Total Commander (formerly Windows Commander) is a Windows Explorer replacement that has just about all of the features you could ever want. Now after more than 7 months in the works version 7 has been released with a lot of great features, including a slightly new look.
First and foremost I would like to add that this is not a free application. It does cost $34, and for your money you’ll receive the latest version on CD along with a quick reference card that you can use to lookup some of the functions and keystrokes that make the software so popular. Then you get free lifetime updates to all future versions.
Now I don’t own a copy of this software, and to be honest today was the first time that I had installed it. However, I know a lot of people who swear by it because they have been using it for upwards of 10 years, which is why I wanted to write about it. Here are some of the most talked up features that Total Commander has:
- Comparing files with the built-in text editor
- Synchronize directories
- Split/combine files
- Search for duplicate files
- Bulk rename files
- Built-in FTP manager
- Can ZIP files, and can unpack ZIP, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ,CAB, RAR and ACE files.
- Lots of addons/plugins available
So what’s new in version 7? Here’s a short version of the list that’s quite long:
- Separate background color can be set for odd and even lines
- Compare by content now allows to edit files, and to re-synchronize manually
- File operation logging
- Multi-rename-tool: Allow to edit target names
- More options in copy overwrite dialog: Compare by content, Rename target, automatic rename, copy all smaller or all larger
- Sort by additional columns, e.g. by size, then by date/time
- Auto-complete path in command line, current directory, copy dialog etc.
- Use Shift+Del to remove unwanted entries from various comboboxes: Command line,
- Secure FTP over SSL/TLS.
- Custom user-defined commands for main menu and hotkeys
- Alias commands for the command line for internal commands or external programs
- When a copy/move/delete/create directory operation fails due to insufficient rights, ask user whether he wants to copy as administrator. Also allow a user to read from an inaccessible directory if he knows the administrator password.
- Search on FTP servers
So if you’ve used Total Commander before, or own it, let us know what you think about it. My experience is limited to about the 30-minutes that I played with it today so your personal opinion is highly welcomed. I’m just not sure if the application is worth the $34 considering that I have individual programs which can do much of what Total Commander includes (compare files, rename files, FTP, zipping files, etc…).
One freeware alternative that I now use almost exclusively as my file-manager of choice is freeCommander.
[freecommander.com]
Main features in FreeCommander:
* Dual-panel technology – horizontal and vertical
* Tabbed interface
* Optional tree view for each panel
* Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format
* File viewer inside archives too
* Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read)
* Nested archive handling
* Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu
* Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders
* Wipe files
* Create and verify MD5 checksums
* File splitting
* File properties and context menu
* Calculation of folder size
* Folder comparison / synchronization
* Modification of file date and attributes
* Folder / program favorites
* File searching (inside archive too)
* File filters for display
* User defined columns for detailed view
* DOS command line
* Multiple language support
It runs great off “installed”, off a USB or even off a CD-Rom disk.
Fast, stable and did I mention free?
There are quite a few nice file-managers available now loaded with features. I almost never reach for Windows Explorer any longer unless I just have to.
Total Commander is a must-have. At least for someone like me who used Norton Commander back in the DOS-times.
I never knew how to use the built in file manages in Windows so whenever I sit to a computer and want to do things more complicated then surfing I have to install TC.
Another thing I noticed, is that almost everyone who understands more about computers then the avarage ones (probably becouse they were using computers back in the dos-times) uses Total Commander.
For me TC is one of the first apps that go to a new windows installation for years now. It is worth every cent of the registration fee (lifetime free updates) and has a very active user forum where requests do not remain unanswered for long. It definitely is a must have for someone who used the old norton commander a lot – I couldn’t live without it or with some freeware clones which all are quite good but miss one or another feature which one is used to from TC.
In the recent 7.x releases the GUI even becomes a bit “nicer”, but TC enthusiasts don’t loo for a GUI, they look for functionality – and at that TC can’t be beat by any other explorer replacement I know.
I have been using TC for about 6 years now (late 2000 I started from what I recall). At first I didn’t get on with it but after forcing myself to use it for a few days I found that I couldn’t go back to explorer as it was just too slow and made my life difficult. Explorer isn’t awful but it also isn’t great for “power users”.
However TC isn’t for everyone, I advise you to use it as your only file manager for a week. If you are a similar user to me you will find yourself using a lot of its features and constantly going “wow. I wish this had always been available”. If you just use Explorer to browse for music or pictures you might not find it worthwhile.
I don’t think I could ever give it up if I am perfectly honest. It makes using Windows 10x better IMHO.
UltraExplorer by MustangPeak is my favorite file manager. It’s pretty new, but has tons of options that I’ve never seen in any other software. After using this I can’t stand to go back to anything else. It has tabs, a drop stack (my fav), breadcrumb bar, lots of different types of views I’ve never seen in other apps, and it’s layout is totally free form and customizable. Best of all it’s free.
[mustangpeak.net]
u guys should check out Ultima Prime edition of TC, this baby can do a lot of things for u.
For myself, I recommend xplorer² ( [zabkat.com] )
Thanks to everyone for their feedback. I assumed that there were quite a few diehard Total Commander users out there that would have a lot of great things to say about it. I had seen that and xplorer² before, but that FreeCommander looks very good especially for being free. I also like that it already works under Vista.
I’m currently trialling Directory Opus, which has also been around for years. It’s quite a bit more expensive, looks good, but has some annoyances (like not being able to open gz and tar files). But it does do some nifty things (like being able to paste text or images from the clipboard into an automatically created new file).
I’ll probably try TC when my trial period is over.
Yeah, you might as well give them all a shot to see which ones you like the best. Not being able to open the tar files would be a downfall for me though.