[TOOL] Explorer/FileManager Replacement for Windows 10 x64

[adamba]

also a big TY from my side, for this little but effective helper

Not sure is this is the perfectly fitting thread, but I was wondering, if there actually is a way to use FC in saving/opening dialogues (like: "save as...") instead of the standard windows explorer-like thingy?
Getting more and more annoyed by the standard Windows implementation since actual harddrive letters got disguised by Microsoft

[gggirlgeek]

Thank you very much!

I set it up yesterday and it works great, even with the portable version on a different drive. (I was surprised about that. Normally Windows 10 prevents wide systemic changes that don't come from Windows internal folders.) Just make sure you change the paths in the .config and .reg file before double clicking the reg file. Notice that the files specified in each are different: The .config file refers to Freecommander.exe and the .reg file refers to FC_CP_Explorer_Wrapper.exe. Change the path correctly.

Also, notice I am not referring to the Portableapps .paf version, just the regular .zip version of FreecommanderXE that keeps its settings in its own launch folder. The portableapps version has a different executable, FreecommanderPortable.exe, that may or may not work with this little helper application. I don't know.

FYI: I am on:
Win10 Pro 2004 as Administrator
FreecommanderXE_x64 845 for Donors in portable mode

[gggirlgeek]

also a big TY from my side, for this little but effective helper

Not sure is this is the perfectly fitting thread, but I was wondering, if there actually is a way to use FC in saving/opening dialogues (like: "save as...") instead of the standard windows explorer-like thingy?
Getting more and more annoyed by the standard Windows implementation since actual harddrive letters got disguised by Microsoft

I don't know of a way to use FC for Save-As... dialogues but I do know a couple of tweaks to get Windows to show drive letters in a more obvious way. Here is a tweak to show drive letters first. It will also work for drives in FreeCommander.

Also if you go into Explorer's Folder Options you can untick the option to "Show All Folders" in the Navigation Pane. This will get rid of some of the crud and make it easier to see your drives in the Tree when you expand "This PC/My Computer."

[GauravKadyan]

Thanks for the awesome script. Whenever I download FC, I always download your script too.

Unfortunately, I can't get it to open new tab in the current instance. What I found was if I run it like FC.exe /C /T path, then it doesn't open in new tab of current instance. But, if I run it like FC.exe /C path /T or FC.exe /T path /C, then it opens in new tab of current instance. Is there a way to configure .reg file or .config file so that the arguments can be sent like this?

[Murfski]

Is there any way you could post a link to the zip file without all the ZipExtractor hoohah? I try to avoid any contact with Google, and I don't want to have to get a gmail account to download your files. I'd just like to download the zip file to my PC and go from there.

Vielen Dank fuer die Hilfe.

[horst.epp]

Is there any way you could post a link to the zip file without all the ZipExtractor hoohah? I try to avoid any contact with Google, and I don't want to have to get a gmail account to download your files. I'd just like to download the zip file to my PC and go from there.

Vielen Dank fuer die Hilfe.

There is no need for a google account to use the download link.
And Google isn't the devil which will harm you by just downloading a file from a Google server.

[Forez]

The tool seems to be working like a charm in Build 894 64-bit Donor Portable on Windows 10 Enterprise 20H2 x64 - so thank you very much for creating this wrapper


But if I may: I would suggest changing the

Öffnen mit FreeCommander

to

Open in FreeCommander

in the Folder_Shell_fc_cp_explorer_wrapper.reg file

[Forez]

The tool seems to be working like a charm in Build 894 64-bit Donor Portable on Windows 10 Enterprise 20H2 x64
[...]

Except I have now noticed two issues:


#1] In qBittorrent [4.5.4 x64 - https://www.qbittorrent.org/download] when I right click in it on an item of a torrent and select for it from the menu the Open destination folder entry then I do get in opened in FC - but without selected item. So I then have to manually navigate to that single item. The default behavior of Windows Explorer is to open such folder or its sub-folder with the item selected in qBittorent being selected also in WE. [This was also the default behavior with uTorrent]

My FreeCommander Control Panel Explorer Wrapper.exe.config file has this in it

Code: Select all

    <userSettings>
        <FC_CP_Explorer_Wrapper.Properties.Settings>
            <setting name="Additional_Params" serializeAs="String">
                <value>/T /L=</value>
            </setting>

and for comparison in Everything [1.5.0.1355a x64 - https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtop ... =12&t=9787] under both the

Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Explore Path

and

Tools > Options > General > Context Menu > Open Path

I have

Code: Select all

$exec("C:\q\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="%1")

which makes the location of selected item being opened with it being automatically selected



#2] Opened paths have all words written in lower case, no matter how the folders are really written- including the letter of volume

In order for a folder to reveal its true name [i.e. showing lower case only where it is really used] I have to go up - up to the This PC, in order to see capital letters being used for showing volumes

[Psycan]

Can anyone help me with this?

