Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022

Pros: 555

Cons: 555

Bottom Line: 555

Vivek Kowshik reviewed v19.40.0000 on Nov 26, 2018

Pros: Nothing to offer

Cons: Over priced

Bottom Line: Why does anyone have to pay for a file manager anymore? Free Commander and Just File Manager are available at no cost. I just cannot imagine paying this kind of price. What is it that this software offers that is not available in the free stuff, and is it worth the difference?

reddy.shyam reviewed v17.60.0100 on Mar 3, 2017

No more free version. Bit of a dampener. Have moved on.

http://freecommander.com/

NyaR reviewed v15.50.0000 on Jul 30, 2015

Really nice, I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars. The reason is that there are compatibility issues with drag/drop and 32/64 bit applications.

mamorrison reviewed v14.50.0300 on Nov 17, 2014

It has a plethora of valuable options. The menus are so well designed and intuitive that, although I've used XYplorer heavily for almost two weeks I've yet to have to consult the on-line documentation. That documentation, by the way, is excellent: thorough without being overwhelming, designed to facilitate access to particular topics, and there is even an extensive manual one can download in PDF from the site. It does have an awful lot of features; but because it's so well designed, users can just ignore features they don't need at the moment and/or don't want to bother learning about. I could get it doing moderately complicated file-management tasks in a very short period of time.

Windows Explorer has never been particularly well-designed; it’s dorky and awkward to use. Worse, it lacks several obviously important features. Many years ago I switched to an alternative shareware file manager which was a vast improvement in every respect over Explorer. But for some reason, over the years, as the designers of this produce modified and issued new releases of, they’ve screwed it up in a variety of ways: removed some useful features, added some whose purpose seems inscrutable,introduced bugs and irritating reminders that pop up to not purpose, embedded in it mechanisms for upgrades and to ensure that it’s used on only one machine---mechanisms that malfunction more often than they should (that is, more often than never). Having finally gotten fed up, I did a lot of research on line in search of an alternative; XYplorer was one of a handful of packages I decided to try.It only took a day or two of testing to decide that XYplorer is so good that I had no need to even try any of the other options I downloaded. Almost every time I use it, I discover new features that are useful, features I didn't even know it has. It has already earned back its (extremely modest cost) many times over.

NyaR reviewed v14.30.0200 on Jul 17, 2014

Most customizable file manager that's constantly updated with useful features!

PS: aaverian works for mycommander, lol.

aaverian reviewed v14.20.0300 on Jul 5, 2014

Pretty god file manager, I tried all file managers available on the market.
My Commander is my favorite.

infectiphibian reviewed v14.10.0000 on May 19, 2014

It comes right after Directory Opus but that one is really expensive.

Loco78 reviewed v13.80.0000 on Mar 26, 2014

XYplorer is the best manager to manage the files I've ever used, automate and simplify my work on your computer like never before. Clear and easy user interface, easily accessible functions and many other features that make a program that is in my opinion the best manager of files on the market that seamlessly integrates with the system and can perfectly replace Windows Explorer.
His strong powerful functions and easy availability of the interface not only replace the Explorer, but also many other programs and gives us all these features in one place.
When once you try working with XYplorer will not be able to think that someday you could use a computer without it.
The program really worth buying!

HeilNizar reviewed v13.50.0000 on Dec 18, 2013

Tried almost all other file managers, none come even close.
I don't know how I lived before it!

-Portable directly from the author, that included file types and icons.
-Regularly maintained.
-Tons of options.

Blaxima reviewed v13.00.0000 on Sep 27, 2013

With Windows 7 Explorer replacements became unnecssary for me but if I was stuck with Win8 I would be using one again. XY isn't bad at all though I find it chokes on large image folders. With so many great free alternatives it's also hard to justify it's price tag.

While I love tabbed browsing for internet browsers I hate them for working between explorer windows, I find dual pane to be better. Enter NexusFile, a free dual pane explorer replacement that has all the features I need. Sadly the last update was close to a year ago, showing just how little used these types of software of become

smaragdus reviewed v12.70.0000 on Jul 23, 2013

Version 12 and still no FTP support.

guru_v reviewed v12.70.0000 on Jul 23, 2013

To begin, I'm not knocking this program completely, but it is, in my opinion, not the best of its type. I received a free version [Giveaway of the Day] a while back, and was really excited to get it. But, after about a week, I found myself using it less and less. That was over a year ago.

Definitely a good program, just not a great program.

I much prefer Explorer², from Zabkatremia Software, and there is a freeware version which does not nag, nor time out. {I have not been compensated in any way, I simply believe that users should help other users whenever possible, and Explorer² is so much more useful to me, I think it may be to others}

Rating good but not great...3 stars

dubstepmaker reviewed v12.10.0000 on Feb 14, 2013

love this program

Conrad.TDI reviewed v12.10.0000 on Feb 9, 2013

I use this all day - every day. If you think you might need the features of a powerful explorer replacement, this great utility deserves a shot.

Attractively priced, constantly and meaningfully updated, and a very responsive developer: what more could you ask for?

stisev reviewed v11.90.0100 on Jan 1, 2013

The gold standard of all explorer replacements.

Frank Muller reviewed v11.50.0000 on Sep 4, 2012

This is simply the best explorer replacement existing. Been using it for
years now. Daily. One of my best buys ever. It's the countless smart ideas
built into this product. Saved me countless hours. Color coding files by
date! Hey, I would feel blind without it. Cheers to the developers! Good
stuff, keep it up!!

phate23 reviewed v11.40.0200 on Aug 20, 2012

Miles ahead of the competition! Here's creativity and intelligence put to work. This little product is definitely leading the way in file management. German craftsmanship at its best. Vielen Dank, Herr Lessau!

DudeBoyz reviewed v11.30.0100 on Jun 13, 2012

I prefer either Free Commander or Total Commander - they work great and have a long history of reliability.

This doesn't feel as efficient when using it.

It's not bad, but Free Commander and Total Commander have it beat.

Music4Ever reviewed v11.10.0000 on May 15, 2012

I've read some fiction in my life but talk about create an overpriced program then review it yourself.

bobad reviewed v10.90.0100 on Mar 12, 2012

Still doesn't fully support 64 bit Windows. Considering almost no computers are currently sold with 32 bit Windows, this is a real mystery. One could speculate this is because of the stupidly high price of X64 compilers, but I don't know.

The idea that users should run X32 apps concurrent with X64 apps just so XYplorer will work correctly is totally ridiculous. That's a clear case of the tail wagging the dog. Instead of bloating up and cobbling up hundreds or thousands of user computers, why not go to the source of the problem and fix XYplorer?

Still, I rate it 4 stars. It's a great explorer, and I'll be watching for news on X64 implementaiton.

j_hallgren reviewed v10.80.0300 on Feb 23, 2012

This is not really a review but rather follow-up and clarification to a comment made by NyaR in his Feb 12th posting and some remarks about prior reviews:

Just so no one gets the wrong impression from NyaR: XYplorer is unfortunately NOT YET a 64 bit application, but that IS planned for near future so while it works just great on 64 bit systems (based on XY forum) and provide many features lacking in the basic Win Explorer, it also can't be said that it fully supports that OS yet... the main effect as others have stated is in the context menus which most satisfied XY users on the user forum access via 32 bit vers of those extensions.

Another issue: Obviously a paid appl can never compete with a free vers of a FM like Q-Dir/Cubic based solely on price but what XY provides for that cost is ongoing support, speedy development and bug fixes in response to user needs. Find me any free FM that will implement a user request in less than a day! Donald does that quite often and I think that's well worth the cost! Asking a fan of any of the free FM's to say nice things about XY is like asking an Apple fan to say Windows is better...it'll never happen..so all us XY fans say is: try it for 30 days and see what you think!

NyaR reviewed v10.80.0300 on Feb 12, 2012

This explorer is great and now supports 64bit windows.

