I present the TOP 10 best file managers for the Windows operating system. When compiling the list, only file managers with a graphical interface were taken into account, which are convenient for most users to work with. Therefore, there are no file managers with a text interface, for example FAR Manager or Midnight Commander.

Not included in the list of the best file managers are programs that have not been updated for a long time, for example, EF Commander, ViewFD, or lesser-known applications: FileVoyager, Tablacus Explorer, muCommander, One Commander, etc.

The file manager program (“file commander”) is designed to work with files, disks and folders on a computer. Basically, such programs perform routine operations such as copying, moving or deleting files, opening folders and files, and launching applications.

The default file manager in the Windows operating system is Explorer. Many users are not satisfied with the functionality of the standard file manager, so they use other alternative file managers to work on their computer.

Most of the programs presented work only on the Windows platform, but there are also multi-platform applications among them.

One of the best, most popular alternative dual-pane file manager for Windows (Android is also supported). Total Commander was previously called Windows Commander.

In Total Commander you can perform various operations with files, the application has a customizable menu and appearance, a built-in FTP client with support for a secure connection, working with archives using your own tools, batch mode, advanced search with the ability to use regular expressions and many other functions.

The capabilities of the Total Commander program are significantly expanded with the help of scripts and numerous plugins.

Total Commander works in Russian, the program was created by a developer from Switzerland - Christian Giesler. The program is paid, but can work for free.

A two-panel file manager with a huge range of capabilities for working with files. The SpeedCommander window can be split into two parts, either horizontally or vertically.

SpeedCommander comes with full Unicode support, multi-tab support, virtual folders, batch operations and macros. The file manager has a built-in viewer for more than 80 file types, a client for connecting via FTP, FTP-SSL, SFTP, a built-in text editor with syntax support, and supports plugins that expand the capabilities of the program.

The program works with 13 types of archives (unpacking, packing), the application has a built-in powerful encryption system and password protection of files. SpeedCommander can sync data across folders, compare data across folders and files, the file manager has tools for grouping and filtering, etc.

SpeedCommander is a paid program developed in Germany (SpeedProject). To support the Russian language, you need to install a Russifier.

A powerful file manager with many useful features. The application's capabilities are expanded using plugins. oMega Commander has a friendly, fully customizable interface.

Main features of oMega Commander: ribbon interface, moving, renaming, formatting ribbons, opening files in different programs, color grouping of tabs, pinning and saving tabs, file flags, highlighting files by type, multi-window interface, list of favorite windows, smart copying, working with archives, as with regular folders, secure deletion of data without the possibility of recovery, cutting and merging files, multifunctional search, built-in editor, free space control and much more.

oMega Commander is a paid program with Russian language support (developed by Pylonos.com LLC).

Free two-panel file manager with extensive functionality. The program is similar in operation and appearance to Total Commander. Unreal Commander supports plugins created for Total Commander (except file system plugins).

Unreal Commander can synchronize folders, supports batch renaming of files, supports the main types of archives, a built-in FTP client, an advanced search panel, a media player, file previews in the form of thumbnails, quick viewing with built-in tools, checking file checksums, utilities for downloading and backup and much more.

Unreal Commander developer - Max Diesel. The program supports Russian language. To enable the full-featured mode, you must obtain a free license key.

File manager ( English. file manager) – computer program, providing user interface to work with file system And files. The file manager allows you to perform the most common operations on files - creating, opening/playing/viewing, editing, moving, renaming, copying, deleting, changing attributes and properties, searching for files and assigning rights. In addition to the basic functions, many file managers include a number of additional features, for example, working with the network (via FTP, NFS and so on.), backup copying, management printers etc.

File managers provide a more convenient and visual way to communicate with a PC compared to the operating system (OS). One of the most famous early software shells was called Norton Commander. It was developed by American programmer Peter Norton. The file manager clearly showed on the screen the entire file structure of the computer: disks, directories and files. With such a program, there was no need to type complex MS-DOS commands on the command line. Files could be copied, moved, searched for, deleted, sorted, modified, and executed with just a few keystrokes.

Currently, the Windows operating system has tools for visually working with the file system: the Explorer program, displaying objects directly in folders, etc. However, despite this, file managers continue to be very popular. Practice shows that this is a truly convenient tool for a wide range of users.

