Windows File Manager (the WINFILE.EXE) was included with Windows versions prior to Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, but is no longer in service. The file management function in Windows 95/NT 4.0 and later versions were replaced with the Windows Explorer interface accessible through the My Computer icon.

Windows File Manager (winfile)

Last year, Microsoft released binaries and the source code, licensed under the MIT License, for an improved version of File Manager able to be run on Windows 10. This version included changes such as the ability to compile in modern versions of Visual Studio, the ability to compile as a 64-bit application, and numerous usability improvements.

In summary, winfile v10.0 has the following changes:

• OLE drag/drop support.
• Control characters (e.g., ctrl+C) map to current short cut (e.g., ctrl+c -> copy) instead of changing drives.
• Cut(ctrl+X) followed by paste(ctrl+V) translates into a file move as one would expect.
• Left and right arrows in the tree view expand and collapse folders like in the Explorer.
• Added context menus in both panes.
• Improved the means by which icons are displayed for files.
• F12 runs notepad or notepad++ on the selected file.
• Moved the ini file location to %AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\WinFile.
• File.Search can include a date that limits the files returned to those after the date provided; the output is also sorted by the date instead of by the name.
• File.Search includes an option as to whether to include sub-directories.
• Ctrl+K starts a command shell (ConEmu if installed) in the current directory; shift+ctrl+K starts an elevated command shell (cmd.exe only).
• File.Goto(ctrl+G) enables one to type a few words of a path and get a list of directories; selecting one changes to that directory. Only drive c: is indexed.
• UI shows reparse points (e.g., Junction points) as such.
• Added simple forward / back navigation (probably needs to be improved).
• View command has a new option to sort by date forward (oldest on top); normal date sorting is newest on top.

Microsoft released winfile app in the Microsoft Store for free in late January 2019. More details on GitHub.

Run the original Windows File Manager on modern Windows PCs

Microsoft released the source code and compiled builds of the original Windows File Manager and a modified version with additional functionality to the public recently.

Introduced in Windows 3.0 the File Manager allowed Windows users to manage files more efficiently. It supported operations such as browsing, searching, copying, moving, executing, or deleting, and was the predecessor of Windows Explorer and File Explorer that Windows users use today on their machines.

The NT version of File Manager supported network file management operations such as changing user or file permissions.

Windows Explorer replaced the File Manager as the default file management tool on Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, but the classic program was still included.

The original Windows File Manager

Do the following to run the classic File Manager for Windows right now:

1. Head over to the releases page of the Win File Manager project on GitHub (it is an official Microsoft project).
2. Download either WinFile v.10.0 or the Original Windows File Manager from the page.
3. Extract the archive.
4. Run the program.

Microsoft created two different versions of the File Manager. The original version is close to the original while version 10.0 includes additional enhancements that make it more suitable for today.

The original version of File Manager needed modifications to run on modern versions of Windows. It was a 16-bit application and Microsoft converted the source so that it works with Visual Studio 2015 and Visual Studio 2017.

The source compiles and runs on 64-bit versions of Windows and Microsoft had to make a handful of other changes to get the application to work properly. Internal API references had to be changed to public APIs, and a «few header files» needed to be added on top of that.

The modified version of File Manager introduces features that most Windows users expect from a file manager.

File Manager Plus supports drag & drop, changes keyboard shortcuts so that they map current functionality (e.g. Ctrl-C to copy and not to change drive), and better search functionality such as setting a date so that only newer results are returned.

Is File Manager still a viable solution today?

A question that needs to be addressed is whether File Manager is a viable replacement for Windows Explorer or File Explorer.

While it is certainly possible to use the program for basic file management operations, I’d say it is not very suitable even though it does support most core features that Explorer supports.

File Manager feels a bit clunky to use and it lacks features such as setting favorites or having direct access to all drives in a sidebar. Ultimately, it does not really offer anything that Windows Explorer does not support as well.

Closing Words

File Manager worked fine during tests on a Windows 10 Pro machine. It uses just a little bit of memory (15 Megabytes or so) while running and supports all key file operations.

Microsoft released the source code of the application which, at least in theory, could lead to forks that introduce new functionality or change the Windows File Manager in other ways.

It is definitely fun to play around with the classic manager and compare it to the current version of Windows Explorer to see all the things that changed in the past two or so decades.

Now You: do you use Windows Explorer or another file manager?

