\b Welcome\b0  to xplorer\'b2 !! We've got some great tips and tricks for you, so please leave this option on for a while. You'll learn about many small details with big impact on your daily productivity.
You can try all the recommended tips & tricks as you read them. Just put this dialog to the side and follow the instructions, selecting menu commands etc from the main program window. Menu command instructions are in \cf2\f1 blue text\cf0\f0 .
If you prefer a more engaging way to learn about xplorer\'b2 tricks, checkout the short demo videos in the various tour pages found at \cf2 http://zabkat.com/tour1.htm\cf0 . Each page has a \b Play Demo\b0  button near the top right. Also click on the demo videos in the \b How do I?\b0  pane.
Many tips mention menu commands. If your xplorer\'b2 shows the new \b ribbon toolbar\b0  UI, you can use the \cf2 command finder\cf0  (under Help and Support menu in ribbon's leftmost "file" tab) to search for these commands. If you prefer a traditional menu bar, turn the ribbon off altogether picking \cf2 Show normal menu\cf0  command, again from that "file" tab.
To arrange your dual folder panes left-right use \cf2\f1 View| Tile horizontally\cf0\f0  menu command.
All menu commands show a descriptive line of text on the \b status bar\b0  as you are traversing the menu system. They help you understand commands and see the effects of slight variants when keyboard modifiers like \f1 <Shift>\f0  or \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  are pressed.
If you want to find a menu command but can't remember where it is located use \cf2\f1 Help| Command finder\cf0\f0  with a 1-2 keywords that may describe the command.
The status bar also shows short messages about command outcomes and errors. These messages go away after a while automatically. If you didn't catch a message, double click on its left side and it will be repeated for you.
You can move toolbars around, dragging them from their handles on their left side. \cf2\f1 View| Toolbars\cf0\f0  allows you to show or hide any toolbar separately.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The peripheral panes like the folder tree and the quickviewer can be moved around grabbing them from their titlebar with the mouse. So if you prefer you can have the tree docked to the right and the quickviewer at the bottom edge of the window. Double click on the quickviewer's titlebar to have it floating! (toggle).
If you prefer an eye-friendly dark user interface, use \cf2\f1 Tools| options\cf0\f0  menu and tick \b Dark mode UI\b0  in the General property page.
xplorer\'b2 has many options to suit your individual UI preferences (through \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0  menu). Most of them are explained in these tips. If you cannot find an option use the \b Search\b0  box in the lower left corner of the options property sheet.
You can \b customize\b0  a toolbar by right-clicking on it and selecting which command buttons you want, text labels etc. You can reorder buttons by dragging them while holding the \f1 <Shift>\f0  key.
Bored with your toolbar icons? Get a new \b skin\b0 ! There are a few available to download from this page: \cf2 http://zabkat.com/x2skin.htm\cf0 . Or even better, grab the skin designer pack and create your own icons.
If you work on a high resolution (UHD/4K) monitor make sure you switch all toolbars (including the addressbar) into large icon mode, and perhaps choose a large 48x48 pixel skin. For more details please see this article: \cf2\f1 http://zabkat.com/blog/high-dpi-screen-toolbars.htm\cf0\f0
If you want to change the main program icon, put your custom icon art in a standard ICO file, call it \f1 X2ICON.ICO\f0  and put it next to xplorer\'b2 executable file, in the installation folder.
If you find xplorer\'b2 menus too taxing, you can switch to a simpler set with fewer commands, checking \cf2 Plain menus\cf0  in the Window property page (\cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0 ). Even in this plain mode you can use commands you can't see pressing their shortcut keys or placing their buttons on the toolbar.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you are used to windows explorer and prefer \f1 <F5>\f0  key to refresh folders instead of xplorer\'b2 default command, use \cf2\f1 Customize| Keyboard\cf0\f0  to change the key mapping for View| Refresh command. You can change all other keyboard shortcuts to your taste too!
Some input fields in dialogs may be hard to understand. Just hover the mouse over them and a balloon help tip will pop-up with a brief description. You can turn off this dialog help from \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0 .