There are different types of file managers:

1) navigation and spatial – sometimes switching between these modes is supported;

2) two-panel - in general, they have two equal panels for a list of files, a directory tree, etc.

Thus, file managers are special programs designed to facilitate user communication with operating system commands. These are programs that run under the OS, occupy an intermediate position between the OS and application programs and serve to integrate application packages. The most common file managers: Norton Commander, Volkov Commander, FAR Manager, Widnows3.1, Windows (Total) Commander, etc.

1.2 Features of using freely distributed software

Free Software – wide range software solutions, in which the user’s rights (“freedom”) to unlimited installation, launch, as well as free use, study, distribution and modification (improvement) of programs are legally protected copyright with help free licenses.

In accordance with modern legislation of most countries, the software product and its source protected copyright, which gives the authors and the copyright holder (most often the copyright holder is the organization that employs the author official works), power over modification, distribution, use, and behavior of a program, including when the source code is published. The power of power copyright in modern society is so great that even studying or trying to correct program errors by disassembly may be persecuted criminal law.

To relieve software users from problems caused by the bias of legislation on the protection of intellectual property in favor of the copyright holder, authors and copyright holders can transfer to users the rights to the four above-mentioned freedoms of action. This is achieved by releasing the source code of the software under one of a special kind of terms licenses, called free licenses. Despite the fact that, under the terms of free licenses, the copyright holder cannot revoke the permissions issued to users, the authors retain their rights guaranteed by law.

Free software is easy commercialized– there are many business models where the need to pay for copies of the program is eliminated. For example, a business model is highly popular when an entrepreneur can make money by providing technical support services. The copyright holder of free code may be interested in another option - the implementation of software products under the terms of a commercial license, if the client needs to integrate free code into proprietary software, but he does not want his developments to be disclosed.

In order to preserve the model of scientific collaboration between developers, it was necessary to ensure that the source code of programs written by developers remained available for reading and criticism by the entire scientific community, while preserving the authorship of the works. To this end, Richard Stallman, whose photograph is shown in Figure 1, formulated the concept of free software, which reflected the principles of open software development in the scientific community that emerged in American universities in the 1970s.

Stallman clearly formulated the principles, which are also the criteria for free software. These criteria stipulate the rights that the authors of free software transfer to any user:

1) the program can be freely used for any purpose (“zero freedom”);

2) you can study how the program works and adapt it for your purposes (“first freedom”). A condition for this is the availability of the source code of the program;

3) you can freely distribute copies of the program to help a friend (“second freedom”);

4) the program can be freely improved and its improved version published - in order to benefit the entire community (“third freedom”). The condition for this third freedom is the availability of the source code of the program and the ability to make modifications and corrections to it.

The ability to correct errors and improve programs is the most important feature of free and open source software, which is simply impossible for users of closed proprietary programs, even if errors and defects are discovered in them, the number of which, as a rule, is unknown to anyone.

Only a program that satisfies all four of these principles can be considered a free program, that is, it is guaranteed to be open and available for modernization and correction of errors and defects, and has no restrictions on use and distribution. It must be emphasized that these principles stipulate only the availability of the source code of programs for general use, criticism and improvement, and the rights of the user who received the binary or source code of the program, but do not stipulate in any way the monetary relations associated with the distribution of programs, including free of charge. In English-language texts, confusion often arises here, since the word “free” in English means not only “free”, but also “free” and is often used in relation to free software that is distributed without charging for use, but which is not available to changes by the community because its source code has not been published. Such free software is not free at all. On the contrary, free software can be distributed (and is distributed), charging a fee, however, observing the criteria of freedom: each user is given the right to obtain the source code of the programs without additional payment (except for the price of the media), change them and distribute them further. Any software that does not grant users this right is proprietary software—regardless of any other terms.

A file manager is a program for organizing and conveniently working with operating system files, which differs from the standard Explorer.

They can be of different types and types; many users do without such software at all, but working on a PC with it becomes faster and easier.

In this material we will look at file managers for .

Choice

Such managers can differ quite significantly not only in functionality, but also in the convenience of menus and navigation, management, and interface.

But their main difference is in the type of interface itself: it can be graphical, like a typical program, or textual, more like a command line.

The second option is not convenient or familiar to most users, Therefore, such utilities will not be included in the TOP.

