Downloads

Most users are fine with using Windows Explorer for copying and managing files--but for those who want a bit more power, there's a small but persistent market for alternatives such as XYplorer. XYplorer offers handy features such as the ability to affix the date or data modified to the name of copied files, the ability to create lists of favorite locations, and advanced file filtering. It also provides direct access to the Windows Control Panel, Recycle Bin, etc. as well as the usual options found in Explorer windows. And it's similar enough to Windows Explorer that even novices can get up to speed in no time. The GUI overall is friendly, and I liked the tabbed browsing (new windows open as tabs as with modern Web browsers) though the wealth of options can be a bit overwhelming.

Where XYplorer starts earning its keep is with its preview pane. This nifty feature lets you view or listen to a number of common image, audio, and video formats. In my testing the program handled jpeg, BMP, GIF, both compressed and uncompressed tiff files, Photoshop .psd, targa .tga, and .png image files (though not scitex or .eps images). It also played AVI, MPEG-1, Xvid, Divx and any other type of video with a DirectShow filter installed. Audio file support included MP3, AAC, 16/24 bit 44.1kHz, 16/24 bit 48kHz, 16/32-bit 96kHz wave files, Ogg, and mp4; however, the program didn't recognize FLAC, Apple, or Ape lossless types or oddball 64kHz or 88kHz wave files--omissions that will affect few users. XYplorer has audio/video transport controls, albeit unintuitive ones--right-click over the progress bar to seek and shift+click to rewind.

Possibly XYplorer's best feature, however, is its catalog. Define a category, e.g. Music, then drag all the folders containing music (nothing is copied) to that category. The result is a custom tree that allows you to quickly navigate to your most commonly visited folders or files. My only complaint about this extremely helpful feature is mild: I'd like to see sub-items indented further.

XYplorer is portable, meaning you can install it on a thumb drive and carry it with you to use on any PC. However, to use it when you boot from a Windows PE CD such as Bart's PE, Norton Ghost, or the Active @ boot disc you'll need to copy msvbvm60.dll from \Windows\System32 to the directory you installed XYplorer to. The upcoming version 7 adds scripting to the mix, which you may check out at the Web site in the Beta Club.

--Jon L. Jacobi