In addition to that, it also helps you manage your storage devices, network locations, cloud services, and even FTP servers. The right file manager software not only makes these tasks easier but also increases your productivity by making your digital life more organized. It’s like having a well-organized filing cabinet where you know exactly where everything is stored, saving you the time and frustration of hunting down lost or misplaced files.

Windows Explorer vs. Third-Party File Manager Software

Windows Explorer is the default file manager on Windows operating systems. While it provides basic file management functionality, many users find its features limited. For instance, it doesn’t offer dual pane views or tabbed browsing, which can make managing your files more efficient. It also lacks advanced features like a built-in FTP client or the ability to manage archives.

Third-party file manager software, on the other hand, often includes these features and more. They can offer more advanced search functions, better file preview options, and more customization options. However, they can also be more complex and take some time to learn.

Comparison of Popular File Manager Software Options

There are many different file manager software options available for Windows. Some are free, while others require a paid license. Some are simple and straightforward, while others offer a vast array of features and customization options. When choosing the best file manager software it’s important to consider your specific needs and preferences.

Total Commander

Total Commander is a widely used file manager designed specifically for Windows, offering an extensive array of features. With its dual-pane interface, users can effortlessly navigate and transfer files between various folders. The software is equipped with an integrated FTP client, enabling convenient remote file management. Additionally, it provides a multi-rename tool for efficient file renaming and a quick view panel for instant file previews.

The versatility of Total Commander is further enhanced by its compatibility with a wide range of plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality according to their specific needs. These comprehensive features and flexibility make Total Commander one of the most versatile and reliable file managers available for Windows users. Whether you need to organize, transfer, or manipulate files, Total Commander offers a user-friendly and powerful solution to streamline your file management tasks.

Directory Opus

Directory Opus is another powerful manager for Windows. It includes features like a dual-pane interface, tabbed browsing, and advanced file-filtering options. It also includes a scripting interface, which allows you to automate complex tasks. This can greatly enhance your productivity and make managing your files even easier.

XYplorer

XYplorer focuses on simplicity and customization. It includes a customizable interface, advanced search options, and a scripting engine for automation. XYplorer also supports tabbed browsing, which makes it easy to manage multiple folders at once. Its portable version allows you to run it directly from a USB drive, making it perfect for users who need a file manager on the go.

FreeCommander

FreeCommander is a highly recommended choice for individuals in search of a no-cost file manager for Windows. With its dual-pane interface, tabbed browsing, and customizable keyboard shortcuts, FreeCommander offers a seamless and user-friendly experience. It even provides a built-in file viewer that supports a wide range of file formats, enabling users to preview files without the need for separate applications.

Whether you’re seeking efficiency or ease of use, this file manager is a reliable solution that won’t strain your budget. Its comprehensive features and intuitive design make it an excellent option for organizing and managing files on your Windows system. With FreeCommander, you can navigate and handle your files effortlessly, enhancing your productivity and simplifying your file management tasks.

Double Commander

Double Commander is a cross-platform file manager that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This makes it a great option for users who need to manage files across multiple operating systems. Double Commander offers a dual-pane interface, tabbed browsing, and a customizable interface. It also includes built-in tools for working with archives, an FTP client, and a multi-rename tool.

Tips for Maximizing Productivity

• Learn keyboard shortcuts: Many of them offer keyboard shortcuts for common tasks, like copying or moving documents. Learning these shortcuts can save you time and make managing them more efficient.
• Organize files by project or category: Instead of storing all your files in a single folder, organize them into subfolders based on projects or categories. This can make it easier to find and manage them.
• Use tags or labels: Some of them allow you to tag or label them. This can help you quickly locate specific files, even if they’re stored in different folders.
• Automate repetitive tasks: Many of them offer scripting or automation features, which can save you time by automating repetitive tasks, like renaming multiple files or moving files based on specific criteria.
• Regularly clean up and organize them: Set aside time each week or month to review your files and delete or archive any that are no longer needed. This will help keep your digital life organized and prevent your files from becoming cluttered.

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to choosing the best file manager software for Windows. The right choice depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Take the time to evaluate the different options available, and consider trying out a few different file managers to see which one works best for you. By investing in the right file manager software, you can simplify your digital life, increase your productivity, and enjoy a more organized and efficient workflow.

The post Organizing Your Digital Life: The Best File Manager Software for Windows appeared first on Techie Buzz.

You can find the Disk Cleanup utility in the following locations:

WinXP: Start > Program Files > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

Vista/Win7: Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup

If you occasionally clean out your unwanted system files using Windows “Disk Cleanup”, you may have seen that the Disk Cleanup utility takes a long time scanning for “Compressed Folders”. I have seen this many times and it makes me impatient every time.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine at work (Bill M), told me that there’s a registry hack to make Cleanup skip the long wait. He was right, I found it using a simple Google search.