The program accesses the computer's file system and builds lists of files by type, so the user can select the necessary content much faster. However, in order for the installation of such software to be justified, you need to choose the most suitable one for yourself, taking into account many technical characteristics.

Specifications

To simplify the software selection process, the main characteristics of all options listed in the TOP are presented in the table. Compare them to make a decision.

Name	License	Cross-platform	Working with archives using your own means	Built-in Internet client
Total Commander	Paid (demo version available)	Yes (Android)	Yes	Yes
Speed ​​Commander	Paid (demo version available)	No	Yes	Yes
oMega Commander	Paid (demo version available)	No	No	No
Unreal Commander	For free	No	Yes	Yes
Free Commander	For free	No	Yes	No
Double Commander	For free	Yes	No	No
Multi Commander	For free	No	Yes	Yes
XYplorer	Free basic version, paid advanced version	No	No (paid version has it)	No (paid version has it)
Directory Opus	For free	Relative	Yes	Yes
Q-Dir	For free	No	No	No

You can find out more about all the program options presented in the table below.

Total Commander

This is the most popular and convenient file manager, which was previously called .

It is quite convenient, multifunctional and has a familiar interface.

It has a two-panel type, allows you to perform many types of operations with files.

You can work with, customize file packages, and use advanced search using various parameters.

There is a built-in Internet client with support for a secure connection.

• Cross-platform – there is a convenient version for Android;
• The widest functionality with a large number of additional features;
• Availability and constant updating and expansion of scripts and plugins, increasing the functionality of the software.

• Not very good Russification;
• Paid distribution, but there is a demo version;
• The interface is not always user-friendly.

User reviews of the software are as follows: “Worth the money”, “Excellent functionality, a lot of possibilities.”

Speed ​​Commander

In terms of interface, this manager is similar to the previous one - it also has a two-panel operating principle.

You can work in both vertical and horizontal windows, which is quite convenient.

The software is multifunctional and supports . Can perform batch operations, macros, and generates batches itself. Can create virtual folders.

• Supports more than 80 file types - almost everything that is on your computer;
• There is an Internet client and a text editor, both with spelling support;
• There are many plugins available;
• 13 types of archives are supported;
• Comparison, synchronization functions, etc.

• Paid distribution (free demo version available);
• Inconvenient interface;

Reviews about the software are as follows: “Good functional program”, “The interface is not very user-friendly, but you can get used to it.”

oMega Commander

ОMega Commander– a fairly powerful and functional manager, only slightly inferior to the two previous options.

Additional functionality is guaranteed through constantly emerging and updated extensions and plugins.

Unlike previous types, this program has a simple interface that can also be customized.

You can use the ribbon interface.

Main functions: transfer, format, rename, open files, smart copy and more.

• The simple interface can be customized;
• The presence of a large number of plugins, extensions, add-ons that increase functionality;
• Securely delete files with recovery options.

• Few built-in capabilities - for example, there is no Internet client;
• The ribbon interface is unusual for some users;
• Conditionally free distribution.

Reviews about this program say: “A good program, functional and simple,” “Better than paid analogues, since it does not have many unnecessary, interfering functions.”

Unreal Commander

Unreal Commander is a simple two-panel file manager that has all the necessary functions. Distributed free of charge.

It is similar in interface and appearance to Total Commander, but has slightly lower functionality.

An interesting feature is that the software supports plugins and extensions created specifically for this purpose (with the exception of plugins for the file system).

It has an Internet client and a multi-format audio player, supports synchronization and work with archives.

• Free distribution;
• Plugin support;
• Convenient and simple Internet.

• Narrower functionality compared to Total Commander;
• Supports only a few types of archives;
• Not always stable work.

Reviews about the program are as follows: “Total Commander was not worth the money, this option is better,” “Convenient, functional, nothing superfluous.”

Free Commander

Another two-panel manager, powerful enough, productive and functional for comfortable work.

You can work in both vertical and horizontal windows.

The software supports multi-tab mode, but you can, for convenience, switch to single-pane mode.

Works with archives, compares and synchronizes folders, and performs searches based on specified parameters.

• There is a command line for text control;
• Simple and intuitive interface that can be customized;
• Can create screenshots;
• Supports permanent data deletion.

• Narrower functionality compared to other programs of this type;
• Lack of Internet client;
• Some disadvantages of Russification.