Great stuff is:
selection rectangle (totalcmd does not have)
filetype color sorting
tabs with unique history states
favorites
intergration with explorer
customizable shortcuts
scripts

qwerty12345 reviewed v10.80.0100 on Feb 1, 2012

Using this product for several years and it just keeps getting better. I wonder what some of the negative reviewers are complaining about. 64-bit is planned so no need to panic folks. In any case, there are easy ways get the context menu shown. Just install 32-bit app too.
I paid for the pro license and I have got more than what i wanted. i use it on 5 of my PCs (yes, one license can be used on any number of PCs for the rest of your life) and because of its portability I carry it on my USB too. Its support for portable paths is a life saver. I have pre-configured catalog on my USB and I just plug into any PC I haven't installed and easily find those hard to find folders. Plus, I have several tasks at work automated which would otherwise take me few hours. One example is: Each day my equipment generates reports which I have to sort, rename and copy it across 2 other PCs. I have written a small code which does all this in just one-click.
I see some reviews which are plain stupid or ignorant or maybe hate propaganda against XY. Like one guy (Hilbert) is talking about how backup is flawed. he definitely doesn't know what he's taliking about. I backup upto 4-5 GBs each day on 2 of my PCs at work and I have never had an issue for the past 5 years.
I wonder if some of these reviewers are paid to write stupid reviews.
In short, come and try XY (you have 30 days to fully test it). You'll enjoy it and it has saved me a lot of clicks. Its latest feature, branch view is a time save, especially when combined with visual filters. Highly recommend this to anyone who takes file management seriously.

bobad reviewed v10.80.0100 on Jan 31, 2012

Better than most file explorers. Has a plethora of convenience and speed features. On the down side, it does not support 64 bit Windows, which totally cripples the right-click context menu. The icons are a bit ugly too, but opinions may vary. I think CubicExplorer is the best looking explorer, Q-Dir has the best 64 bit implementation, and both are free.

donbregman reviewed v10.30.0000 on Sep 23, 2011

Can not hold a candle to the FREE Free Commander file Manager.

stisev reviewed v10.10.0100 on Aug 14, 2011

I have tried all of the major explorer replacements (including Directory Opus 10 Xyplorer^2, and Total Commander.

This one beats them hands down in terms of features, portability, etc..

There is nothing even close as of 8/1/11

The ONLY downside (and thing that DOpus has over this program) is 64-bit support, which the author promises in 2012. It is not Don's (the author's) fault that this is not been done yet. The only downside to no-64-bit-support and not all win7 libraries is the fact that some right click extensions do not show up :(

pjafrombbay reviewed v10.10.0100 on Jul 29, 2011

Two-pane file managers are great. If you have never tried one, do yourself a favour. This one is Ok but IMHO its just too expensive. Try Xplorer2 (http://zabkat.com/index.htm) at $29.95 or the free "lite" version (http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm).

Regards,
Peter

Blaxima reviewed v10.10.0000 on Jul 18, 2011

Like the previous reviewer said, it's a good (but not great) program that certainly doesn't warrant it's rather hefty price tag. Just can't justify it when there are free or cheaper alternatives.

I found that it can freeze at times when loading thumbnails because it is trying to cache too much info. Other than that I don't have any other complaints.

A nice free explorer alternative that never gets mentioned is NexusFile http://xiles.net/

dhry reviewed v9.90.1000 on May 24, 2011

Not a bad program, but $42 is incredibly overpriced for what you get. Best free alternatives are Qdir (http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/Q-Dir) and the opensource Explorer++ (http://www.explorerplusplus.com/). Best commercial alternative is Directory Opus, by a country mile.

eil reviewed v9.90.0600 on Apr 4, 2011

Using XYplorer for about a year made me kinda addicted to it. It's fast, small on resources, has good and handful interface, build-in wast scripting abilities and many thing "you may have dreamed for". For me, personally, XYplorer is almost best for 3 reasons(almost- because it's developing daily so it can become even beter):
1- it's a great replacement for default Win Explorer-shell 'cause it rather resembles it still having a bunch of features to impress;
2- from the moment you install it you have some familiar and "used to" feeling - that's because XYplorer is treated just like an internet browser = middle click to open new tab, same to close existing, double-click on empty space to go up in catalog-tree(i just admire this feature!) and many other "browser-like" cool stuff;
3- in search of good file manager i tried almost all of them or at least every i could find = all this Directory opus, Speed Commander, X2plorer etc. = and imo the only file-manager XYplorer may "bow to" is Total Commander - not because XY is worser, but because only TC stands at similar level = TC is for pro-users with keyboard-only-style(and don't say you use TC with mouse- that's shameful!), and XY is for anyone and especially for "mouse-serfers"(i hope you understand what i mean).
So, all in all XYplorer is a "all you can find in any other file manager" and "many things you can find only here". It's not about "buy it - you must have it" = it's about " try it - you may like it" :)
P.S. All following is not part of my review but my personal opinion: read few reviews below and got a feeling of a capricious child who found a pen spot on a blank paper and keeps to annoyingly/blindly scream that paper is bad.

mattsfaulkner reviewed v9.90.0000 on Jan 11, 2011

I've been using XYplorer as my main file management tool for two years now, I started out with windows explorer and went through xplorer2 and directory opus before it.

XYplorer is for me a very living & breathing software entity that is constantly and lovingly updated by its developer, who seems to very actively follow his users wishes and feedback on the xyplorer user forum.

For me the highlight of the program itself is that it's simple enough for anyone who has used windows explorer to jump right in (my wife did so without any problems and she's not very good with computers) yet deep enough for the professional to customize and script to perform a myriad of functions that improve file management efficiency for any kind of user. The amount of customization and special features has to be experienced to understand them, too many things to list here.

There is a full trial version to be tested for anyone interested (especially after windows 7 explorer turned out to be a total disaster). Also noteworthy is that some of the negative reviews here, upon closer reading, very clearly seem to be written by people with mental problems.

The pricing of the pro version with lifetime full upgrades for me now after two years of better file management seems laughably cheap and I feel like I owe the developer more than that. I recommend this software to anyone using windows.

Hilbert reviewed v9.90.0000 on Jan 5, 2011

This developer has included a mechanism to avoid overwrite clashes in the event of files having the same name, except seemingly he has only applied it to his backup routine.

What is it about developers of Explorer replacements that makes them almost universally think that copying folders with the same name over another without concern as to the fate of the contents of the destination folder is actually a feature when in fact it's an almighty stuff-up?

Just because Explorer has this monumental bug--another Microsoft unfinished project f*up--where it doesn't advise the user of the potential for annihilation of same-named files in the destination folder by them being overwritten, doesn't mean it should be continually perpetuated by others.

Let go, the myth of Microsoft infallibility has long since past! The days of kowtowing and slavishly copying MS bugs directly into your code have past.

That this developer has actually gone to the trouble of writing code to protect the overwriting of files then not used it where it actually matters has to be about as stupid as it gets.

Developer, if you read this then check out your opposition. 'Directory Opus' might be a good place to start. Then ask your users what features they actually want--not what you think they should have.

Idiocy seemingly knows no bounds. Perhaps like entropy, it increases universally with time.

Shame there's no negative stars, I'd give Xyplorer 9.90.0000 a minus five.

Plumber reviewed v9.60.0100 on Oct 25, 2010

I've got to balance my other review, which was too glowing. Here's a workflow example of why:

1. Run XYplorer.

2. Download a file to a new subdirectory (i.e. let the program doing the downloading create the subdir).

3. Look for the file in XYplorer. Go insane wondering where it is, because it doesn't appear anywhere.

4. Use a file searching utility or file manager that actually works to find the file.

5. Go back to XYplorer, hit F5, and like magic, see the subdir appear.

6. Wonder if XYplorer's auto-refresh option is disabled for some reason, then verify that it's not.

7. Wonder who does XYplorer's QA, or indeed if anyone does it at all.

I could mention other annoyances, but I think we're all tired of truth for now.

mikes1616 reviewed v9.30.0000 on Jul 15, 2010

I recently moved to Windows 7 and 64-bit. My only gripe with this is it currently doesn't see the libraries and it does not hook the 64-bit applications.

Sure you can navigate to the virtual folders the libraries point to, but it would be nicer to support them natively.

Sure, the workaround for the 64-bit problem is to just install the 32-bit version of the application so XY can see it in the right click menu. But I guess I just don't want to.

