FreeCommander 2009.02a

To let you access all the data stored on your computer – like files and folders – the Microsoft developed operating system comes with Windows Explorer. Thanks to Windows Explorer you can browse through all the data you’ve amounted over time. The catch is that Windows Explorer, good as it may be, is somewhat limited. There are other file managers out there that can do a better job of letting you keep track of all your stuff.

Take FreeCommander for example. It comes with all the bells and whistles Windows Explorer provides – and it takes things one step further by providing an extra level of functionality. There are things like dual-panel view, tabbed interface, tree view, file splitting, DOS command line, multilanguage support and more.

What I personally liked was the built-in file viewer. When you locate a file, you can preview its contents thanks to the file viewer – this includes hex, binary, text or image format. The file viewer can even look inside archives and tell you what’s in there. And speaking of archives, FreeCommander provides built-in archive support – Zip, CAB and RAR.

If you are sick and tired of Windows Explorer, why not give FreeCommander a shot? You do not need to stick with Windows Explorer, the default file management application the operating system provides, just because it comes built into Windows. Downloading the FreeCommander software will take but a second since the software weighs in at a little over 2MB. Once downloaded onto your computer, you need only go through a swift installation process and you’re ready to go. Once installed, you can copy the installation directory onto a portable storage device (like an USB stick) and take it with you anywhere you want to go.

The name is a big clue, but I am going to say it anyway: you can use FreeCommander at no cost whatsoever.

Pros

• Free of charge
• Good alternative to Windows Explorer
• Numerous built-in features
• Built-in file viewer
• Portable

Cons

• Novice users could take some time to get accustomed to the user interface

FreeCommander has been reviewed by George Norman on 23 Feb 2010. Based on the user interface, features and complexity, Findmysoft has rated FreeCommander 5 out of 5 stars, naming it Essential