Here is what users say about this software: “Not enough functions”, “Just right for a free program”, “Works stably, there are enough functions”.

Double Commander

Double Commander is a simple and functional manager that has the necessary set of functions.

It is not too wide, but quite suitable for everyday tasks. Distributed free of charge.

Synchronizes, renames and compares files and folders. Has a built-in multi-format player.

• Support for some plugins for Total Commander;
• Cross-platform – works on all existing platforms;
• Convenient file search function with advanced options.

• Lack of modules for working with archives;
• Lack of your own Internet client;
• In general, the basic functionality is not very broad.

Reviews of the program are as follows: “The lack of an archiver is depressing, but overall not bad”, “You can work with external plugins”, “Considering that the program is free, it’s fine.”

Multi Commander

Multi Commander– a program from the developer Mathias Svensson.

It is well Russified and distributed free of charge.

It does not have a very wide range of functions, but it has its own Internet client, supports scripts, etc.

There is a module for working in the registry editor and ample opportunities for fine-tuning the interface to suit you.

• Free distribution;
• Work in the background;
• Built-in utilities for image processing.

• Narrow functionality;
• Not always a quick start;
• Due to the unpopularity of the program, there are practically no plugins or extensions for it.

Users generally speak well of this software: “It’s a good program, there are enough functions,” “Not enough functions, but I don’t use it often.”

XYplorer

Every PC user had to work with files: create, move, copy, view, play. This is not always convenient when working in Explorer. What to do? Use a file manager. This is special software that helps make work more convenient. Let's look at the best file manager for Windows 10.

What is it for?

The main task is to increase work productivity.

The reader will think more carefully about which file manager is built into the Windows OS. This is the Explorer. Many people miss the opportunities provided by Explorer. What to do? Specialized software will help. Let's figure out which one to choose the best file manager for Windows.

How it works

File manager is a program that works with files. Using special algorithms, it creates a list of files and sorts them. Therefore, searching for information is faster. How to choose the right file manager for Windows? Look at its capabilities, ease of use, and the ability to expand functionality. Is it supported to install additional plugins to make your work easier?

Total Commander

The official website is located at: https://wincmd.ru/. The application interface consists of two panels.

There are also versions for Android.

Peculiarities:

1. FTP client running over a secure connection;
2. Working with archives using the built-in archiver;
3. Search (use regular expressions);
4. Installing plugins to improve functionality.

Conclusion

We reviewed the TOP 8 applications that can replace Explorer. I'm working with Total Commander. Its feature is the ability to expand functionality using plugins. If you frequently move and edit files, pay attention to Q-Dir. Its feature is a four-panel interface. Changes to 3,2 or 1 panel. If you care about security, install SpeedCommander.

Introduction

Computer science is a scientific field whose subject of study is information and information processes; in which research is carried out and new tools and methods for working with information are invented.

In the life of human society, information is of enormous importance. The economic and social development of society, the health and life of people depend on the level of development of information technology. The significance of certain properties of information is determined by a specific situation.

This work will cover the following topics:

1) File managers;

2) Unauthorized access (UA) to information;

3) Methods for adding spreadsheet column data.

Purpose of the test:

1) reveal the essence of file managers, their classification;

2) give the concept of unauthorized access to information, study the most common ways of ND to information;

3) determine which function can be used to add the data of a spreadsheet column.

What programs are called file managers? Describe how these programs work

File manager(English file manager) is a computer program that provides a user interface for working with the file system and files. The file manager allows you to perform the most common operations on files - creating, opening/playing/viewing, editing, moving, renaming, copying, deleting, changing attributes and properties, searching for files and assigning rights. As you know, the word “manager” translated from English means manager. Thus, the essence of file managers is in the name - they help us manage files.

In addition to the basic functions, many file managers include a number of additional features:

· work on the network (FTP, NFS);

· backup;

· ability to customize the interface;

· access to system information;

· ability to create macro commands;

· archiving;

· printer management and many others.

There are different types of file managers:

· Navigational (spatial).

Regular Windows Explorer is a representative of navigational (spatial) file managers. This is not the best or most convenient program. It does not always cope with bulk operations with files, for example, when you need to transfer or rename hundreds of photos. When working with a very large number of files, Explorer significantly replaces the work of the system. But the most significant drawback is, nevertheless, the absence of a second panel for copying or moving files.