Файловый менеджер (Windows) — File Manager (Windows)

Диспетчер файлов — это программа-менеджер файлов, входящая в состав выпусков OS / 2 и Microsoft Windows в период с 1990 по 1999 год и доступная с 6 апреля 2018 года в качестве дополнительной загрузки для всех современных выпусков Windows, включая Windows 10 .

Это графический интерфейс с одним экземпляром, заменяющий интерфейс командной строки MS-DOS , для управления файлами (копирование, перемещение, открытие, удаление, поиск и т. Д.) И файловым менеджером MS-DOS Executive из предыдущих версий Windows. Хотя диспетчер файлов был включен в Windows 95 и Windows NT 4.0 и некоторые более поздние версии, проводник Windows был представлен и использовался в качестве основного файлового диспетчера с управлением файлами с помощью двухпанельного представления, отличного от представления диспетчера файлов, и однопанельного представления. вид, полученный нажатием на значок «Мой компьютер».

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ

Обзор

Интерфейс программы показал список каталогов на левой панели и список содержимого текущего каталога на правой панели. Диспетчер файлов позволял пользователю создавать, переименовывать, перемещать, печатать , копировать, искать и удалять файлы и каталоги, а также устанавливать разрешения ( атрибуты ), такие как архивирование, доступ только для чтения, скрытый или системный, и связывать файл типы с программами. Также были доступны инструменты для маркировки и форматирования дисков, управления папками для обмена файлами, а также для подключения и отключения от сетевого диска . В системах Windows NT также можно было установить ACL для файлов и папок в разделах NTFS через диалоговое окно конфигурации безопасности shell32 (также используемое Проводником и другими файловыми менеджерами Windows). На дисках NTFS отдельные файлы или целые папки могут быть сжаты или расширены.

Версия диспетчера файлов для Windows NT позволяет пользователям изменять права доступа к каталогам, файлам, локальные, сетевые и пользовательские.

Начиная с Windows 95 и Windows NT 4.0, диспетчер файлов был заменен проводником Windows. Однако WINFILE.EXE программный файл все еще был включен в Windows 95, Windows 98 и Windows Me (16-разрядный исполняемый файл) и Windows NT 4.0 (32-разрядный исполняемый файл). Последняя 32-битная WINFILE.EXE сборка (4.0.1381.318) распространялась как часть Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a (SP6a). Последняя 16-битная WINFILE.EXE сборка (4.90.3000) распространялась как часть операционной системы Windows Me.

Крис Гузак (Chris Guzak) был разработчиком оболочки в команде Windows 3.1, отвечающей за файловый менеджер.

Источник был выпущен на GitHub в 2018 году по лицензии MIT от Microsoft.

Версии

16-битная OS / 2 и Windows 3.x

Файловый менеджер был включен в OS / 2 версий 1.1, 1.2 и 1.3. Имя исполняемого файла было PMFILE.EXE .

Первоначальная версия File Manager была 16-битной программой, которая поддерживала имена файлов формата 8.3, которые использовались в то время.

Он не поддерживал расширенные имена файлов, которые стали доступны в Windows 95, включая длинные имена файлов и имена файлов, содержащие пробелы. Вместо этого он будет отображать только первые шесть символов, за которыми следует символ тильды («

«) и число, обычно 1. Дополнительные числа (2, 3 и т. Д.) Были добавлены после тильды, если более одного имени файла с одинаковые начальные символы существовали в том же каталоге.

16-разрядная версия, распространяемая с установками Windows 3.1x и Windows for Workgroups 3.1x, имела проблему 2000 года из-за лексикографической корреляции между представлением даты и набором символов ASCII ; двоеточия и точки с запятой заменили то, что должно было быть «2000». Microsoft выпустила исправленные двоичные файлы для всех сред Windows 3.1x.

Windows NT

Файловый менеджер был переписан как 32-битная программа для Windows NT. Эта новая версия корректно обрабатывала длинные имена файлов в дополнение к файловым системам NTFS . Он был включен в Windows NT 3.1 , 3.5 , 3.51 и 4.0 .

Windows 10

6 апреля 2018 года Microsoft выпустила двоичные файлы и исходный код , лицензированные по лицензии MIT , для улучшенной версии File Manager, которую можно запускать в Windows 10. Эта версия включала такие изменения, как возможность компиляции в современных версиях Visual. Studio, возможность компилировать как 64-битное приложение и многочисленные улучшения удобства использования. Microsoft также бесплатно выпустила это приложение в Microsoft Store в конце января 2019 года.

