Total Commander is an advanced visual file manager which replaces Windows Explorer and has so many features that it may replace half a dozen additional tools as well. Keyboard shortcuts are readily available and customization settings can be set easily.
It supports multiple archives (zip, lha, rar, gz and tar) as well as providing a multi-rename tool with regular expression support and FTP client. Furthermore, folder tabs are provided.
Features
If you need an all-in-one file management program – with excellent zipping/unzipping functionality, an FTP client and more – then Total Commander deserves some serious consideration. Despite its old-style dual pane interface, Total Commander hides tremendous power that allows advanced users to perform many tasks much more quickly than with Windows Explorer (such as pausing copying/moving operations before restarting them where they left off – something not available with Explorer which requires restarting all operations to resume them).
Addition to the standard file management features, there are also many plugins that extend its capabilities beyond its default boundaries. Some examples are: an advanced text editor; file compare tool; multi-rename with regular expression support and advanced folder navigation among many more.
Another neat feature is the ability to create custom systray buttons that, upon click, launch selected plugins. For instance, you could create buttons that open specific editors when pressing F4, display directory structures as tree views with or without shell links using Ctrl+D, etc.
This shareware Orthodox file manager supports many archive formats, such as ZIP, RAR, GZ and TAR; additionally it can run executables as an administrator (which can be particularly useful when running programs that cannot be executed by non-admin users) and features an FTP client as well as various logging capabilities.
Its easy user interface and customizable keyboard shortcuts and menu entries make this program extremely attractive to power users. Furthermore, this program uses background processes for time-consuming operations so as never to stop responding to user input; for instance it can pause a copy or move process and resume it from where it left off – this feature not available in Explorer.
Another amazing feature of this program is its ability to directly create hard or soft links on NTFS volumes without external software, without relying on third-party applications for help. Furthermore, you can set a button on the button bar that takes you directly to a certain directory regardless of which drive or directory is currently active in the main window.
Usability
Total Commander is not a true file manager in its strict sense, yet is a highly capable app designed for advanced users who require sophisticated tasks to be done. It offers several key conveniences not found in Windows Explorer that will speed through most functions more quickly – for instance a built-in packer/unpacker, full Regex search, file difference comparison capabilities and fine-grained directory synchronization among many others.
The dual-pane interface of this program is very intuitive and straightforward to navigate, while background processes allow time-consuming operations to remain responsive at all times. When tasks are finished, you can configure it to notify you as they complete, with most recently completed operations displaying at the top of the screen so you can quickly resume working again.
You can tailor every aspect of the user experience through the Configuration dialog, from button bar layout and function key shortcuts to display only essential buttons so as to free up space for browsing or searching.
Another thing you can change or disable altogether if desired, are icons. Furthermore, you may select fixed-width fonts for both File list font and Main window font, and enable or disable inverted cursor display options within either one of those windows.
Power users will find an extensive collection of plugins available that provide additional functionality, including support for new file formats and archiving tools. A wide variety of these are already available and more are continually being created; therefore you are sure to find something that meets your individual needs perfectly.
Finally, you can customize the color of the user interface (UI) to better complement the wallpaper of your device and further personalize with third-party skins available for sale.
Installation
Total Commander is an innovative file manager with plugin support in the classic 2-window DOS style, ideal as a replacement for Windows Explorer but offering much more capabilities, such as compressing/uncompressing files, accessing FTP servers and much more.
Many users will appreciate the ability to pause and resume copying or moving files, making the process less arduous should you need to take a break midway. When returning later you can simply resume where you left off without starting over from scratch again.
Comparing files by content and viewing archives are two features that are immensely helpful, while you can even see what percentage of disk space each file occupies. Furthermore, deleting them takes only one click!
The program comes equipped with an inbuilt text editor tailored specifically for programmers, offering syntax highlighting, code folding and more. Furthermore, multiple languages can be supported and its layout and hotkeys customized. As this program is shareware it can be tested out for up to 30 days before being purchased for permanent use.
After that, if you wish to keep using it, a license can be purchased by clicking on the button in the lower-right corner. Furthermore, this program comes in over 15 different languages!
Accessing Web servers via WebDAV protocol can also be extremely useful in managing files on devices with limited storage capacities such as Android TVs or media players. With WebDAV access you can work remotely with your data from any location on the internet and maintain remote control of it all. This feature makes file management simpler when working remotely or managing Android TVs that lack internal memory space.
TC provides built-in support for ZIP, RAR and TAR archive formats. With external utilities and plugins it is also possible to work with additional archive types as well as add the capability of viewing images within archived files.
Another intriguing feature is TC’s option to automatically start other programs upon launch, saving both time and removing the need to configure Windows yourself to do it for you. This saves both hassles and resources when it comes time for program launch!
Pricing
Total Commander has long been considered an Orthodox file manager. Though expensive compared to its competition, Total Commander offers many useful utilities and features which make it stand out. Some examples are the multi-file renamer, verify file checksum feature and sync directory tool; there’s even an intuitive WYSIWYG editor for HTML that HTML programmers will love; this tool makes productivity gains easy – plus there’s a 30-day trial before purchasing!