When I try this for Windows 11, importing the reg file, it imports fine, but when I click on a folder, I get an Error message APPLICATION NOT FOUND. or I get:
"This file does not have an app associated with it for perorming this action. Please install an app or create an association in the Default Apps settings page. " - which i see no way to do.


Using the Defauft reg, does reactivate the Windows File Explorer.

I do not have enough knowledge to troubleshoot this myself.
Can any one point me to the remedy?
Using: FreeCommander XE 2023 Build 880 64-bit donor

Here is the reg file I am using. (Note: the original German did not work either.)
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell]
@="FreeCommander"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\FreeCommander]
@="Open with Freecommander"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\FreeCommander\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\FreeCommander XE\\fc_cp_explorer_wrapper.exe\" \"%1\""

I also tried altering it to where my Freecommander is actually located in Programs x86 folder, but no change in result
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell]
@="FreeCommander"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\FreeCommander]
@="Open with FreeCommander"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Folder\shell\FreeCommander\command]
@="\"C:\Program Files (86)\FreeCommander XE\fc_cp_explorer_wrapper.exe" - with and without the \"%1\""

Mycal @ psycan@gmail.com

[Forez]

The tool seems to be working like a charm in Build 894 64-bit Donor Portable on Windows 10 Enterprise 20H2 x64
[...]

Except I have now noticed two issues:
[...]

And also a third one:

3] When I am in a Windows Explorer window and go deeper to some sub-folder then it is FreeCommander that opens it. Thus if I need to for whatever reason use WE instead of FC, I am forced to use the Open command from the shell menu- which is both time consuming and annoying when trying to navigate through multiple folders

The information from Readme.txt file stipulates

This small EXE written in .NET handles all clicked/opened folders from windows (incl. control panel links).
It checks if opened path is a clsid (guid = special windows folder like control panel elements).
All clsid's will be opened with explorer all other with FreeCommander.

So does this mean that the behavior I have described is intended - or am I experiencing some glitch?

[Forez]

[...]
And also a third one:
[...]
So does this mean that the behavior I have described is intended - or am I experiencing some glitch?

As I understand it now, that behavior is intended


As for the two previously reported issues in https://freecommander.com/forum/viewtop ... =30#p41732, unless someone picks this wole Wrapper project up they will remain unresolved - because as user pOpY has recently informed it will not be continued by [you guest it] pOpY


Although [as I have already thought up this] maybe that first issue of mine could be dealt with a proper reworking of the

Code: Select all

<value>/T /L=</value>

line of my config, so that a selection / focus would be applied to an item that has been selected in qBittorrent? After all [as already stipulated it] in Everything similar parameters

Code: Select all

$exec("C:\q\FreeCommander\FreeCommander.exe" /T /L="%1")

do the trick? But I did try changing this to

Code: Select all

<value>/T /L="%1"</value>

but I still get the destination path opened without an item being highlighted

[stephen147]

This didn't work for me in Windows 11 (latest build as of this date), but I've uploaded a .reg file in the .zip file below that should work.

Here's my version of windows (Tested in my Windows version shown):

What to do and what this .reg file does:

1. Unzip and edit the file 'Set File Manager as FreeCommader.reg' and change the path of your FC in this file.
2. Save the file.
3. Create a restore point just in case before merging this .reg file.
4. Click on the 'Set Default to FreeCommander.reg' file to merge it with the registry.
5. FC is now the default.
6. This completely replaces File Explorer as the default.
7. You even get this when you right-click on a folder.

   

   RMB on folder.png (6.99 KiB) Viewed 242 times

8. Works for portable builds.

To revert back to File Explorer as the default:

1. Just click on the 'Set Default (Revert) to File Explorer.reg' file and merge this with the registry. File Explorer should be back as your main app for opening folders.

Not sure if there's a way to prevent the same tab from opening to prevent duplicates. Perhaps there's a command line parameter I missed.


Please make a backup of your registry or do a system restore point beforehand, just in case.