative to do better:

• Windows Explorer has no file verification after copying/moving to ensure data integrity. If there's a hardware problem or a bad RAM stick, it'll happily just corrupt your data and you won't find out until later through other means.
• Similarly, WE has no confirmation that transfers completed successfully or in their entirety. If you start a large transfer (say, 100GB) and something happens 40% of the way through, it might just kill/drop the transfer and not say anything. You might get an error message, you might not. Often, you won't know until you see that the copied file isn't the same size. That's a big problem.
• Crapped-up and obfuscated directory tree. Many of the obnoxious default settings (hidden file extensions, etc) can be remedied, but MS keeps going to greater and greater lengths to hide your actual drives and directory tree, and continually craps it up with nonsense like "3D Objects", duplicates of user folders, Onedrive etc which can't be removed.

Things I would want the alternative File Manager to have:

• All of the above remedied. File integrity and transfer verification.
• A similar appearance would be ideal to ease the transition, but isn't a requirement.
• Being able to pin a user folder or two (or whatever other random folder you might frequently use) to the directory tree, and remove things you don't want (if any)
• Being able to see/edit file metadata (audio files, etc) would be nice
• Being able to open files directly with the program of your choice (I suppose just following the Windows defaults is fine, but randomly picking what it thinks you should use and now allowing changes isn't)
• Probably a few things I'm forgetting

 

[R0H1T]

So the main issue is with copying files?

 

[The Egg]

The main issue is with file transfers, yes. For all the reasons I just explained at length above.

 

[R0H1T]

If Explorer isn't an issue I'd just go with the likes of teracopy, fastcopy, ultracopier et al.

All of them provide free options & have much better features than any other alternate shell for windows.

 

[The Egg]

I'll give those a look, thanks

 

[nomdeplume]

Hey guys. I'm looking for an alternate file manager program to use in place of Windows Explorer.

Cutting to the chase without umpteen quotes. Numerous programs required.


Install Teracopy and set it up as default file handler using parameters you decide. If you choose automated w/verify you can still opt for a right click menu option or just open the program for direct control.

Appending a folder to directory tree and likely other personalization sounds like you would enjoy Winaerotweaker.

Unsure what free audio software allows inserting code into folder level - hover or properties tab - to view metadata. Foobar might have a plugin?

I think you are stuck with autoplay and Windows default program (by file type) for the last. Even if that means being tricky about never setting a default to force selecting program every time.

 

[Dr. Dro]

TeraCopy is great to add a layer of verification when you move files. You might also be interested in going back to simpler times and trying this out:

GitHub - microsoft/winfile: Original Windows File Manager (winfile) with enhancements

Original Windows File Manager (winfile) with enhancements - microsoft/winfile

github.com

It's the Windows 3.1/NT 3.5 file manager, reborn

As for the metadata stuff, install K-Lite Codec Pack Full or Mega version, install MediaInfo and add it to context menu while you set it up

 

[R0H1T]

It doesn't edit metadata, there's nothing free that I know of which allows editing metadata across a number of different files.

TeraCopy is great to add a layer of verification when you move files.

Fastcopy is actually better & faster.

 

[nomdeplume]

Fastcopy is actually better & faster.

Technically or is this opinion? One or both could be insightful but I think we are siting ourselves on opposite end of the tech scale from OP going into much depth.

 

[R0H1T]

Practically, you can try both yourself.

 

[nomdeplume]

Practically, you can try both yourself.

OP can make their own discretionary choice there.

Thank you for making me aware of this program.

 

[Dr. Dro]

Same, will definitely give it a shot

 

[Wirko]

I'm wondering, and that's something quite hard to prove or disprove, if the file verification operation actually, really, always re-reads the written data instead of taking it from some cache. If copying seems slow enough, that's a good indication, but still not a proof.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Windows Explorer has no file verification after copying/moving to ensure data integrity.

Yes and no. The yes is that Explorer copies files and verifies each section of files being copied and then verifies proper file attributes and file sizes to match. No in that it does no check-sum verifications.

As for the rest of your requirements, it's a hit and miss kinda thing. There are many solid File Managers that can replace Explorer. None of them are an exactly perfect replacement. A few come close.

My personal fav is FreeCommander, is very powerful, customizable and should tick most of your boxes;
https://freecommander.com/en/summary/
https://freecommander.com/en/downloads/
32-bit version is free, 64bit requires a small price.

MultiCommander is very powerful and very user customizable. This one should tick most of your boxes as well;
https://multicommander.com/
Completely free.

Explorer++ is another good one, but I'm not sure the file copy verify thing happens;
https://explorerplusplus.com/
Free, but you can donate to the cause.

FileVoyager is powerful and also should tick most of your boxes. Not my personal fav, but very good;
https://www.filevoyager.com/
Also free, but again you can donate to the cause.

OneCommander
This one is competent but didn't have what I was looking for. Might work for you though and worth a try;
https://onecommander.com/
Free for home use. $25 otherwise.

 

[unwind-protect]

bash in WSL and then fileutils or rsync.

At least you get meaningful, actionable error messages that way.

 

[The Egg]

Thank you to everyone for the info. Looks like I have a number of things to test out. The 2nd list of bulleted items was with the mindset of an entirely separate 3rd party program (Window Explorer can do some of those things). I didn't know there was a way to use other software as sort of a plug-in/extension for Windows Explorer (Teracopy), so that may be the easiest thing to try first.

 

[izy]

I am using Total Commander for years.

 

[Octopuss]

I am using Total Commander for years.

This.
I bought a licence 20 ago or so and never looked back. Actually I don't think I ever actively used Windows Explorer in my life.

 

[izy]

This.
I bought a licence 20 ago or so and never looked back. Actually I don't think I ever actively used Windows Explorer in my life.

I'm using Windows Explorer when I need to do something quick (though it bugs out a lot for me in Win11), but for everything else, I use Total Commander , been using it for a very long time, maybe 20+ years, can't even remember. In Linux, when using the terminal, I use something similar called Midnight Commander.

 

[Octopuss]

I mean you can't really get used to Explorer when you're used to Norton Commander from DOS days

 

[izy]

I mean you can't really get used to Explorer when you're used to Norton Commander from DOS days

Exactly , yes , Norton Commander
NC - MC - TC

 

[Shou Miko]

When I experience files cannot copy I either have to restart explorer.exe but to prevent this I use LockHunter and depending on if it shows thumbnails or not it can be explorer.exe or another application that uses the files.

Link: https://lockhunter.com/

This application I usually run before copying/moving files I want to move just to make sure nothing uses the files I need to work with.

 

[nomdeplume]

Thank you to everyone for the info. Looks like I have a number of things to test out. The 2nd list of bulleted items was with the mindset of an entirely separate 3rd party program (Window Explorer can do some of those things). I didn't know there was a way to use other software as sort of a plug-in/extension for Windows Explorer (Teracopy), so that may be the easiest thing to try first.

As for the last unresolved bullet point dealing with metadata. mp3tag is probably your best free option for music files.

 

[DaemonForce]

For extremely LARGE transfers (1TB+) I unironically use Double Commander on the server:

I will still default to Q-Dir as these tools have a very specific use case between Server and WinPE.
On main I really couldn't offer any advice other than don't do it. Robocopy, Teracopy and others can help.

 

[izy]

In Win11, W Explorer has an annoying bug, not sure if it's just me or a common issue but many times, I can't click on the first 4–5 files or directories at the top.