We are told sometime in 2011 is the time frame for 64-bit. I love this utility, but I am Directly Opus until it supports 64-bit and Windows 7 Libraries fully. Great tool, but I am giving it a 3 - only because Directory Opus is a major competitor and they support both of these features. I will be coming back to XYPlorer.

poisonu reviewed v9.20.0200 on Jul 6, 2010

Superb!
And Still improving further.

stisev reviewed v9.11.0000 on Jun 10, 2010

The best file manager in existence as of 6/9/10. Yes, better than DOpus :)

UProf, please refrain from posting negative ratings baselessly. You never bothered to explain your problem to dev!

CyGhoSoft reviewed v9.00.0000 on Apr 19, 2010

Great app. Use it on a daily basis for many file management jobs. I'm a big fan of the combination of the User Commands and Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts.
Also the Dual Pane is very usefull.
The program allows different Configuration files so one can quickly switch settings. The Catalog is another timesaver.
Well, there is mutch, mutch more. To mutch to write down here. Did i mention Portability? The Lifetime license? Tabs? Search? The list is endless.....

qwerty12345 reviewed v9.00.0000 on Apr 17, 2010

This is a great piece of software and being a user for long time now i have seen XY as being very reliable in terms of performance and the kind of support its author offers. I have reviewed many file managers over time and have found XY to be the right fit for my needs. Its simple enough for a newbie and very advanced to cater to a power user. Its lifetime license is a steal and support in the forums is unmatched. Every user is taken care of there.
Uprof's comment below is totally unacceptable and clearly a way to tarnish XY reputation. He had 30 days to evaluate this product with support on the forums and find out if it was his kind of app. Also, there is no mention of what Uprof is missing in XY, its a clear case of hate review.

j_hallgren reviewed v9.00.0000 on Apr 17, 2010

This is not as much a review of XYplorer as it is a response to prior post by UProf regarding the developer's handling of user issues which is thus a review of the product from a support aspect.

He wrote "Stay away until they stand by their product". That & some other comments are SO wrong on many aspects and here's my viewpoint:

1) It's Donald Lessau, not a "they", and he's a sole developer who responds personally & VERY promptly to user issues. I've seen a bug fixed in less than 20 minutes! That's GREAT customer support! Even better than some anti-virus app's! As a matter of fact, I've never seen such a high level of user support from ANY other software! And I've used hundreds of app's over my years. Ok, ..Yes, so I'm a extremely dedicated user of XY because he DOES 'stand by product' and many others agree!

2) Why would you buy the product w/o first fully using the 30-day free trial? And then expect a refund? Seems somewhat suspicious to me...and there is NO developer responsibility for user errors such as this. You don't determine if the product is suitable for you after you buy it!

3) There isn't any evidence of you posting any issues on the extremely active user forum before you asked for refund.. All we see is your negative reviews. See http://www.xyplorer.com/...opic.php?f=6&t=4940
Read that for author's reply.

In summary, while this is my first posting here and thus might not have as much weight as veteran members here, user UProf is also new so this may offset his negative comments, plus I do have an extensive posting history on the XY user forum so I'm very well aquainted with how Don handles user issues and I've always seen a very helpful attitude when the customer deserves it, but in this case, I don't see that UProf has a valid complaint.

UProf reviewed v9.00.0000 on Apr 17, 2010

Doesn't play well with other software.

After less than one day I had to remove it from my computer. He wouldn't give me a refund -- even thought I (stupidly) purchased the lifetime version. So the owner gets $70; I get zip.

guru_v reviewed v8.90.0000 on Mar 9, 2010

Have not tried this lately, but one look at the price makes me know i won't be, until the author gets a clue about the relative merit of a tool versus an operating system. $43 dollars is too much for any file manager.

Plumber reviewed v8.80.0000 on Jan 24, 2010

With XYplorer 8.80, I am able to drag and create shortcuts and Start menu pins.

My only problems with XYplorer are:

1. When I am using a viewer that has focus (e.g. a media player), and I left drag a file from XYplorer onto the media player, XYplorer grabs focus. This is something that Explorer and other file managers I've tried don't do. (That is, they let me drag and drop the file without taking focus from the viewer.)

2. For some reason, I can't access my FTP site. I can open it in Explorer, but not XYplorer.

3. When drives are added/removed, XYplorer does not update itself; I have to manually refresh. I saw a forum post where the author blames the application that created the drive, but this problem happens when I plug in my phone and mount it as a drive... So Windows itself is at fault, not XY? Explorer shows the drive as it should. (I do have "Autorefresh" enabled.)

Other than that, I think it's a brilliant application, for too many reasons to list!

emanresU deriseD reviewed v8.70.0100 on Dec 8, 2009

Yeah, sure they have.

Ralfo reviewed v8.70.0000 on Dec 3, 2009

Note that the bugs kindly mentioned by emanresU deriseD have been fixed in the latest version (8.70).

emanresU deriseD reviewed v8.50.0000 on Oct 9, 2009

I take issue with contentions such as "Best file manager ever for Windows". People who get off on assailing me with ad-hominem attacks fail to realize this product's shortcomings, only a few of which are:

-- You cannot drag any file system object from XYplorer to anywhere else on your system--the Desktop, an Explorer window, anywhere--and create a shortcut to that item.

-- You cannot drag any file system object from XYplorer to the Start menu, and create a "pin" to it that way. This is something you can do from Explorer, or from any other Explorer replacement.

-- Bugs upon bugs upon bugs, such as when I look at the properties for files after conducting a search, it says that some of them have NTFS encryption enabled (i.e. the "Encrypt contents to secure data" item is in gray checkbox mode). None of the files on my system use NTFS encryption--not a single one. If I change any properties on these selected files, it reports that it is about to "decrypt" the files. I have no idea what would happen to the applicable files if I proceeded (probably nothing, but I don't want to find out the hard way). This makes me distrust XYplorer. It must be sending bad information to the underlying shell. Oh--and when I perform these same actions using anything else--Explorer, Directory Opus, FileLocator Pro, etc., there is no false report of encrypted files.

Francis7 reviewed v8.20.0000 on Aug 12, 2009

It was a life-saver for me when I found it some three years ago.
One of it's best points is the Find Files function, which makes of it one of the best file search tools ever. The price is quite just, too.

shodan816 reviewed v8.20.0000 on Aug 12, 2009

Been using this file manager for several years now and it remains the best there is, no matter what the 'anti VB' crowd has to say. And now that it supports dual pane, it's all that much better. XYplorer's greatest asset, IMHO, is not only it's total flexibility and multitude of options, but it's complete portability. EVERYTHING is contained within it's install folder. Give it a try. What have you to lose ?

darthbeads reviewed v8.10.0000 on Jun 30, 2009

Any developer who describes his or her work as "ingenious" is usually anything but.

stisev reviewed v8.00.0000 on Jun 17, 2009

Best file manager ever (for Windows).

EDIT:
I815:

Use this:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell]
@="XYplorer"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\XYplorer]
@="Open in XYplorer"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell\XYplorer\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\XYplorer\\XYplorer.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
@="XYplorer"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\XYplorer]
@="Open in XYplorer"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\XYplorer\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\XYplorer\\XYplorer.exe\" \"%1\""

l815 reviewed v7.90.0120 on Feb 12, 2009

I used this for a very short period. It is nice, but I don't like to use other file managers unless they have the ability to set themselves as default for opening any type of folder; rather than just a "open with" feature.

Because of this, xplorer 2 has been a better choice for me.

qwerty12345 reviewed v7.90.0120 on Feb 12, 2009

Wow!! just tried the new version and it has more features in just few days. I am amazed by the evolution. Some softwares dont manage decent features even in half a year. My favorites in this are tags and comments which are nifty for grouping similar files and folders. Waiting keenly for Dual pane which i assume is in version 8.0. Anyway, this version gets 5 stars for speedy feature implementation and quick fixes to tiny bugs. And thanks to the developer who (unlike many others i've experienced) respects the users view points.

