How to add functionality to the Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer is a basic file manager with severe limitations that make it rather painful to perform some operations using it – you know what I mean if you ever tried to compare two directories using it for example. DMEXBar steps in and adds lots of functionality to the windows explorer by appending a toolbar to it. Once installed a toolbar should be automatically added to every windows explorer window, moving the mouse over one of the buttons in the menu displays a short information about that button.

With DMEXBar installed you can do the following by pressing a button:

• Arrange Two Windows Explorer windows to be aligned side by side horizontally or vertically
• Synchronize files and folders between those two windows, copy files using shortcuts
• Display the space used by directories
• Tile all open explorer windows on screen

• Display the path of the current window with the option to jump to any directory of that path at once by clicking on it.
• Use wildcards to select files
• Rename files, change attributes of selected files
• Substitute directories as drives using subst command

That is only some of the functionality. You can add tools that you use the most to a menu making it easier to start them – the default setting contains only a shortcut to the command line of windows but you are free to add links to other programs.

Another nice feature is the ability to add sort of favorite folders to DMEXBar. You can then open those folders from every window that is currently open without the need to either create shortcuts to it or navigate manually to the folder.

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Author: Martin Brinkmann, Thursday November 2, 2006 -
Tags:dmexbar, microsoft-windows, Windows, windows software, windows-explorer

Responses so far:

1. Oliver Alexander says:

   November 2, 2006 at 1:34 pm

   The better solution ist still to replace Explorer completely as Filemanager. DOpus as indeed fabulous, extremly sophisticated, but quite expensive program comes to mind. Powerdesk is far cheaper, but does the job for most.

   Freewarefans might want to check out xplorer2.

   Don’t doctor around – replace!

   Reply