Replace Windows File Explorer With Something Better

Should you be using an alternative to Windows File Explorer?

▼ Time Stamps: ▼
0:00 - Intro
1:54 - A Few Feature Examples
2:43 - Bottom Left Toolbar
3:56 - Customizing Toolbars
5:09 - Bottom Right Toolbar
5:28 - Status Bar
6:09 - Top Right Toolbars
7:18 - Top Left Menus & Tools
8:19 - Main Window, "Lister"
9:23 - Preferences Window
10:01 - Getting Directory Opus set up like mine
10:40 - Final Thoughts & Alternatives

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[switche]

I’m a video editor and the tab groups look life changing. I’m getting this ASAP!

[MichaelStrother]

This was great. I've been using Directory Opus for years, and while I knew I wasn't scratching the surface on how I could utilize it, this has opened my eyes to new possibilities with real-world examples.

[GYTCommnts]

Total Commander deserves praise too, I think. Very powerful. And for nostalgia: Far Manager. An open source Norton Commander clone for modern systems. I've been using others for specific functions, but I always have the classic Windows File Manager at hand, because handling certain type of folders could lead to errors. But other times is the Windows FM that end in errors. Other thing to consider alternative tools for copying files, like was the old but gold "Ultracopier", that gave you control of the file operations speed and other very useful settings that should be in Windows as "advanced settings", that nowadays seems like just a dream and the System is getting dumber and less customizable.

[_SJ]

10:01 - 10:04 - I like it everytime you do this. Connecting with your audience after a long presentation 👍🏻

[vgamesx]

This is what the built-in file explorer should have been like 10 years ago, would it really be that much work for a multi-billion dollar company to add stuff like tabs and a dual-view?

[clndenst]

Director Opus is incredibly powerful. Some of my most favourite features are Rename and Search in combination with “regular expressions”. The built-in picture viewer can also work with colour management profiles. Oh, and you can customize your own colour schemes or create a whole new look. Work with database and archive collection with 3rd party plugins… Possibilities are almost endless. BTW, the extremely detailed Help documentation is also invaluable.

[GeorgiosXenakis]

Directory opus was the best file manager on the Amiga era ❤
For norton commander lovers there is also the total commander which is my personal choice for windows os.

[michaelsteinbach]

Maybe customize the "Get Sizes" function to always list folder sizes, but if it takes longer that 5 or 10 seconds, leave it blank unless you call the function.

[arg]

I've been using Directory Opus since 2004 and I love it. The customization is insane! I've customized Opus by quite a bit, but even after all this time, I have barely scratched the surface of this file manager's capabilities. I enjoy using the synchronization feature that allows me to easily backup files to my backup drives.

[smft]

Bro I’ve been watching you for almost 7 years and I have learned so much. I haven’t even seen this video but I know I’m gonna use directory opus now lol

[_SJ]

Ctrl + Shift + T is ❤️ I learned it on your Dec. 5, 2019 video (20 Keyboard Shortcuts You're A Moron for Not Using). It's my life saver at work ever since.

[bejarano]

Directory Opus is great but Total Commander (originally Windows Commander) is equally good in many ways. I've been using it for decades and can't imagine using Windows without it.

[glockguy]

Wow. That brings back some memories. I've been a Linux admin/user for about 25 years now (where I have almost all of the DOpus functionality you showcase here, under KDE/Plasma and Dolphin), but I used to write DOpus scripts in my Amiga days in the early 90's.

[Jmcgee]

The breaking point in the Windows file explorer for me wasn't the layout hitches, nor the fact that flac/ogg files brought it to a screeching halt (half a minute for 5 items, on a gen 4 NVMe SSD), it was when it started to completely freeze because it could not properly parse the thumbnails on video files (requiring manually deleting administrator-protected cache files and rebooting). How does Microsoft do it?

This looks pretty good, I'll check it out.

[MrFairhill]

I think I've been using Directory Opus for ten years now. What I love the most about it is the Content Folder Types. I work in radio and browse a lot of music folders. It's excellent to have the lister show me metadata about the music files by default, and not to mention have it have the lister layout stay consistent. One problem with the regular File Explorer is that in case one of the folders with music have a picture, it defaults to a thumbnail view. I also like the feature of having the folder sizes showing up on hover. Directory Opus is one of the few programs I always install and I also one of the first programs I bought a license for.

[joe-skeen]

This is one of your most useful tutorials yet. I like the way you have customized your file explorer and now want to find a more fully featured file explorer in Linux.

[mrfoameruk]

I've been using Total Commander, and even windows commander before that so must be at least 20 years. I use it daily and it does everything I want it to. I don't really know how to use Window's own system as I just use total commander all the time. Easy to use and does the job.
I've tried a lot of the others like DOPUS but end up going back to total commander every time.

[hollow_ego]

That is an amazing recommendation!
I spent the last hours installing and configuring it and will evaluate it at work too.
Already added a custom button to open the current folder in VSCode since I keep forgetting the command for that

[GreigShelob]

Sees title of video, hopes Directory Opus is at least mentioned. Immediately happy! I've been using it since version 4 on the Amiga.

[dorislois]

This just validated me. Been using Opus for many years now but I would every now and then check out other file explorers just to see if I've been missing out on something. Still, so far, nothing can replace it for me. While mine is now so customized it's unrecognizable from the default settings, I still haven't tapped into all of its features. BUT you don't have to (and don't be overwhelmed by its tons of offerings). What makes Opus great is that when there's something you want to do or have that isn't there, just dive down into its options and you'll likely find a solution under its hood. And you can save every configuration so you don't have to redo it every time. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want. It's like readily having a set of tools (or different toolboxes) when you need it, for whatever task. In other words, spend some minutes, hours, or a day customizing it, then just let it grow to fit your needs. Rich and powerful, once you've tried Opus, you'll realize things can be a lot easier and better, especially if you're a power user.