If you need help with some command or dialog box, press \f1 <F1>\f0  key and the help file will open at the correct location describing the command (context sensitive help). Dialogs with help have a \cf1 ?\cf0  question mark in their titlebar.
The user interface has been translated to a number of locales (check the website for availability). You select your language as part of the installation process. If you missed the language drop-down box in the first place, you can run the installer again at any time.
You can see the contents of up to two folders in a single window (\cf2\f1 View| dual pane\cf0\f0  mode) but you can work with only one at a time. The active panel has a lighter background color. You can swap the active/inactive folders hitting \f1 <Tab>\f0  or just clicking on the folder you want to work with.
You can \b zoom\b0  a pane using \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  key and the mouse wheel. You can quickly switch from item details to list view mode, large icons and thumbnails (and vice-versa).
You can have the dual view panes stacked one below the other instead of the default left-right arrangement. For changing this and many other options please use \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0  menu.
To see more folders in a single pane use \cf2\f1 File| New tab\cf0\f0 . This is an alternative to dual pane file management. You can still see only one folder at a time but switching folders is as easy as clicking on a tab. Using the keyboard you can cycle with \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+arrows>\f0 .
Tabs can be rearranged with mouse drag-drop. To remove a tab click on the \b X\b0  to the right of the tab-strip or pick close from the right-click menu.
Double-click on a tab to close it; double-click on an empty spot within the tab strip to create a new tab.
If you have many tabs with similar names you can often improve clarity by \b renaming\b0  some of them \emdash  using the right click menu. Forced names will stick even when you change folders.
To copy the path names of all tabs in a comma separated list, right click on the tab strip and pick \cf2\f1 Copy all paths\cf0\f0 . Have you tried pasting the result in a scrap container?
Use \cf2\f1 Window| Find tab\cf0\f0  to quickly locate a tab, using part of the folder's pathname.
Right click on a folder tab for some interesting menu commands, e.g. you can \b lock\b0  a tab or assign a color tag to the folder, making the tab easier to spot.
A concept similar to folder tabs is \b Column mode\b0  (see \cf2\f1 File\cf0\f0  menu). If turned on, a new side panel will open when you enter a folder, showing you the contents side by side. You can continue opening side panes for child folders, effectively having a family of neighboring folders showing simultaneously. This Miller browsing mode is popular with Mac Finder users.
Filenames and other column text may be cropped if wider than the available space. If you hover the mouse over such clipped names a \b tooltip\b0  is shown revealing the obscured text. If you enable infotips from \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0  then the tooltip will additionally include information like size and modification date.
If you browse folders in list mode, it is recommended you set a \b Max list column width\b0  pixel size (e.g. 220) from program options. This will make browsing faster and prevent oversized column problems caused by the odd very long filename.
You can use the arrow keys to change the active item (\i focus\i0 ) of the active view. You can also use \f1 <PageUp>\f0  and \f1 <PageDown>\f0  to move a page at a time and \f1 <Home>\f0  & \f1 <End>\f0  to quickly go to the start or end of long listings.
If you want your numbered files sorted as \f1 file1, file2, ... file10\f0 , tick the \b Natural number sort \b0 option in the Advanced property page of program options.
To arrange items while in detailed view mode just click on the column header of interest. This is the only way to sort items by extended columns like \b Comment\b0  etc.  Clicking on the same column again will flip the ascending/descending order.
You can have a column header even without file details, to help you sort the files. In program options (Advanced property page) tick \b Show column header for all view styles\b0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can sort by more than one attribute using \f1 <Shift+click>\f0  on a column header. The first column you click will be the major one; items identical with respect to this column will be ordered according to the second column, and so on. To cancel this multi-way sort mode just click without holding \f1 <Shift>\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  In large folders you can use item \i grouping\i0  to view and manage your content. \cf2\f1 View| Arrange by| Show in groups\cf0\f0  uses the primary sort column to bunch similar items together. For example a date column will group together items changed today, yesterday, last week and so on. Within each group items are sorted alphabetically; if you need a different in-group sorting order just \f1 <Shift+click>\f0  on a column header, even the same one that generated the grouping.