Walrez reviewed v7.90.0100 on Feb 5, 2009

I’d really want to use this software. I download the demo from time to time, and I’m usually amazed by the developer’s imagination in adding such useful and unique features.
One of the newer features, the scripting language, is really great and flexible. I find the syntax a little weird, and not always consistent (I think it got altered at least once).
This brings me to the reasons I still haven’t bought the program. Though it looks great, I find that the interface is not always consistent, and there’s some redundancy in features. For example, for bookmarking a directory or file, you can user “Favorite Folders” (with no sublevels), “Favorite Files”, and the “Catalog”. If you open the Favorites menu, you’ll see that “Toggle Favorite Folder” is on the first level, while “Toggle Favorite File” is inside the “Favorite Files” submenu. Little things.
Now you have the “Minitree”, which basically lets you build your own tree. That’s how the catalog was promoted initially: “Build your own tree”. I know there are differences here and there, but in my opinion, not enough to justify the addition of yet another way for doing the same thing.
I asked in the forum why don’t just leave the catalog (that covers all the functions), and the developer asked the users what they though, stating that he’d personally be happy using just the catalog. He noticed and admitted that “Favorite Folders” and “Favorite Files” are the same thing (folders are treated as files) and suggested to unify them, but some users got touchy at the very idea that something could be changed, so he left it as it was.
I though that many users were proud about this program “lightness”, to the point of rejecting basic ftp functions as “bloat”. Mhh… Speaking of which, I’ve found that the user base (a central part of this software) is usually capable and smart, as you can appreciate especially in the Scripts area of the forum, but there are a few who are almost extremist fanatics, for some reason less experienced but very vocal. I saw their influence in action with the case I mentioned. They managed to affect the developer’s view, even if he agreed that there was redundancy (especially between Favorite Folder and Favorite Files). Too much democracy :-)
Going back to the UI, here’s another example: What’s the criteria used to include a function on the info panel, or on a window of it’s own? For example, why is the “Report” option (to generate lists of files) in it? Or the Find Files parameters? I think that things are mixed up. The first 4 tabs are “Properties”, “Version”, “Preview” and “Raw View”, are all related to the current file. “Report” and “Find Files” are separate functions that are included inside the same “object”, for some reason unknown to me.
I know that all of this doesn’t affect functionality, and I admit that I’m rather obsessive. I’m not saying that the software is “bad”, actually it’s excellent, but for me, and not for others, those things are important.
Regarding the VB issue. I still maintain/develop some projects in VB, but the truth is that Microsoft no longer supports it, no longer produces Service Packs, no longer expands it, and no longer fixes bugs. I don’t have a problem with software developed in VB just because it’s not “fashionable” or something, but the fact is that VB is and will be what it is now, with it’s limitations, and at some point, I believe that this issue will become more relevant. Many companies are converting big systems to other platforms and for good reason.
All in all, I’ll still check the new versions, because it’s a program full of useful and unique features. I might be buying it in the end, despite the few things that annoy me. I’ll wait for V8 to see how things shape up. I’m curious about the dual panel implementation.
Even if my post could be perceived as negative, it is not. XYplorer does some things in a way not found anywhere else, and is highly usable.

qwerty12345 reviewed v7.90.0050 on Jan 21, 2009

For me this is the best file manager ever. Apart from the speed of evolution the beta club support flattered me. Apparently, dual pane, fast copy etc are to come soon. So I am not going anywhere from this already super piece of software. full points.

Flebbo reviewed v7.90.0050 on Jan 13, 2009

The startup-time HAVE improved =)
Love it

Flebbo reviewed v7.90.0010 on Jan 6, 2009

It got everything I ever wanted but......it starts slow, compared to other filemanagers.

Doc Money reviewed v7.90.0000 on Dec 10, 2008

The Mini Tree is clever!

zeeZee reviewed v7.90.0000 on Dec 10, 2008

needs an option to have 2 line or more tab bar, color select tab, need scrollbar when it is to long for screen.

Ralfo reviewed v7.90.0000 on Dec 9, 2008

Undesired Username, see my comment from Dec 3, 2008. There's nothing to add.

If you generally like XYplorer but think an important feature is missing, please visit the user forum and post in the wishes section.

Undesired Username reviewed v7.90.0000 on Dec 8, 2008

Well the programming language used by XYplorer does come into play. If you bothered to wake up, you'd know there are things that XY can't do and will never do because "you can't do it with VB".

Ralfo reviewed v7.80.0000 on Dec 3, 2008

Some commenters here are attempting to diss XYplorer because of its "no longer supported VB6 codebase". So what? Are you reviewing a file manager or a programming language?
XYplorer is a very strong file manager, it is
permanently evolving (almost daily BETAs for many years now), it works fine in all Windows versions from Win95 to Vista x64, and it has a broad and growing user base.
Who cares about the language used for coding it? This is totally irrelevant to the user! After all, XYplorer is compiled to native code: When you download and run it there's no VB6 in it anymore. It might have been coded in Egyptian hieroglyphs, after compilation it's just another Windows executable.

Doc Money reviewed v7.80.0000 on Nov 7, 2008

XYplorer is as fast, stable, and bug-free as software can get. It's an extremely well-designed application and, by the way, the reporting features of the recent 7.80 have become very handy already. Not for nothing this is one of the most popular file managers.

Doc Money reviewed v7.70.0000 on Oct 24, 2008

As far back as DOS, I have had a favorite file management tool. I tend to be really picky about choosing a product for this purpose, and over the years I have been a committed user of a total a five products. XYplorer is the latest addition in my tool set, having replaced PowerDesk after a number of years of use. XYplorer is a great product with a well thought out UI and feature set.

Infin8Cyn reviewed v7.50.0000 on Aug 27, 2008

Author is amazingly expediant at updating this software despite its VB6 codebase and trying to integrate user wishes. I applaud him for his efforts and for his response time on his forum. The application is small and highly efficent at what it does. Lots of software is written in VB3-6 and Delphi today without issues. The gripes by Custer seem to be a personal issue with the author and should be discounted IMHO.

Custer reviewed v7.50.0000 on Aug 26, 2008

I agree with the last post.
Unfortunately, XYplorer is written in VB6, which even Microsoft no longer supports, or updates.
There is no future for this software; only minor updates and patches can be made with a dead language, no new features.
The poor developer is like a dinosaur, stuck in the past.

Undesired Username reviewed v7.50.0000 on Aug 25, 2008

As "great" as a VB program can be, I suppose.

Zerbe reviewed v7.40.0001 on Jul 30, 2008

Great program.

Undesired Username reviewed v7.40.0001 on Jul 30, 2008

Still buggy and limited, I see.

As far as what is "dishonorable", well I'd throw assaulting a person's character just for reviewing software in that category, but what do I know, I'm not an overweight 40-something shut-in.

Metshrine reviewed v7.30.0000 on Jul 1, 2008

This, being my 3rd review on fileforum of XYPlorer, program continues to elude me by one simple option. The rest of its functionality is sound but that one option continues to make me rate this lower than it deserves. I have tested this version again, to see if I can do without the option to intercept run dialog calls, but alas I cannot. I will continue to install and test every version, but I doubt that I will see this feature come anytime soon. If it does come, I will gladly pay for a lifetime license.

And that concludes my THIRD review of XYPlorer on fileforum.com

shodan816 reviewed v7.10.0000 on May 6, 2008

I have tested almost every Windows Explorer replacement out there, at one time or another and have stayed with XYplorer though it all. IF you want and need dual pane capability, keep looking. IF you want and need FTP capability, keep looking. But for the vast majority of us who don't require either of these, this baby tops them all in options and features. In addition, it's author, Don, improves this gem on a daily basis. Numerous changes and a whole lot of testing by many beta testers happens between each official release. Keep up the great work, Don ! !

zridling reviewed v7.10.0000 on May 6, 2008

Thanks for the reply, Leo, but I'm not aware of "We've been through this in a long discussion on another forum, which Zaine apparently completely ignored even though it was a direct response to his claims." A URL would be helpful. Hard to respond to things I'm unaware of. If you like DOpus, by all means use it. But no need to be another DOpus troll who "has not used XYplorer much" to run here to the XYplorer page to tell me how great it is everytime XYplorer is updated. In fact, that's pretty desperate of DOpus fans. It means they know they no longer have the best file manager.

Besides, XYplorer can defend itself with better performance, cost, value, and far better coding than DOpus ever will be able to. When you've used software long enough, you'll quickly recognize who can code and who cannot. And the DOpus boys are still trying to figure it out. Apparently they trained at Microsoft, because their program is bigger and slower and more expensive than ever. And the next version will be even bigger and even slower, and I'll bet you €50 it won't be a dime cheaper.

Understand, just because DOpus is sheer overpriced bloat doesn't make it a great program. I'll admit it can do anything, which according to DOpus is FTP and no more. But its current version can't match XYplorer's quality and design feature by feature for the price.