10 best file manager software for Windows 10

• Windows File Explorer is not safe from bugs and glitches and sometimes you just wish there was a better alternative.
• The good news is that there are a lot of other solutions so here are the best file management software.
• If you’re looking for other such tools, you can find them in our File Management section.
• Our Software Hub is full of interesting and useful utility software.

1. Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
2. Click Start Scan to find Windows issues that could be causing PC problems.
3. Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer’s security and performance

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Many tech-savvy users aren’t happy with Windows Explorer and this is why many are choosing a different file manager software.

Windows Exphttps://download.winzip.com/gl/oemg/winzip25-p008.exelorer lacks certain features that third-party file managers have such as advanced search, bulk rename, FTP client, tabbed interface, dual panes, and this can be a deal-breaker for some advanced users.

If you’re looking for the best file manager software for Windows 10, read on to find out.

What’s the best file manager software for Windows 10?

1. WinZip

WinZip is by far the most well-known archiver software but it’s also an excellent file management software.

This software is very good at protecting your files because it can encrypt them with banking-level technology. WinZip can also convert your files to the PDF format which you can password afterward.

Managing your files also implies sharing them and WinZip also has cloud integration with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and more. You can upload the files and send the link to anybody.

Another easy way of sharing the files is to ZIP them in a smaller file that can be sent as an attachment to an email.

Backing up your files will be also easier by compressing them with WinZip and depositing them to the chosen location but this process can be also automatic.

Let’s review some of the best features of WinZip:

• Decompress almost any major file formats, including ISO
• Unsurpassable compression and decompression speed
• Old and unused files detection with built-in Cleaner Tools
• Compress files to reduce email attachment size
• Easy access and management of your local, network, or cloud files
• Splitting and joining files options

WinZip

2. Frigate3

If you’re looking for the best file manager for Windows 10, you should also check out Frigate3.

This is a highly configurable software that also features a modern, transparent interface.

An interesting feature for Frigate3 is the built-in size-manager feature. It’s extremely useful to find big files on your PC so that you can delete them and regain a lot of hard disk space.

Another nice addition to this software is a built-in text editor which can come in extremely handy if you’re not a big fan of Notepad.

Here are other notable features of Frigate3:

• Ability to view FTP and files and archives easily
• Built-in file viewer for popular file types
• Compatible with all major archive file types
• Folder comparison
• Advanced search system
• Multi-rename feature

3. Directory Opus

Another file manager that you should try is Opus Directory. It’s easy to use and customize.

Some interesting features of this file manager are the ability to edit the metadata and the built-in FTP client, so it can be really helpful for more advanced users.

To really take advantage of the dual pane feature, Opus Directory comes with a viewer pane that lets you preview files and single or dual file display with single or dual folder trees.

This tool also features folder tabs so you can manage directories in a similar way as the tabs in a browser.

Here are several most notable features that this software offers:

• Ability to easily sort, group, or filter files
• Can assign status icons, colors, ratings, or tags to your files in order and organize them easier
• Support for various archive formats, such as Zip, 7-Zip, RAR
• Synchronization and duplicate finder features
• CD/DVD burning
• Support for jump lists and indexed search

4. Total Commander

Total Commander is one of the most known and probably the best file manager for Windows 10. This application has a long history and an abundance of features.

This tool has a Drag and Drop interface compatible with File Explorer and it also has Command-line support that allows you to launch programs with certain parameters.

Other features for advanced users is the built-in file viewer that allows you to view files in hex, binary, or text format and the FTP client.

Total Commander also has the ability to split or combine large files.

As for other features, here are few notable ones:

• Multi-rename tool
• File compare feature
• Ability to split or combine large files
• Duplicate finder
• Advanced file search that can search inside archives
• Ability to handle all popular file archive types

5. FreeCommander

Another great file management software is definitely FreeCommander. It’s convenient to use because the dual-pane can be configured horizontally or vertically and you can also switch to a single pane mode.

The user interface is also smart, using tabs to allow you to work with multiple folders easily and the optional tree view also helps organizing your files a lot better.

As for Windows integration, FreeComander offers quick access to system folders, Control Panel and Start Menu and even a DOS command line.

Here are some of the other features of FreeCommander:

• Support for ZIP archives, other formats require plugins
• Structureless view for both files and folders
• Quick access to system folders, Control Panel and Start Menu
• Ability to easily copy, move, delete, or rename files/folders
• Ability to search files inside archives
• Checksum verification
• Works with file paths larger than 255 characters
• Built-in FTP/SFTP client