· Double panel (orthodox).

In managers of the second type (double-panel), for such operations the program window is divided into two parts. At the same time, working with files becomes more convenient and faster. And if you consider that most file managers allow you to control all actions from the keyboard, then the speed of work increases several times.

Navigational (spatial) file managers include:

Microsoft Windows:

§ Windows Explorer - built into Windows

§ Directory Opus

§ Standard File Manager

§ Bynarys Smart Explorer

§ Pocket Total Commander

§ Resco Explorer

POSIX (Linux, BSD, etc.):

§ Konqueror -- comes with KDE,

§ Nautilus (file manager) -- comes with GNOME

§ ROX-Filer -- comes with ROX Desktop

§ Thunar -- comes with Xfce

§ Dolphin -- comes with KDE 4

§ Directory Opus Magellan

§ Workbench -- comes with AmigaOS

Symbian OS (Series 60):

The most famous orthodox (two-panel) file managers:

§ Norton Commander

§ DOS Navigator

§ Volkov Commander

§ PIE Commander

Microsoft Windows:

§ Directory Opus

§ DOS Navigator Open Source

§ FreeCommander

§ Just Manager Official website

§ Nomad.NET About the Program (on the official website)

§ Total Commander

§ NexusFile Program page on the developer’s website

§ Unreal Commander

§ Altap Salamander

§ File Navigator

POSIX (GNU/Linux, BSD, etc.):

§ Midnight Commander

§ Demos Commander

§ GNOME Commander

§ Tux Commander

§ Beesoft Commander

§ Directory Opus

Symbian OS (Series 60):

§ Symbian Commander

Cross-platform:

§ Cloud Commander

§Double Commander

§ Mad Commander

§ MiniCommander

The basic distribution of a file manager should include a number of modules and plugins that are directly related to working with files:

1. View and edit text files, syntax coloring, support for different encodings (including Unicode).

2. Search and replace across multiple files, multiple file renaming, viewing pictures, working with archives.

Currently, the following file managers are considered the most popular for Windows operating systems:

Ш Norton Commander;

Ш Explorer;

Ш Total Commander;

Let's look at each file manager in more detail:

1. Norton Commander designed for users working with a large number of files and uploading files to various FTP servers, local servers, local drives, and their websites. The user interface of the Norton Commander program consists of two panels: on the left side we view directories and subdirectories, on the right side we access files; everything is clearly visible, all disks and all files in the selected directory.

The Norton Commander file manager has an FTP client service. The contents of the FTP server directories are shown in the same way as your own. You can copy, delete, move files. It is also possible to directly transfer files from server to server, as well as continue an interrupted download. Supports the main types of FTP servers: UNIX, Windows NT, VMS, TCP/IP and partially OS9 and AS-400. You can create a new connection by pressing Ctrl + N. Or the “new” icon at the bottom of the FTP client window.

Norton Commander is a very useful program for quickly copying large amounts of data. To copy, select files and drag them to any drive or directory in the left panel. The Norton Commander file manager works with external drives: USB and memory cards.

Along with this efficient way to organize your file system, Norton Commander has built-in media playback and image viewing capabilities. Converts WAV to MP3. You can create disk images, burn them to CDs and DVDs, and work with popular archive formats. Many more different functions. Thus, the Norton Commander file manager is an excellent addition to Windows, which will make file management faster and more convenient.

2. Explorer program is a utility program related to file managers, which is integrated into the Windows operating system; a program specifically designed for navigating and maintaining the file structure (copying, renaming, deleting and moving folders and files). The program is launched using the Start/Programs/Explorer command.

Windows Explorer simultaneously displays both the nesting structure of folders on the computer (their hierarchy) and the contents of the selected folder. This is especially convenient when copying and moving data: just open the folder containing the desired file and drag the file to another folder.

Explorer manages your files and provides one of the most convenient ways to browse your file system. When you need to open, copy, move, delete, rename or rearrange folders and/or files, you can either use the Explorer program or work with folders and files directly on the Desktop. The main advantage of the Explorer program, compared to folder windows on the Desktop, is that in the Explorer program you can simultaneously work with the contents of the right pane of the window and with the entire structure of the file system of your computer, i.e. left panel. This makes it much easier to copy files from the right pane to a logical drive or folder located in the left pane. In this case, there is no need to open a large number of windows, as would have to be done on the Desktop. The most convenient technique is to open two Windows Explorer windows, arranged vertically or horizontally.

