XPlorer2
If you find Windows Explorer a slow, clumsy and inefficient way to work with files under Windows then you are not alone. Many users seek to improve their productivity by using a replacement for Windows Explorer, and many Windows Explorer replacement file manager applications are available. At Tech-Pro we have evaluated numerous alternatives to Windows Explorer to find one with the combination of looks, power and ease of use that make it compelling. We finally found a suitable candidate: XPlorer2 (or to use the developers' spelling, xplorer2) - probably the most powerful Windows Explorer replacement currently available.
Download XPlorer2 now for a FREE trial!
XPlorer2 is a file manager that you can use instead of Windows Explorer. Although this kind of tool is often called a "Windows Explorer replacement" Windows Explorer isn't replaced. It remains on your computer, it displays your desktop and it can still be used to view folders whenever you choose.
Two tabbed panes
XPlorer2 lets you have one or two folders on display at a time. A single folder view is useful when you're just working in a folder, for example, but a two pane view is much easier when you're copying or moving things about. You can also use a tree-view to choose which folder to display in the selected pane. Each folder pane can have tabs, each containing a different folder. So you can quickly switch between folders in either of two panes, for instant access.
To help work with folders containing large numbers of files, you can use filters. With a couple of clicks you can show just the Microsoft Word documents in a folder, or all the JPG images. You can also, if you need to, use wildcards, or display files that contain specified text. These more complex filters can be saved for subsequent reuse.
To help with file management, XPlorer2 has a feature called scrap containers. These are like virtual folders that hold files you are currently working on, which may be in different real locations.
Custom views
XPlorer2 lets you create custom views for different folders. Choose the columns of information you want and the layout you prefer and save this arrangement. You can then assign this to different folders. So you can see thumbnails of your image files, MP3 tag information about your music files, version information on system files and so on.
XPlorer2 lets you explore and browse any kind of folder accessible from your computer. This includes network folders, compressed folders (Zip files), digital cameras, even FTP sites. FTP sites are accessed using Windows' built-in FTP support, they appear in My Network Places. You use the syntax ftp://username:password@hostname to access them, so your password is shown in clear, which is a slight inconvenience.
Powerful search
XPlorer2 has powerful search capabilities to help you locate files on any accessible drives or folders. You can specify the folders to search in and the file types to include, and you can specify text to look for, just as you can with Windows' search tool. But you can also customize the search by specifying folders to ignore or include, and use rules to search using other file attributes and information. Searches can be saved for later reuse.
Compare and synchronize folders
XPlorer2 can be used to compare and synchronize pairs of folders. Just open the folders to be compared in separate panes and select the Synchronize panes option. XPlorer2 will highlight the files that exist in one folder and not the other, and those where the copy in one folder is newer. You can then decide what to do with those files.
Find duplicates
XPlorer2 is an invaluable tool to help you identify unwanted files and free up disk space. It can help you find duplicate files that waste space. You can search for duplicates using the filename, contents, size or modification date.
The Folder statistics options shows you how much capacity is used by your folders and subfolders, so you can see where your disk space is going. XPlorer2's status bar always shows you the amount of free disk space on the current drive.
As well as deleting files to the Recycle Bin there is also a Shred option that overwrites a file's data to prevent recovery before deleting it.
The power to manage Windows
XPlorer2 is an immensely powerful replacement for Windows Explorer and this review can only give an overview of its functionality. It's a product that will take time to get to know and become proficient in, but that time will be amply repaid in future productivity.
The best way to discover the power of XPlorer2 is to try it for yourself, for free. Just click the Download link below to go to the developer's download page. But if you would prefer more information before installing it, download the 325-page PDF manual.