Here’s the registry hack (works in XP, so far – have not seen this work in Vista and Win7):

WinXP: Open up the registry editor by clicking the Start Button, then choose Run, type in “regedit” and press the OK button.

Vista/Win7: Hit the Start button and type regeditin the quick search.

The post How to Speed up Windows Disk Cleanup? appeared first on Techie Buzz.

Something putty lacks though is a bridge between the windows and Linux boxes.

To overcome this I have been using Cygwin which brings in a Linux OS like functionality within my Windows machine, wherein I can copy files from my Windows machine to a Linux box without using a graphical interface like WinSCP or and FTP client, use Linux command from within my windows machine, and lots of other Linux based functionality like Vim etc.

Now for you to use Cygwin you will have to do a complete install, and mind you when I say complete install I will stress on it.

As when you install cygwin it just installs the default version without scp (Secure file copy), ssh (secure file transfer) and lots of other features. You can get a very indepth tutorial on using cygwin from Lifehacker.

Now if you just want to use cygwin to upload files then installing cygwin is not the only solution you have and you can simply use PSCP which is a software from the creator’s of Putty to use that functionality.

PSCP (Command line secure file copy) requires no installs and can directly run from your windows prompt, if you add it to your classpath then it makes it much more easier.

Here is how you can use PSCP to copy files from your windows machine to your Linux boxes.

Download a copy of PSCP and place it on any drive of your windows machine, assuming you copied the file to C:\downloads\pscp.exe, I will start this tutorial here.

1. Open a command prompt in your windows machine

2. If PSCP is not in your classpath you can run command to add it set PATH=%PATH;C:\downloads\

Note: adding %PATH; will ensure you do not lose the old path’s for the command prompt you are on, windows command prompt’s are session based and If you close this command window again all manual set path’s will disappear and you will have to set the same thing starting again from step 1.

3. It will open to your default specified location, just navigate to your folder where you have the file placed to upload, assuming you have placed it in C:\upload, type cd C:\upload.

4. Issue this command

C:\uploads>C:\pscp.exe filename.extension username@domainname.com:directory/subdirectory -pw password

Simply issuing this command C:\whichever directory>C:\pscp.exe will output you with a help menu for usage of pscp as given below

C:\service>c:\pscp.exe
PuTTY Secure Copy client
Release 0.58
Usage: pscp [options] [user@]host:source target
pscp [options] source [source…] [user@]host:target
pscp [options] -ls [user@]host:filespec
Options:
-V        print version information and exit
-pgpfp    print PGP key fingerprints and exit
-p        preserve file attributes
-q        quiet, don’t show statistics
-r        copy directories recursively
-v        show verbose messages
-load sessname  Load settings from saved session
-P port   connect to specified port
-l user   connect with specified username
-pw passw login with specified password
-1 -2     force use of particular SSH protocol version
-4 -6     force use of IPv4 or IPv6
-C        enable compression
-i key    private key file for authentication
-batch    disable all interactive prompts
-unsafe   allow server-side wildcards (DANGEROUS)
-sftp     force use of SFTP protocol
-scp      force use of SCP protocol

You can download copies of PSCP for your usage free and start uploading now without need for any Graphical user interface.

Part 2 sneak peek: Downloading files from Linux to windows, downloading files on Linux box, Zipping, taring, unzipping files and emailing files using putty, cygwin on a Linux box.

The post Upload Files To Linux From Windows Using PSCP appeared first on Techie Buzz.

There is a handy utility though which will allow you to recycle your files from the command prompt rather than completely deleting it. CmdUtils provides you with a recycle command which pretty much works like the regular delete option for windows moving the deleted files to the recycle bin instead of completely deleting it. You can delete multiple files or use wildcards to recycle your files from the command prompts.

To use the recycle command download the CmdUtils zip file and unzip the exe to your Windows folder. Adding them to the Windows folder would allow you to access the command globally without you having to specify the entire path to the executable. You can then start using the recycle command by typing in;

You can also specify wildcards with the commands so typing in recycle *.txt will recycle any text files in the current directory. There is also a option to suppress the delete confirmation dialog by using the force flag with the command.

To delete a file without having to confirm is use the command

The f flag will tell the command to force a recycle without showing you the confirmation dialog.

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However, if you want to do it the easy way, Postpone Restart is a handy utility, which can postpone restarts after a Windows update has finished. Postpone restart is a small tool but can be useful for those nagging times.

Postpone restarts works with Windows Vista and Windows 7, there is no support for Windows XP yet.