As for Lifetime licenses, I reward software that offers a true Lifetime license, as XYplorer does. The past few years has seen a spate of programs offer what they contend are 'lifetime' licenses only to redefine the term, much like an ISP who says "Unlimited downloads!" but then cancels your service after 5Gb each month. I paid once for XYplorer three versions ago and I'm still enjoying it. Meanwhile, you're getting slammed by DOpus's increasing costs, at least based on the failure of the USDollar vs. the AUSdollar.

Good luck with DOpus. I've no doubt you love it, and that you think it's really really great. XYplorer, for me, is just better.

LeoDavidson reviewed v7.00.0000 on Apr 20, 2008

comeoffit wrote:
--
Yes, zridling, we shall agree to disagree. As usual, any feature you want would be a wonderful addition, but any feature somebody else wants--that you don't see an immediate use for--is "bloat".
--

Very well said mate. Zaine has been driving me mad for about a year now, slating things because he doesn't personally use them, and exaggerating everything else out of proportion.

I have nothing against XYPlorer, so I'm giving it a 5 review even though I don't use it myself, as I am writing here to correct an earlier review and not to put people off XYPlorer. I urge you to try both XY and Opus and all the other file managers and see which suits you best as they are all different.

With that said, I just have to correct some of the garbage in Zaine's post below about XY compared to Opus:

No, it beats the living crap out of DOpus in every way from:

> — features

For this read "features that zridling uses", since however you count things Opus has more features than XY. About a year ago Opus added a couple of features which XY happened to have already and Zaine accused it of stealing them (a joke since none of the Opus developers have used XY and the ideas were obvious and standard across many programs), yet when XY later added several features which Opus had had for *years* Zaine sang its praises. Bias? I think so.

> — cost

That's true, but value is more important than cost. Whether Opus is worth more than XY is up to the individual and which feature they consider important.

> — licensing

From previous conversations with him, Zaine has a bee in his bonnet about any program which doesn't offer a lifetime licence. Apparently he expects full-time teams of developers to go on working forever without any further payment. Maybe that business model works for some combinations of growing markets or programs which don't get much time devoted to them, but it's not a common model at all however you look at it. To slate a program just because it isn't one of the few with a lifetime licence seems ridiculous to me. Nobody is ever forced to pay for an upgrade they don't value, either. If you buy a version of Opus it lasts forever.

> — updates

This is a lie, quite frankly. Opus gets updated very regularly and is worked on full-time. Since Opus 9.0 was released a year ago there have been 13 free updates which have included major feature additions at no cost. See for yourself here: http://resource.dopus.com/viewforum.php?f=1

> — copy speed

I have no idea what this is about. Opus copies at the maximum speed my hardware can move data at and I and others have done several benchmarks of it against other programs. Usually everything copies at the same speed because it's down to the hardware (so long as nothing silly is going, like with Explorer on Vista).

Whenever someone has claimed that Opus copies slower than other programs it has *always* turned out to be due to them not testing things properly. For example, people usually copy files in Opus and then in the other program resulting in a lot of data being cached for the second program. When this is pointed out and they re-do their tests they find everything copies at the same speed.

> — search

Opus has a very powerful search/filter system which allows you to use almost any file attribute, as well as a simple mode for basic searches. As I have not used XY much and Zaine doesn't offer any specifics I don't know exactly how the two compare, so maybe he's right, but Opus's search abilities are very powerful and I don't trust his bias.

> — UI

Opus's UI is what you make it. It's very configurable. Beyond that everything is a matter of personal taste.

> — cleaner coding

I don't see how this is true. Opus buttons generally have a fairly simple syntax like running command-line tools have.

> — installation footprint

If you care about a couple of megabytes of HDD space more than features then by all means, but I'd say that is a crazy point of view from someone who is scraping the barrel to find reasons to tell other poeple they should use his pet program instead of another.

> — memory use

We've been through this in a long discussion on another forum, which Zaine apparently completely ignored even though it was a direct response to his claims. Unless you configure Opus to use lots of large background images and icons, or you're in thumbnails mode in a large directory, or some other situation where a lot of data simply has to be loaded into memory, Opus uses a similar amount of memory to most other programs. It certainly never uses so much that it causes a problem so, like the "install footprint" example, it is a complete non-issue in my opinion.

KCell reviewed v7.00.0000 on Apr 14, 2008

I've tried all the major (and not so major) file managers out there (Directory Opus, PowerDesk, Xplorer2, etc...). Of all of them, XYplorer is the most polished, well thought out, and well supported. There are a few things that the general description doesn't mention. First of all, XYplorer has a very powerful file search (supporting Boolean, RegEx, content search, and more). It's also portable (meaning that it stores nothing in the registry, doesn't require an installation routine, and only requires the files in it's directory in order to run), which means that it can be used with tremendous ease from a flash drive. It also supports Portable File Associations, so you can set your own custom file associations, and even point them to other applications on your flash drive. There is no other file manager that can do this, to my knowledge.

In addition, unlike most other software companies, the developer of XY maintains a close relationship with the users - bugs are fixed almost immediately, and feature requests are taken very seriously. If a feature request is easy to implement, and is a good idea, they are often implemented within a matter of days. How many other developers can you say that for?

The single and only real issue I ever had with XY was the lack of Dual Pane. However, the developer has agreed to implement it in the next release (v8.0), and there is a discussion on their forum right now, discussing the specifics of how they would like it implemented:

http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?t=2293

This is truly the cream of the crop of file managers.

Ralfo reviewed v7.00.0000 on Apr 2, 2008

Just for the record: XYplorer does support unicode.

zridling reviewed v7.00.0000 on Mar 31, 2008

No, it beats the living crap out of DOpus in every way from:

— features
— cost
— licensing
— updates
— copy speed
— search
— UI
— cleaner coding
— installation footprint
— memory use

And comes with a real lifetime license. No better time than now to check XYplorer out.

Skyfrog reviewed v6.80.0000 on Feb 29, 2008

Much better than Windows Explorer, especially the stupid version in Vista that the Microsoft nitwits programmed to automatically sort files with no way to turn the feature off.

However this isn't perfect. I found it to be pretty laggy when opening or scrolling through large folders. I found xplorer2 to work much better.

zridling reviewed v6.80.0000 on Jan 5, 2008

If by fanatic you mean 'fan,' then count me as one. BS and lies should always be confronted, not ignored. Otherwise, people tend to believe the lie.

cricri_pingouin reviewed v6.70.0000 on Dec 18, 2007

It's fine, but I prefer Total Commander. Granted, granted, Total Commander may require you to spend some time tweaking it to match your exact requirements, but once this effort has been invested, it makes it well worth it. I admit that XYplorer would probably be my second choice though.

axfleming reviewed v6.60.0030 on Dec 13, 2007

When I read the review from comeoffit, I created an account just to respond.
This program is not about any one particular feature; it's about how all those little parts come together to form a cohesive application.
Days, weeks, months after you install this gem you will notice those little treats that will make you smile, and say to yourself, "Mmmm, Nice."
Bloat? Anyone who has used this app for any length of time will see that every feature was carefully considered before it was added.
As for FTP, isn't that a NETWORK feature, used by people working on their websites hosted on the Net?
Most sites now just use HTTP for downloads even though it is slower.
Wouldn't any real dev use a true FTP client instead of a... FILE MANAGER??!

Just USE it. You will love it!

@zridling - I have read your "Great Software Page", and have picked up a few gems from it.
I must say I am a little surprised to see you rolling in the mud with this troll...
Makes you look a little like a fanatic...

shodan816 reviewed v6.60.0000 on Nov 20, 2007

Once again, improvements abound in each new release of XYplorer. Anyone looking for a Windows Explorer alternative would be foolish not to give this one a try. It's simple to install and feature rich beyond words compared to Windows Explorer. Try it - you'll like it ! !

zridling reviewed v6.60.0000 on Nov 20, 2007

comeoffit, clearly you've got some issues with XYplorer. Take a pill, dude, and use your [far better] FTP program. Better, go to the XYplorer forum and hash this out with the dev rather than carping here. It's really rather tiresome.

comeoffit reviewed v6.60.0000 on Nov 19, 2007

Again, it's very interesting to me how people continually describe any feature that THEY don't want as "bloat".

