What is Reddit's opinion of Files?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

You're right, aspects of the design, particularly the floating tabs are similar, however Files has used the floating tab style long before Firefox's proton design was introduced.

https://github.com/files-community/Files/tree/v0.13

Files (yes that's the exact name of the app) on Windows Store is a free open-source app that provides a tabbed file explorer by reimplementing a brand new File Explorer.

https://github.com/files-community/Files

Groupy (a paid app) is another such Windows app that allows tabbed file explorer using native File Explorer. In fact it allows you to tab any Windows application.

Files is pretty amazing, and it shows that the file explorer question is largely one of resources.

Files has over 125 contributors with more than a dozen of them having committed over 1000 lines of code.

What are the odds that the File Explorer team at MS has had over 125 developers contribute to it in the past two years, and has more than a dozen who make regular and substantial contributions?

Look like you can use either a local or Microsoft account to access the store but just like Google Play store or the Apple app store, you need an account. Alternatively, you could take advantage of the fact that you are running windows and download the app from outside their store. A link to "Files" on GitHub is here. There you can download directly or find alternative download locations, outside of the MS store.

So it's the same Windows 8 explorer with a new menu bar.

Someone just posted this link to a Files app in the comments and it's baffling how a few people managed to make something better than a trillion dollar company: https://github.com/files-community/Files

Yes, Files moved to use win32 API for faster file access so it may not support Windows 10X (other than the win32 emulation that MS is providing)! I am hoping for updates from MS for faster UWP File Access APIs. I am looking at adding/improving support for Xbox as well. If anyone is interested in testing the app on Xbox and/or HoloLens, that would be great! (You'll have to use the Free Version as Pro isn't listed as supported in those devices yet).

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Also, Files got dual pane support very recently while Shrestha Files had it from the beginning. For those who like Files, you can see the feature request I recently saw in Files GitHub after they added the dual pane support: Multiple panes for files-uwp · Issue #1487 · files-community/Files (github.com) that includes a screenshot of early version of Shrestha Files. A lot has changed since then. Not saying Shrestha Files is the reason Files has a dual pane support, but nonetheless happy to see they probably got a little bit of inspiration from many other file managers including Shrestha Files. I also installed, tried, read, and/or watched videos of probably two dozen File Manager apps including Files for inspiration as well.

Odd, I've been using it as my replacement full-time since I saw the post about the new version and I hate running replacement shells due to these sort of problems.

It's likely a bug. You should open an issue on GitHub:

https://github.com/files-community/Files

Windows 11 Explorer doesn't have tabs either. It has a visual redesign but it's largely the same as Windows 10 Explorer.

Thankfully there's a new open source project called Files that improves the file explorer and adds tabs.

If you want tabs there is actually an alternative explorer out there that has tabs: https://github.com/files-community/Files

I know that it would be nice to have it as part of the default, but maybe this helps to sooth the pain.

I don't use it personally so I can't really vouch for it.

Through a .reg file, now you can do it through the app as I'm sure many users are turned off by the ladder. Also if you check here: https://github.com/files-community/Files/releases you can see the additional updates/fixes/changes and the option to set Files as default within the app is new.

1. Yes, Files is open source. https://github.com/files-community/Files/
2. No, but please feel free to open an issue for this so that we may be able to add it in the future

I explored the idea of Task Manager as a UWP app as well, and what I think could potentially work is having a full trust app doing the actual grabbing of process data, then forwarding that through a named pipe. It's basically how the Files app works too.

That’s it! Take a look at their GitHub for more info: https://github.com/files-community/Files

It’s an open-source community project. So many great designers and devs working together on this project

Well, if you want tabs in File explorer, here's something i found.
Files Github: https://github.com/files-community/Files
Files in Microsoft Store: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/files/9nghp3dx8hdx?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

Can it really replace the default Windows File Explorer?

How's the performance? Especially for someone like me, who has a four-year-old laptop. It would be fantastic if you could include a performance comparison against the default and other well-known alternative file explorers (e.g. Xyplorer, Files, and such).

Seems very promising. But still, thank you and great work for producing this!

https://github.com/files-community/Files

I been giving it a go but noticed it had a bug in it about a month ago where it would hang on my setup. I still got it installed but I have yet to do another test. Its basically a modern explorer with advanced features.

As others have said, you don't need an account for store apps unless you're buying something.

As an alternative, at least for the Files app, you can download it from github and sideload. Just download the Files-1.5.Msixbundle file from the release page and it should prompt you to install.

yeah man also i wanted to have folder and files starting with dot to be hidden, so i opened the feature request here.

https://github.com/files-community/Files/issues/3055

i could never expect windows default to support this feature

This will work (tested by me), but there's a catch: trying to launch Control Panel will end up launching Files - Preview instead. https://github.com/files-community/Files/wiki/Replacing-File-Explorer-with-Files-(Unsupported)

the default file manager could be more like this one from github

if it only implemented tabs and the fluent design would be great! Headerbars look nice but i have mixed feeling about it

Ha ha! Check out Files- it's a Windows file explorer alternative which has tabs, and other neat features https://github.com/files-community/Files

I don't know why MS can't learn from the file explorers bundled with most Linux dustros, explorer.exe feels so backward to not support tabs and quick locations.