History of Total Commander file manager
First of all, let's plunge a little into the history of the creation and development of this file manager, and see how from such initially not very pretty manager appeared such a brilliant solution. In general, the idea of a two-window version was implemented almost at the dawn of the era of computers. Probably, some of the readers still remember Norton Commander, which was for many a window into the file world of Dos. Namely from this file manager, all programs, games and other things were opened as well as files were copied, deleted, replaced, and moved by the users those days. The two-window mode of operation was very convenient and did not require the use of a mouse to perform various operations, since the corresponding hotkeys were assigned for this.
Do you know why Total Commander evokes so many enthusiastic feedback from those users who could understand it? The answer is simple, it allows you to save time on routine operations (we most often save, copy, delete or move objects or folders on a computer) and besides, it makes it possible in two clicks to do what you could only dream of, seeing the powerlessness of File Explorer when dealing with dozens of tasks.
What is Total Commander or formerly Windows Commander?
So, the first release of the Total Commander file manager was released back in 1993. Then the program had another name, namely Windows Commander. The developer of this application is the Swiss programmer Christian Giesler, who is updating the program to this day. Since 2002, the file manager has been renamed to the name we know today – Total Commander. In addition to performing the usual actions with various files and folders, starting from version 4, new opportunities became available to the user – installing plugins and changing the program interface. And for more than three decades now, it has very firmly taken a leading position in its niche.
During this time, a lot of Total Commander alternatives and clones of the app appeared (it is worth mentioning the fact that among which there are many free distributions), which were no worse, and in some places even better than the original, but due to the reasons given below, the original is still ideal for many.
Mainly, it is determined by the power of habit, however, the main factor of such vitality was the presence of a huge number of plugins/add-ons for the file manager, which allow you to implement an unimaginably wide range of tasks using Total Commander file manager. Besides that, both newbies and incredibly smart programmers will find something interesting for themselves among the plugins.
What is Total Commander used for?
Total Commander literally means that you get “total control” or “complete control”. This is the essence of the Total Commander file manager – it is needed to manage the file system of various devices. For example, you can control your computer, or removable media, or even use an application to upload files to a remote server. It cannot be said that without this program your computer will disappear, but with Total Commander, it will be much easier and more convenient to perform various operations.
Many people use this particular program, and not the standard Windows Explorer because by default the computer takes a long time to perform operations, and Total Commander works quickly. You can copy, move, rename, cut, and paste almost instantly any files that you have access to. Your computer will quickly turn into an orderly system along with the Total Commander file manager. And although at first, it may seem to you that using the manager is not very convenient, over time you will get used to it, and you will understand that there are many advantages in it.
Total Commander file manager features
Wondering what the program can do? Let's talk about the main functions of Total Commander:
- Convenient utility interface for users. The Total Commander file manager’s control panel is divided into two windows, which makes it convenient to work in it.
- The program has the ability to view any files. To do this, press the "F5" key.
- It can cut and collect so-called "heavy files".
- Knows how to pack files into an archive and unpack them. Supports such formats as ZIP, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, TAR, LZH, ACE, 7zip, and many others.
- Multi-tasking file search engine that includes text search in any file, including multiple disks and FTP; search for copies of files; search within archives is organized; search by matching text in a file.
- Built-in file browser to view files of any size in binary, hexadecimal, or text format using various encodings including "DOS", "ANSI" / "Windows", Unicode, UTF-8, and others; the ability to use a large number of different editors.
- Total Commander can be configured at your discretion, there are many settings, names but a few.
- Many key combinations (so-called hotkeys) for editing, viewing, copying, and deleting files (full keyboard control without using a mouse has been initialized).
- Sorts files on the computer.
- Renames files and folders in groups, deletes files, creates directories. Moves files from one drive to another, for example, from drive C to drive D.
- Knows how to synchronize directories of files and folders.
In addition, the Total Commander file manager can connect to an FTP server, which allows you to connect your computer and the hosting site. Of course, these are not all the features of the program. We went through only at the ones that are often used by users.
What are the disadvantages of Total Commander file manager
As a rule, there is no such thing as an ideal application and Total Commander is not an exception. So let’s check its negative sides:
- Constant pop-up demand for an unregistered version about the need to pay for it.
- Supports work only with Windows or Android operating systems.
As you can see, Total Commander is a multifunctional file manager designed to satisfy the requests of almost any user. The functionality of the program can be expanded even more with the help of constantly updated plugins.