Previewing audio, video, and image files? Not bloat. Image thumbnailing? Not bloat. Built-in search? Not bloat. Icon caching? Not bloat. Text and directory-box coloring? Not bloat. Batch renaming functionality? Not bloat. Drop-Text-To-File and Drop-Outlook-Messages-To-File? Not bloat. User-Defined Commands? Not bloat. Exporting to CSV? Not bloat. File and directory date/time manipulation? Not bloat. Localized file associations? Not bloat. Network directory caching and server management functions? Not bloat. MP3 info tooltips? Not bloat. File system report creation? Not bloat.

But basic upload/download FTP functions? OH MY GAWD! The heresy!

It's one thing to disagree with a proposed feature; quite another to deride it and be totally inconsistent in so doing. If you're so opposed to "bloat", why not call for the removal of some of these other "bloat" features? Eh? Surely you don't use ALL of them, and remember, any feature YOU don't use or want is "bloat".

shodan816 reviewed v6.50.0000 on Nov 6, 2007

XYplorer has been, and continues to be THE best Windows Explorer replacement, bar none. The majority of us (my opinion) don't want or need the FTP functionality bloat. The most difficult thing about using XYplorer is learning just how much this little jewel will do over and above Windows Explorer. Once again, THANKS, Don ! ! !

comeoffit reviewed v6.50.0000 on Nov 5, 2007

Oh, zridling, get over it. You go to such extremes exaggerating what you only pretend to be my point of view. I merely expressed the opinion that I would like to see rudimentary FTP functions built into XY, nothing more. I would not want photo editing, RSS support, or anything else; you are being patently and plainly absurd. I was not slagging off the entire program. And I do have a full-blown FTP client, but the point is it's nice to be able to perform simple FTP functions all in one program. Sort of like you can do with Explorer.exe.

zridling reviewed v6.50.0000 on Nov 5, 2007

XYplorer's User-Defined Commands (UDCs) now make it hands-down better than Directory Opus, on top of being several times more affordable. With UDCs, I have direct access to any file, folder, or operation within the file manager. Wow!

caihongxu reviewed v6.40.0000 on Oct 26, 2007

Unbelievable! It's extremely fast, definitely fast than Xplorer2 and most of other explorers(I bet everybody can feel it), comparable with Total commander. However, total commander is too different from windows explorer, which i don't like. This one, XYplorer, is simply a clone of windows explorer and incredibly faster! Just love it.

zridling reviewed v6.40.0000 on Oct 10, 2007

New interface, new [major version] license type added on top of Lifetime license, and quick as a cat. Love it. Love it. Love it!

surrender10 reviewed v6.10.0042 on Aug 6, 2007

Well, I read some of the criticisms on this page and I have to say that, I urge people to visit XY forums and see what is going on there. Also, nobody is putting a gun on your head and asking you to buy XY, its free to try for 30 days. You are free to decide what suits best for your needs. And here is my review:

After searching through the web for several days and testing several file managers, I found this gem. My first critirea was small memory and small size of the program which XYplorer (formerly TrackerV3) met quite nicely. In this little program I found plethora of possibilties to manage my chaotic files, very user friendly and some of its features are extremely fun to work with. I found this tool highly addictive and this made me buy it finally. But ofcourse you can test ride it for 30 days until you can buy. The forums are extremely friendly and the admin himself attends to all of the wishes and makes sure XY meets your requirements. I highly recommend it to those who like both power and fun in one software.

zridling reviewed v5.80.0015 on Mar 29, 2007

comeoffit, I can't take your criticism seriously because you're the kind of guy who says it's never enough.
— Got FTP? It sux because it doesn't have email!
— Got email? It sux because it doesn't have RSS built-in!
— Got RSS? It sux because it doesn't include a photo editor!
— Got keyboard shortcuts? It sux because there are too many, or all they're customizable!
— Got photo editing? It still sux because I'm too simple to admit I just don't like XYplorer.

The fact that XYplorer has virtually every high-end feature that other file managers have is not enough. The fact that you're too lazy to use FileZilla (it's free) or you're too cheap? to buy any other FTP software is telling. XYplorer was developed as freeware for seven years before I ever came across it. I had registered and LOVED Directory Opus before; still do — it's flawless. But XYplorer was coded far more efficiently, and for my purposes, is highly customizable. All the features you mention I wanted XYplorer already had before I ever used it the first time. So come to the forum, hang out for a while (I check in regularly, but I don't post much), and keep persuading Don Lessau on FTP if you want. Is that all you want? Is that the only deficiency you see in XYplorer? He very well might include it in the next version. But not because you want it, but because he'll want it. He's a lot like Nick Bradbury in his coding of XYplorer, and he knows where's he's taking the app (check the roadmap). If you don't care to do that, then fine, we get it. Trouble is, the vast majority of registered XYplorer users aren't seeing the same need for it.

gbjennings reviewed v5.80.0000 on Mar 9, 2007

Interesting forum. Seems to me that about 95% of this forum was written by two users. For those who are so 'down' on XYplorer, I have only one suggestion and I don't even need to write it here. This application is an absolutely wonderful Windows Explorer replacement and deserves extremely high kudos. I test a lot of software for various authors, and this is the best I have found in this category, everything considered. Sure, there are others that do 'this or that' that XYplorer may not do, but, as I stated, everything considered including 'lack of bloat', this baby is the clear winner in this category. Keep up the great work, Don !

comeoffit reviewed v5.80.0000 on Mar 8, 2007

Yes, zridling, we shall agree to disagree. As usual, any feature you want would be a wonderful addition, but any feature somebody else wants--that you don't see an immediate use for--is "bloat".

And so, when people who spend 11 hours per day in the XYplorer forum clamor for colored tabs and archive support and 317 more keyboard shortcuts and more renaming options, it's all good, dontcha know. But suggest FTP support, and you can almost feel the holes in your wrists and feet.

You use XYplorer for renaming... So can I sarcastically say that "you can't seem to find rename utilities out there"? Nosiree, that's one of those features that belongs, because you want it.

By the way, Donald Lessau's "dry sarcasm" aside, you miss the point. He flatly says that FTP support would be a nice addition, and not a big deal to add. So claiming it would "bloat" the program is nonsense. (Gotta love that pet word you haters cling to.)

It makes me feel better knowing that I'm "arguing" with a guy who often gives a program a rating of 5, followed by a new rating of 1, followed by some other rating--depending on the weather in his town that day, I guess.

zridling reviewed v5.80.0000 on Mar 8, 2007

Works flawlessly in Vista, too. Very nice.

Ralfo reviewed v5.50.0001 on Jan 5, 2007

FYI: The price is at US$ 29.50 since December 1st 2006 and will stay at that for a while. A lifetime low for a lifetime license, if you ask me.
The price displayed on this page should update anytime soon.

bugmenot reviewed v5.50.0001 on Jan 5, 2007

$40 is on the pricey side, but that gets you updates for life which offsets that a little.

gbjennings reviewed v5.50.0001 on Dec 19, 2006

XYplorer is a great explorer replacement - maybe too great. There is a huge difference between 'free' and 'nearly $40', especially if you don't need or want all of XYplorer's added functionality. It would be nice to see a 'lite' or a trimmed down version for the average user, at a much more attractive price. I have tested and priced many of XYplorer's competitors and I belive the price is on the high side, at least for the average to intermediate user. Another word of caution to the author would be 'don't allow 5% of the users dictate 95% of the bloat.' I see a lot of 'wish list items' for XYplorer, and I belive the author is smart enough to not listen to that tiny segment of users who want to add bloat to a fantastic application.

zridling reviewed v5.50.0001 on Dec 18, 2006

Love the latest features in this version. Cross-referenced context menus on toolbar buttons and some dropdown lists are ingeniusly efficient. And the SHIFT+F6 key to refocus the tree saves a mile of scrolling.
________________________________________________
Well comeoffit, even though you never address my points, we'll just have to agree to disagree on the major one: I use XYplorer as my main file manager because it doesn't take a kitchen-sink-suite-approach to its development — which is where your criticism started and ended; that is, you want it to be what it's not, against the direction of where its dev has taken it. That's like trashing a Porsche because you think it should come with a wench attached to the front bumper. If you intend to criticize every app for what it does not intend to build-in as features, then I suspect we'll find you trashing FTP clients because they don't have built in file managers! Let's revisit Donald Lessau's words in their full context, shall we, and read it again, this time unedited:

Ever considered adding FTP support?
"Yes, I have. I would love it! And I can do it, it's easy. It only takes some time. And the users' wishing machine never stops producing nice little ideas so I hardly find time to work on the nice big ideas."