Working with Explorer is no different from working with most other windows and programs, except that you are given the ability to view the hierarchical structure of the file system. You can right-click on any folder and view its menu, or click on any icon and drag it from one place to another.

Explorer is a Windows software tool designed for flexible and highly efficient file system management and providing access to local and network resources.

Explorer - displays images of a folder tree, displays their contents, allows you to launch an application, create, open, copy, move, delete, rename folders and files.

3.Total Commander(formerly Windows Commander) is the most popular file manager for Windows OS, similar to Windows Explorer, which is designed for convenient work with user files and directories. It, like Explorer, allows you to perform basic operations on files and directories - copy, move, delete, rename, etc. However, Total Commander uses a different, more convenient approach to organizing the interface: it has two permanent panels that save the user from exhausting navigation through the directory tree in search of the destination for the copied file. Instead, the user always has the file source directory and the file destination directory in front of the user in case the user needs to copy files from the destination directory again.

Key features of Total Commander:

Two-panel multilingual graphical user interface;

Fully customizable keyboard shortcuts, similar to the popular pre-1990s file manager Norton Commander for DOS (keyboard shortcuts for viewing, editing, copying and deleting files);

Built-in FTP client with SSL/TLS support;

Working with archives is the same as with subdirectories. The corresponding archiver program is called automatically. PKZIP, ARJ, LHA, RAR, UC2, ACE, TAR, gzip and tar+gzip are supported;

Internal packer for the ZIP format, with the ability to create multi-volume and self-extracting (16- and 32-bit) archives;

Cutting and assembling large files;

Calculation and verification of file checksums (CRC32, MD5, SHA1);

Plugin support.

Total Commander has a fairly “friendly” interface and even a beginner can easily figure out how to copy a file from folder to folder, thanks to the key action labels on the bottom panel.

Just click on F5 and Total Commander will be ready to copy the selected files or folders along the path open in the next window or that the user specifies.

And if suddenly the user wants to find a file in an open directory, the ALT+F7 key combination will help him, which will open a window for searching files. Total Commander also has a filter that turns on when you enter part of a name from the keyboard.

4. FAR Manager is a popular file and archive manager with a console (text) interface, despite the fact that it runs exclusively on Windows. FAR Manager works in text mode and allows you to simply and clearly perform most of the necessary actions: view files and directories, edit, copy and rename files, and much more.

Main characteristics of FAR Manager:

Multilingual interface;

Working with the system clipboard;

Working with FTP servers;

Working with archives;

Search and replace characters simultaneously in multiple files;

Tools for renaming groups of files with the ability to use complex compound masks from wildcards and patterns;

Managing the Winamp program and modifying comments of MP3 files;

Preparing a catalog of removable drives;

The ability to expand functions through plug-ins (plugins), some of which are included in the standard package.

5. Frigate is a very powerful file manager that allows you to quickly, intuitively and, most importantly, comfortably work on your computer. Today, Frigate is the most functional and most powerful tool for working with files.

When you first launch Frigate, the first thing you notice is its graphic design:

Ш soft colors;

Ш drop-down menus;

Icons in WinXP style;

You can customize the type of program to your liking.

Frigate was developed in Russia, so it supports the Russian interface. In terms of functionality, Frigate is in many ways similar to other file managers, but there are some differences. The main one is support for multitasking, which is implemented here most conveniently. For example, you can simultaneously copy files, upload them to the server, and at the same time work with directories.

Some characteristics of Frigate:

· multitasking when performing file operations;

· convenient navigation - “quick” folders, history of moving through folders, etc.;

· the presence of useful utilities (Calculator, System Information, Phone Book, Password Keeper, Alarm, Sending Mail and Clipboard Viewer);

· built-in viewing (F3) for RTF - text and DBF files (works in FTP and archives);

· built-in editor (F4) for text with highlighted syntax and RTF - text files;

· archive support;

· file recovery after copying failure;

· viewing and editing MP3 tags;

· improved search;

· file filter, thanks to which you can quickly select the desired type of files;

· work with pictures, all popular graphic formats are supported (JPEG, PNG, GIF, etc.).