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Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 25.01.2017, 07:33
by saurabhdua
Hello There!

Iam a newbie & would like inquire that why would one like to have an alternate file manager ever!?

I have gone through the description on the webpage & FAQ as well but unable to figure out the real motive/relevance of having an alternate file manager?

The Screenshots available on the website portrays only a 'Cluttered' view to me!?

Why would one shun the default File-Manager to add an another Program for an Involuntary exercise of file access, navigation etc.

Iam really Confused...please help clear this dilemma!

Thank you.

Re: Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 25.01.2017, 13:43
by joby_toss
In my case, I like to complicate things. Where's the fun in "simple"?

In your case there's no dilemma, you simply shouldn't use an alternate file manager.

Re: Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 25.01.2017, 15:21
by saurabhdua
Hello Folks!

Please help me gain an Insight into the Psyche of using an alternate file-manager other than Windows explorer?

What windows explorer or file-manager is "not" able to achieve for which Free Commander fills the void?

This is a genuine query & no hoax!

Please help me gain an insight.

Thanks.

Re: Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 25.01.2017, 19:26
by Timon
Forgive me, but Windows explorer was designed for dummies.

Windows explorer has one panel technology, has no folder tabs support, has no built-in archive handling except ZIP format, has no plugin support for other archive formats like (RAR, 7z, disk images like ISO, …), has no SFX archive format handling (browsing/viewing files inside .exe files without unpacking their content), has no support for additional packing options like encryption, packing files by different mask types, moving files to archive after packing, creating 1 archive per file, has no search in archives, has no search with regular expressions, has no search in paths from opened tabs only, has no exclude search, has no structureless view for files and folders, has no multi rename tool, has no folder comparison or synchronization, has no external programs support for file operations, has no queue, ...
Windows explorer almost has nothing, because it was designed for basic opreations, not for experts. Also, Windows explorer is improved only in one case, if you change your operating system to a newer version.

As joby_toss already wrote, if you don't need all listed above, or you don't know why you should use such options, you'd better shouldn't use ANY alternate file manager, because the use of such complicated tool without proper knowledge can lead to tragic consequences or even data loss.

Detailed description about main options you can find in help file or online help.

P.S. The only analogy that I can find in this case - why do you need text editor like Microsoft Office Word, if Windows already has such built-in text editors like Notepad or even Wordpad. You can read, print, edit most text documents in Notepad or Wordpad, but if you want to do something more complicated, you need to use or buy more powerful tool.
Or why should you buy Photoshop? Windows has internal Paint.

Re: Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 28.01.2017, 18:59
by saurabhdua
Thanks Timon for a 'deluge' of reply! :?

I admit that most of the things quoted in your reply went over my Head & I reiterate that the first glimpse of FreeCommander does represent a 'more cluttered' view of otherwise - involuntary exercise of navigation & file access.

Nevertheless, I appreciate your time & would try to familiarize with this 'other planet' kind of thing as per my convenience.

Thank you. :-)

Re: Why would one need an alternate File manager?

Posted: 24.02.2017, 12:50
by leonardoa
Hi, Timon has already detailed a vast no of expert features of the tool.

But for me there are several common tasks that I need to do that Windows file manger (FM) simply can't do, or do it quickly or simply. These being:

-renaming a batch of files
-correcting timstamps on photos
-searching for files and file contents.
-dual-pane view of folders.

Photography is my hobby and after shooting a bunch of photos I want to rename them based on the filing system I developed for myself and with FC, I can simply select multiple files, hit F2 and rename all the photos based on a simple matching pattern. No such features exist in Windows FM.

There have been times when I've taken a bunch of photos on vacation and forgot to set the local time correctly, so even though I took the photos during the morning, the timestamps on the photos would be wrong by -8 or +6 hrs. With FC, I can simply select all those photos and edit the Created timestamp.

Also, I found searching for files with FC much quicker than with FM. You can try it yourself and see. On top of that, with FC, you can search for file contents, i.e. if you don't remember what the file is called but you know that the file contains a piece of text called 'I wandered lonely as a cloud', you can let FC to look for files that contain that text.

But for simple tasks, like copying files between folders then I would still use the FM, but most of them FC is the one I have it opened all the time on my computer, because everything happens within the single application window, and I can see 2 folders side by side. Whereas with FM I ended up opening multiple windows of FM and then having to resize and move so they fit properly on the screen and to see the contents of multiple folders side by side.

That's just the way I use FC and why I use it. You might not be interested in doing those tasks, in which case you've no need for something like FC.