That's called dry sarcasm. You've come this far, now go further: read the rest of the site. Read the Help file intro. Read the main features listed. Read the rest of the forum and study it. Doing what you suggest would simply render XYplorer a copycat of Directory Opus. I also use and love Directory Opus. But if XYplorer becomes DOpus, why bother with XYplorer anymore? (And it even has that elusive FTP client you can't seem to find anywhere else.)

comeoffit reviewed v5.40.0044 on Dec 11, 2006

Wow... Finally, the proof is in: Spending 20 or more hours per day on the internet CAN do strange things to you.

I agree with the mensch below--XYplorer is a file manager. This is why it would be perfectly natural for it to be able to handle files to/from an FTP server. And what's this? The author of XYplorer agrees with me!

hxxp://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?p=3783

User: "Ever considered adding FTP support?"

Author: "Yes, I have. I would love it!"

But, when in doubt, call the other person a "troll", then babble some exaggerated nonsense that doesn't apply to what they said at all.

surrender10 reviewed v5.40.0008 on Nov 12, 2006

After searching for several months for an intuitive file manager, i found this and I am glad i did. It has a whole new way of looking at the files you want to manage. it is a tabbed manager which means you can have multiple folders open at the same time and quickly switch between these tabs and perform all the known file operations effortlessly. for eg, you can simply drag and drop a file onto a tab and it will be copied there. you can assign different behavior to different tabs, like fixed tab, semi-flexible tabs abd super flexible tabs. XYplorer can hide files you dont want to see like for eg. the important system files you are scared of deleting, you can color different filetypes to your liking for eg. images can be red, movies green and documents blue, finding files is extremely easy and powerful eg. it has boolean and regexp feature and also fuzzy logic apart from find by size, date etc., You can preview music, videos, word or excel and almost any kind of file. It has this cool breadcrumb feature, which lets you navigate forward and backward in history. The hotlist maintains a list of hot paths (most recently visited path) for easily jumping around. the favorite panel has all you favorite files, folder or network location which can be renamed and colored and all. The mouse down blow up feature enlarges the images to full screen with one mouse click, a cool tool for managing photos. Ofcourse, i cannot list all the features here. Just give it a try. Its really hard to tell which is more user friendly, the product or the forum. You will simply love this.

zridling reviewed v5.40.0008 on Nov 9, 2006

Great program, despite the usual FileForum trolls who have no idea what they want. I rarely get excited about software, but XYplorer's development and use is one I can't wait to use.

To the troll, I figured viewing files was part and parcel of a file manager. Get Filezilla, OpenOffice, and any number of great programs if you want all that in your file manager. Too lazy to use the command line? Maybe you'd like a font manager thrown in, or how about a registry cleaner, or wait, I got it, an integrated email client, too! XYplorer doesn't pretend to be a tool built to do everything as well as a tool developed specific to that purpose. Just click your heels three times and repeat after me:
It's a file manager...
It's a file manager...
It's a file manager.

bendingspoons reviewed v5.20.0026 on Oct 12, 2006

Very good stuff,and actively developed,very
active as i visit the forums about a dozen times
a day to see the admin has responded to bugs,
issues,requests,etc.It's what i like to see
when i pay money for an app.

comeoffit reviewed v5.10.0020 on Sep 7, 2006

Wow... I thought you were smarter than that, zridling. I said that XYplorer "is in contention for the stupidest software name ever" (tried pronouncing it lately?). That was merely an isolated comment, not any sort of statement as to whether or not I like the application. In fact, I do like it. Stop taking everything so personally.

The locked tab issue was mentioned in the forums recently. I'm talking about a genuine bug, not confusion on my part. Granted, I had it happen a few builds ago, so it may have been fixed by now.

The tree does NOT always update... I've created directories outside of XYplorer, then waited much more than 1.5 seconds, and it didn't show up... So if you're correct that it should, this is indeed another bug.

Regarding the toolbar... Aren't options nice to have? I have a 25" monitor, so I've got a ton of screen space. I like to devote a reasonable portion of it to make life easier, and for me, that means having toolbars that don't require surgical precision to operate.

FTP support would add VERY little size to the application--it is a very simple protocol, and adding it would not be a big deal. I didn't say I wanted a full-blown FTP client feature set with all the bells and whistles, did I? It's funny how all the features YOU like--image viewing, renaming, searching--are all good and acceptable to have, but any feature I find lacking, however small, would be "bloat" if added. What complete nonsense.

zridling reviewed v5.10.0020 on Sep 6, 2006

Wow comeoffit, so I take it don't like XYplorer because you hate the name? Man, what a lame reason (you said it, not me). Hey, I hate anything with the word "fox" in it, but I don't hate Firefox. Seems like your criticisms simply reduce to: "Because XYplorer is not X-Program, I hate XYplorer." You're begging for bloatware, and XYplorer (pronounced "zy-plorer" much like xylophone, duh) will not give you all that kitchen-sink crap. You want FTP? Get the free FileZilla and relax. Why not ask that your file manager include a word processor while your at it, and how about a fax program, would that make you happy? Look Directory Opus does provide users with the whole kitchen sink, and it's a fantastic program. It seems far more suitable to your wishes.

But what you consider quirks, annoyances, and limits are the stuff that bloat is made of. Maybe you like those big fat downloads; I don't. Your anger seems to stem from how XYplorer stacks up directly against Directory Opus — cheaper price, no bloat, and Lifetime licensing. XYplorer is one version removed from freeware, so I don't expect it to be Directory Opus. However, I do expect it to be different from Directory Opus, and that's where XYplorer distinguishes itself, with its creative solutions.

Good point on your drag-n-drop wishes! As for locked tab navigation, if you're saying it unlocks the tab, then I've never had that happen, and I don't find this complaint in the forums either. If you mean that it opens a new tab from a locked tab, then it is supposed to behave that way. You create new tabs by CTRL+T. To close a tab use CTRL+L or the context menu. To keep the number of tabs at some limit simply do not CTRL+T anymore but overwrite the tab you don't use. Otherwise, hit the F7 key, or if you have it set, ALT+Home.

All the default toolbar functions have keyboard shortcuts except for "toggle high tree," but you're the first person I've seen who likes big fat icons that eat up precious screen space. I keep my icons small or nonexistent in favor of keyboard shortcuts in every program that allows it. The tree syncs automatically every 1.5 seconds with or without pressing F4 (and stop lying, it does too). I've had no problems with network places (check out the first two options under the Advanced tab in the Configuration dialog for both these points). Just as you don't like your file manager to be your renamer, I don't want mine to be an FTP program either. I like FileZilla far too much, and again, you're just asking for bloat. If you want the kitchen sink, then ExplorerPlus and Directory Opus are more than willing to accommodate — especially Directory Opus, which is nothing short of fantastic. Moving on, I've never had you're problem with media player focus in XYplorer. It works fine every time on my system. I'll give you the dual pane point, but then XYplorer has never marketed itself as a dual pane file manager, so why would you hold that against it? Besides, the dual pane model is overrated. If you have so few files that you can compare them visually, then you really don't need two panes for that. I'd rather let the program do the work instead. That's like the person wanting his spreadsheet to have broad and perfect word processor functions.

Point is, XYplorer does not take the kitchen-sink approach to file management, leading to an amorphous monster. And that's one of the many things I like about it. So bring more complaints, or heck, even visit the XYplorer forum and throw down some smack fu. The developer, Donald Lessau, can give and take with anyone, but more than anything, he's responsive, active, and is continuously improving the program.

comeoffit reviewed v5.10.0004 on Sep 4, 2006

Give me a break, Zaine... XYplorer (which is in contention for the stupidest software name ever) is no replacement for dedicated file renamers or image viewers. I do like XYplorer's preview and other such features, but it doesn't replace full-blown viewers. (And it isn't meant to.)

I used XYplorer for quite a long time... I really wanted it to work. But I never felt really comfortable with it. There are too many annoyances, too many quirks, too many limitations.

