Alternative to Windows Explorer

June 30, 2007 12:34 PM

I'm looking for an alternative to Windows Explorer. Specifically, I would like there to be 2 trees, and 2 related panes, either in a horizontal or vertical arrangement.

I've been using xplorer² lite recently which does have 2 panes, but only 1 tree. JExplorer is a good example of what I'm looking for - unfortunately though there's a splash screen every time you open it which rapidly drives you mental.
I'd also be happy to learn of any other Explorer alternatives which I haven't yet considered.

posted by russmail to computers & internet (15 comments total)

Magellan Explorer will fill this bill, I believe.
posted by yclipse at 12:38 PM on June 30, 2007

Right on yclipse! Um, is there a Magellan Explorer alternative for <$40?
posted by russmail at 12:57 PM on June 30, 2007

Some alternatives.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:12 PM on June 30, 2007

How about 2 tiled explorer windows?
Create a file called ee.vbs (or whatever.vbs) with these contents:

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
objShell.MinimizeAll
Wscript.Sleep 600
objShell.Explore("C:\")
objShell.Explore("C:\")
Wscript.Sleep 600
objShell.TileVertically

Double click it or put it in your path and run from the command line. It has to minimize any other windows for the tile command to work. I use this when I want to do some extensive 'explorer' work.
posted by DarkForest at 1:12 PM on June 30, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

... change the TileVertically to TileHorizontally to change the window arrangement.
posted by DarkForest at 1:16 PM on June 30, 2007

Check out DirectoryOpus. I'm a software developer and I've been using it for years and wouldn't know what to do without it. I'm a Mac guy at home and sometimes find myself missing it even there.
posted by feloniousmonk at 1:32 PM on June 30, 2007

Apologies for my lack of a link.
posted by feloniousmonk at 1:33 PM on June 30, 2007

Directory Opus is very good, but nearly twice the price of Magellan Explorer.
posted by Freaky at 1:37 PM on June 30, 2007

Midnight Commander is about as old school as it gets. It's free, but probably not exactly what you want.

Total Commander, nee Windows Commander, has been around a while filling this niche as well.

EF Commander is something I'd never heard of until today, but it looks nifty.

The already-mentioned DirectoryOpus, the former Amiga file management tool, is pretty much king of all file managers. (Although personally, I liked the 2.x and 3.x Amiga versions rather more than the Windows version)

ZTree is what the old Xtree turned into. It's also probably not exactly what you want, but there are people who swear by the old Xtree way of doing things. I was more of a Commander type, myself, in those days.

WinNc appears to be a Norton Commander clone for Windows that actually still invokes old Pete's name in vain. I know nothing more about it than that, but hey, even a bad NC clone is better than Explorer, right?
posted by majick at 2:01 PM on June 30, 2007

Another vote for Total Commander.
posted by qvtqht at 3:06 PM on June 30, 2007

I think xplorer2 is worth the $29.95.
posted by lukemeister at 3:17 PM on June 30, 2007

I'm a big fan of Servant Salamander (the free version, specifically, 1.52, which is exactly what I need and nothing more).
posted by box at 4:27 PM on June 30, 2007

Nth directory opus.
posted by bigmusic at 8:13 PM on June 30, 2007

Free Commander.

Now somebody pleeeeease help me find a similar product for OSX. I HATE THE FINDER. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT.
posted by Area Control at 8:25 AM on July 2, 2007

Seconding FreeCommander. I have been using it for at least a couple of years now, and recommend it.
posted by rasputin98 at 9:40 AM on July 2, 2007