The post Postpone Restart After Windows Update appeared first on Techie Buzz.

Today’s announcement has revealed that the exact opposite will be true on Windows Phone 8. Not only will you be able to place VoIP calls while sidelining the apps to the background, but you may even begin to mistake Skype calls for regular phone calls. They’re going to be blurring the lines between regular calls placed over cellular networks and calls placed over VoIP: Incoming VoIP calls will look and feel just like regular cellular calls, VoIP will be integrated with built-in phone features (such as the People Hub and the actual phone dialer), and people will even be able to use certain phone features like call waiting.

And, with that in mind, it’s important to remember that Skype will still be an app that you can download. This close relationship between VoIP and the OS isn’t just restricted to Skype, and developers will be able to build their own VoIP-related apps that take advantage of similar tight integration. In fact, while speaking to The Verge, Microsoft’s Greg Sullivan joked that if Apple made a FaceTime app for Windows Phone, it would actually be better integrated with Windows Phone than it is on iOS.

That being said, Microsoft didn’t share much about how the Skype/VoIP experience will improve on Windows Phone 7.8. Skype’s inability to run in the background during a call is a limitation imposed by the OS itself, as Rafael Rivera explained in this in-depth post. As you can see, they’d have to make some fairly major changes to the way Windows Phone handles multitasking to get it working. They’ve obviously solved the issue with Windows Phone 8, but can they do so with ease on Windows Phone 7.8?

The post Windows Phone 8 To Get Tight Skype/VoIP Integration appeared first on Techie Buzz.

Though the method is not straightforward and you will need to perform a hack uninstall of WMP 12. There are several steps you will need to follow to do this.

Step 1: Download Windows Media Player 11 Installer for Windows 7 (Update: January 31, 2012 – Link updated)

Step 2: Type services.msc in Windows 7 search bar and open the services application.

Step 3: Find the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service and Stop it.

Step 4: You will need to take Ownership of several files which include:

1. 1. All files in Program Files\Windows Media Player\ folder
   2. All files starting with wmp in System32 folder
   3. wmploc.dll.mui in Sytem32\en-us\ folder

Step 5: Run the Windows Media Player 11 Installer you had downloaded earlier.

Step 6: Type Regedit in Windows 7 search bar and open the registry editor application.

Step 7: Delete following Registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Setup\Installed Versions

Step 8: Reboot your Windows 7 for the changes to take effect.

That’s it, with these steps you will be able to downgrade WMP 12 and use WMP 11 instead. Want to share any Windows 7 tips? Feel free to contact us with your tips.

The post How To Uninstall Windows Media Player 12 on Windows 7? appeared first on Techie Buzz.

Usually most of the software you install has an uninstall option in the program menu from where you can easily uninstall the software, but with some softwares like Windows Media Player 11 and Internet Explorer 7 it is not the case.

Recently one of my readers asked me how to uninstall the Windows Media Player 11, which in itself is not a straight forward task as it is does not have an uninstall option present unlike most of the other softwares.

Performing the steps listed below you can remove any Windows Software updates that have been installed on your computer, including Internet Explorer 7 and any other updates.

Its a quite simple process and do this you will have to open the Add / remove program option from Control Panel.

Once you are in the Add / Remove Program section you will see a list of programs that have been installed on your computer.

In the top section of the Add / Remove program section you will see a small check box saying Show updates click on that as shown in the screen shot below.

Once you have clicked on that scroll down till you see Windows XP – Software Updates.

Under that remove anything that is related to the Windows media player 11 and you will have successfully uninstalled Windows Media Player 11.

You will also find the Internet Explorer Beta 7 and various other updates installed by Windows Update and uninstall it using the same steps.

More Related Resources  That Might Interest You

• Looking for some tools to enhance your music & video experience, take a look at the  Ultimate List Of Tools To Organize Your Digital Life.
• Looking for more tools, don’t forget to visit our Audio Tools & Video Tools section.
• Add/remove Programs Alternatives– Many a times the default add/remove programs leaves a lot of information back, try one of these free alternatives to remove software completely.
• New on Techie Buzz? Visit the Home Page to view the latest content or browse our huge gallery of  Tips and Tricks posts. We also have a huge list of hand-picked popular posts, don’t forget to visit the  Top Posts section to read them.
• If you are visiting this blog for the first time, why don’t you subscriber to our RSS feeds to get regular updates, we also deliver free newsletter directly to your inbox,  signup for our free newsletter.