For example, if you drag-and-drop file(s) outside of XYplorer, you get no "Create shortcut(s) here" menu item. It irritates the hell out of me each time this happens to me, or every time I realize I need to work around it. (The author admits he can't figure this problem out.)

The program navigates away from "locked" tabs for no apparent reason... Users have mentioned this in the forum.

The toolbar buttons are tiny and cannot be changed in size.

The tree is constantly getting out of sync with the details list, and for that matter, the actual current state of the file system. You have to constantly hover your finger of the F4 button.

The "My Network Places" support is buggy and limited. There is no FTP support at all.

When you have a viewer program in focus (i.e. a media player window), then click on a file in XYplorer to drag it to the viewer, XYplorer grabs focus, forcing you to Alt+Tab. Explorer (and some third-party file managers) avoid this annoying habit, and allow you to drag-and-drop without Alt+Tabbing.

You can't use a dual horizontal pane format with XYplorer--the author flatly refuses to implement this. (Wow, great for him, but I happen to like using dual pane horizontal layouts sometimes.)

I could go on and on and on...

zridling reviewed v5.10.0004 on Aug 28, 2006

Pretty amazing tool. In the right-click context menu you can click-n-drag folder to copy just the folder structure itself and not their contents. Lots of great ideas in XYplorer.

zridling reviewed v5.00.0120 Beta on Aug 8, 2006

I'm glad you mentioned Directory Opus, which is the gold standard among file managers, but that doesn't detract from XYplorer's excellence in any way. I know because I've been a registered Directory Opus user for years, and I love the program. For example, compare Directory Opus's 7.76M size with XYplorer's 751K, that XYplorer writes nothing to the registry and is completely portable. XYplorer costs about half what Directory Opus does. In Directory Opus you can create shortcuts to folders and files on the toolbar and assign them keyboard shortcuts, too. XYplorer, on the other hand, has a nifty feature that catalogs both files and folders according to your needs — most often opened, recently opened, categorized in projects, and so on — and you get to name the catalog categories, even color them for distinction and provide tooltip descriptions. And this catalog window conveniently is toggled by a keyboard shortcut (F8), just like the file viewer/info panel (F12). XYplorer is marketed as a "Business Class File Manager" which signifies its target: the power user, the admin, the field tech, or anyone who spends their day accessing a wide variety of files rather than futzing around, wasting time. More importantly, XYplorer allows you to discard a full subset of utilities from file renamers to image viewers to file search apps. Don't believe me? Compare the file search capabilities between XYplorer and Directory Opus. Directory Opus is fantastic. But spend some time with XYplorer and its many unique ideas, and you'll have one reaction: Wow!

You get the picture. Now go check it out for yourself. Here's my own screenshots.

dejavu reviewed v5.00.0067 Beta on Jul 28, 2006

I use the last freeware version 4.40.0082! Thanks to Author for this excellent software!

zridling reviewed v5.00.0067 Beta on Jul 28, 2006

XYplorer does have a number of distinct advantages over other file manager/Explorer replacements: (1) it is superfast and highly configurable, being able to save and instantly access any number of your configurations, even create keyboard shortcuts to each different one if you want; (2) it's loaded with keyboard shortcuts and a customizable toolbar, making navigation efficient; (3) XYplorer's find/search feature is as good as any 3rd party file find app. In fact, it was designed around its extensive search features; (4) like ExplorerPlus and Directory Opus, it has a file viewer; (5) XYplorer has a neat folder size and line number feature, letting you know that info on the fly; finally (6) XYplorer has shortcuts to system folders and applets throughout Windows.

On the short side: (a) it lacks a true list view, at least one that wraps within the window; (b) the file preview keyboard shortcut does not toggle the preview on and off, and you must reset the previous layout view using F12, or toggle it using F12; (c) there's no keyboard shortcut for the inverted selection of files, nor one to simply switch back and forth between two drives (though tabs and catalogs can easily perform this function); (d) there is no file delete without confirmation, which is particularly annoying.

I could go on about this app and how nice it is, but the website does a better job. Peruse the forum and see how responsive the developer has been over the history of the app. Overall, it's undeniably impressive. Add customizable keyboard shortcuts and a wrapped list view and XYplorer will be a killer app.
______________________
On the shareware issue, lots of freeware apps eventually become shareware after they mature, usually after version 2.0. And that makes sense. If the developer is going to continue working on it, it should be worth their while. None of us have unlimited time and resources to devote to a single project without some reward. As mentioned below, XYplorer does come with a Lifetime License.

Zerbe reviewed v5.00.0067 Beta on Jul 28, 2006

Great alternative to Explorer.

I can understand the free to pay, people have to make a living somehow. Of course I appreciate an open source or free program as much as the next guy, but I dont mind giving a donation to even a free program if its good to see the continued development of it.

If you dont like the fact that you have to pay for it, use something else or use the older free for personal use version that you can get here.

http://www.xyplorer.com/xyfc/viewtopic.php?t=611

I would hate to see you when something really important goes bad...this is just a program.

dcarter reviewed v5.00.0067 Beta on Jul 28, 2006

A good, though not great, file manager. Very stable and certainly beter than explorer! PRICE IS NOT $ 24.95 as indicated here, but actually $ 37.95 ! Get Turbo Commander instead....

stopbuggingme reviewed v5.00.0037 Beta on Jul 5, 2006

Ya, that's right!
You can't give a rating of one just because is not free! But you can do it because it was free and after all the help, suprize! Shareware! A, and because he change the beautiful name!

zridling reviewed v5.00.0037 Beta on Jul 5, 2006

Good point Justin. I give it a 5-rating just to counterbalance that unfair vote.

JustinF reviewed v4.60.0000 on Apr 10, 2006

Wow, I can't believe someone would give an application a 1-rating simply because it's not free. That's absolutely ridiculous.

This file manager has a ton of features; features that are very useful and unique. The author is constantly putting out new builds that introduce new features and fix bugs. I always make sure to check for the latest beta in the forum.

I saw a reference in another review to Directory Opus. I'd like to point out that XYplorer's license is a lifetime license, whereas Directory Opus's isn't (they only give you a discounted rate when upgrading major versions). Plus XYplorer is about half the cost of Directory Opus. XYplorer is a must for anyone who finds that Windows Explorer is lacking.

darthbeads reviewed v4.50.0018 on Mar 14, 2006

From the author's website:

"NOTE

The free home license will be discontinued at 21-Mar-2006, which happens to be the beginning of spring! Hence the Winter Special campaign comes to an end, and the price per professional license will rise to €29.95 ($36) per copy. "

krgood reviewed v4.40.0082 on Mar 7, 2006

"free for personal use" is now a thing of the past. Author has decided to up the registration price and terminate the fee access. This will definatly reshape his customer base. Now he will have to ensure the bugs and are addressed and fixed on a timely basis or risk loosing customers. DirOpus is a good alternative now that this program is no longer freeware. If you are going to pay, make sure it is worth your money!

httpd.confused reviewed v4.20.0025 on Nov 6, 2005

This is quite a nice file manager, especially considering that it's free for home use.

I wish it supported dual panes. I know the author doesn't believe in dual panes, but that's nonsense.

I'm also hoping that the toolbar will be configurable in a future release...

Overall, though, very nice.

hkm reviewed v4.00.0156 on Sep 8, 2005

Excellent, just excellent! Be sure to go to homesite for download of latest BETA, which installs over current version & doesn't change your personalized settings [INI file].

GravityFX3 reviewed v4.00.0129 on Aug 2, 2005

This is must have for every admin or power user! I like it, it has a lot of usefull function that windows explorer does not. All I can say is good job! Now even better than older version, it has tabs for looking true folders a lot faster. It's still takes about 10mb of the memory, but what the heck!

anomoly reviewed v4.00.0120 Beta on Jun 12, 2005

has some nice touches like when hilighting text file contents are automatically read in lower pane. But, the thumbnail view is waaay too slow. Irfanview loaded all the large hq tnails for 975 items in approx 35-40 secs on my pc, where this one acted like it was learning how to count and could have taken 10 mins or more. I'll stick with directory opus

krgood reviewed v4.00.0120 Beta on Jun 11, 2005

Interesting application, however the thumbnail viewer is very limited. I could display any of my digital pictures, even at the max settings. I has some interesting features...and it is free...!