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The feature according to Microsoft is meant for Enterprises. Scenarios Microsoft sees this feature for are:

• Contractors and vendors now won’t have to spend time setting up computers
• Work from home or remote locations

• Windows 8 will default boot to a Windows To Go drive if one is present
• Several drivers will be bundled and in case some aren’t there Windows Update will download them
• It will support USB 2.0 and 3.0
• There is no Hibernate possible for a Windows To Go instance
• Windows To Go will work on legacy BIOS and UEFI firmware (the deployment will have support for both enabled, it can be toggled.)
• Crash and Dump will be available for Windows To Go instances.

Here’s a demo of Windows To Go in action:

The first question that comes to mind what happens if the USB drive is unplugged. According to Microsoft, this is similar to yanking your HDD when Windows is running. However, in Windows To Go, Microsoft has a very clever implementation. Windows To Go will freeze the OS instance for 60 seconds if the pen drive is removed. Plugging it back within 60 seconds, Windows will resume where it was, if not inserted within 60 seconds, Windows will shut down.
Microsoft suggests a 32GB USB drive for Windows To Go.

Update Here’s a demo of what happens if you remove a Windows To Go USB drive:

The post Microsoft Demonstrates Windows To Go (Run Windows 8 From USB On Any PC) appeared first on Techie Buzz.

On a recent scan of my system, I was amazed to see that it actually cleaned up about 2 Gigabytes of unwanted files. While you can’t expect this to happen every time, I’m guessing that freeing up several hundred megabytes on your first run isn’t unusual.

As I mentioned above, CleanUp is portable, meaning that there is no installation required and it can be run from a floppy disk or a USB flash drive. It’s downloaded as a single executable file which is currently named CleanUp452.exe. I recommend that you move the file to your Program Filesfolder after you download it, then create a shortcut to it in your Start Menu or on the Desktop.

Why would you want to use Windows CleanUp?

Microsoft provides you with a utility which can clean up unused and temporary files. You’ll find it under the Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools menu, listed as Disk Cleanup. The Windows CleanUp program does everything that Disk Cleanup does, but it does much more, and it is much faster.

My wife and I have been using Windows CleanUp for several years now, and we’ve come to the point at which we’ve memorized the website address and tell all of our friends to go out and get a copy. It runs in all versions of Windows up to and including XP. However, I’ve been using it in Windows 7 with no problems, even though the author has not recoded it for Vista or Seven yet. The screen-shots below are all from my Windows 7 machine.

You might find that running Windows CleanUp occasionally will noticeably help your web surfing speed, since web browser slow-downs can be caused by large amounts of browser cache files that build up over time.

Below is a snapshot of the main interface of CleanUp. It’s simple, but there’s some real power hidden in the options when you need it. I definitely recommend that you go into the options before you run it the first time.

What does CleanUp remove?

• Browser cache
• Browser History
• Cookies
• Bookmarks and Favorites (optional and disabled by default)
• “MRU lists” (Most Recently Used file lists) for many applications
• Contents of the Recent Documents folder
• Entries from the Run and Find Computer dialogs
• Recycle Bins (on all drives)
• Many temporary folders
• Some unneeded registry entries
• High scores for some Windows games;
• And more

Fun?

So, where does the fun part come in? It’s the sound that Cleanup plays just after you click on the CleanUp!

I won’t tell you what the sound is, but you can hear it by clicking the play button.

This sound can be turned off in the options if you aren’t allowed to have fun.

Windows CleanUp Options

The CleanUp options will let you control exactly what you want this program to delete. There are some items listed on the first tab that you may not really want CleanUp to trash, so be sure to remove check-marks beside those items before you run CleanUp the first time.

Some of the other tabs in the options will allow you to specify files, registry entries and cookies that you don’t want deleted and also those that you specifically want to delete. For example, CleanUp will recognize the temporary files for most popular web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera. However, CleanUp isn’t tweaked for Google Chrome yet. In order to make CleanUp remove the Chrome file cache, you’d have to open the Custom Filestab and enter something like this:

(for XP) C:\Documents and Settings\[USERNAME]\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache\*.*

(for Vista or Win7) C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Cache\*.*

In the above two paths, be sure to change [USERNAME] to your actual user name in Windows. Also leave out the text I have included in (brackets).

Tips on Use

CleanUp will work best for you if you run it while you don’t have any other programs running. This helps it avoid lockedfiles that are in use by other applications. When CleanUp runs into files that are locked, it will wait until it’s done with everything else, then ask you to log off Windows and log back in so that it can finish deleting those locked files.

Running Windows CleanUp before using a disk defragmenter program is always a sure way to speed up the defrag process.

Techie Buzz Verdict:

I have no problem recommending this program for use by anyone who would like to keep their system running leaner and faster. However, there’s always a danger that CleanUp could delete files that you really didn’t want it to. Always back up your valuable files before using new software or as part of your general computer maintenance.

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