When you type letters or digits the focus moves to the first matching filename; e.g. typing \cf1\b sa\cf0\b0  will take you to the first file whose name matches this substring (e.g. \cf1\b sa\cf0\b0 mple.txt). This feature is called \i incremental search\i0 .
You can use incremental search to locate files with particular \i extensions\i0 , too. Typing e.g. \cf1\b tx\cf0\b0  \i while holding down\i0  \f1 <Shift>\f0  will take you to the first filename that matches this extension (e.g. readme.\cf1\b tx\cf0\b0 t). This comes handy when you sort items \b by type\b0 .
If the multi-purpose box next to the addressbar is set to plain filter mode, and after you type 4 or more characters, the incremental search will turn into a filter. Only items that match the partial string will be visible.
Incremental search is not limited to filenames. Just bring any column in the leftmost (first) position and \i its\i0  contents will be used to match the partial strings you type.
Press \f1 <Space>\f0  to toggle the selection status of the focused item on/off. Pressing \f1 <Insert>\f0  does the same but moves the focus to the next item at the same time. This way you can select a lot of items using just one key.
If you want to move the focus without affecting the existing selection, keep the \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  key pressed while using the keyboard or mouse. Or you can turn the \b sticky mode\b0  on from \cf2\f1 Mark\cf0\f0  menu to avoid pressing \f1 <Ctrl>\f0 . Thus you can roam large lists hand-selecting items safely.
You have several ways to select files using the \b mouse\b0 . To grab many consecutive items, click on the first and then \f1 <Shift>\f0 -click on the last. \f1 <Ctrl>\f0 -click to select/unselect individual items. Finally you may \i click and hold\i0  the left button to draw a rectangle around the items you want selected. This is called "lasso" selection.
Before you execute a command you must \b select\b0  the items you want to be affected. There is an abundance of methods to select items, using the keyboard, selection filters, synchronization, etc (see \cf2\f1 Mark\cf0\f0  menu for commands comprising the \b selection engine\b0 ). Using a combination of selection and unselection elementary procedures you can build up a set of files that perfectly match your criteria. Vivid imagination is all that's required!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If item grouping is enabled (\cf2\f1 View| Arrange by| Show in groups\cf0\f0 ) you can use the keyboard to select \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+Shift+GreyPlus>\f0  (or \f1 GreyMinus\f0  to \i un\i0 select) all items in the current group - where the focused item is located.
Whereas more than one items may be selected at any time, there is a \i single\i0  item with a unique status called the \b active\b0  or \b focused\b0  item. You can tell it apart by the dotted rectangle that surrounds its name. Its details (size/date) are shown on the status bar, and it is the one that gets launched when you press \f1 <Return>\f0 . Note that the focus does not necessarily have to be selected, e.g. if you move around while holding \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  pressed.
When a command is unavailable the respective toolbar button and menu item will be \i disabled\i0 . As soon as you select a few items it will usually be enabled, unless the command is meant for filesystem folders only and you are currently browsing a virtual folder like Control Panel.
You can \b save\b0  the current selection using \cf2\f1 Mark| Selection\cf0\f0  submenu. You can reuse this special "clipboard" at a later stage to select (or unselect) items with the same names in a different folder or even in a different window managed by the same process!
You can reuse a previously saved selection as a \b mask\b0  via \cf2\f1 Mark| Selection| Combine\cf0\f0 . This advanced mode combines the existing and saved selection so that only items that are in both lists end up selected (boolean \b AND\b0  operation). So an item must be both already selected and part of the list stored with \f1 <Ctrl+F11>\f0  to remain selected; otherwise it is cleared. This command is handy for refining selection patterns.
\cf2\f1 Mark| Select group\cf0\f0  command is \i additive\i0 . If there is an existing selection items matching the new wildcard will be added on top. To start from a clean slate just unselect everything in advance (e.g. click "nowhere"). When you aren't sure whether there is a previous selection you can check the rightmost status bar pane.
Commands like \cf2\f1 Mark| Containing text\cf0\f0  (and matching a rule) normally clear the previous selection. If you want to \b add\b0  to the existing selection, hold down \f1 <Shift>\f0  key as you click on Select button.
When you have finished entering information in any of the program \b dialog\b0  windows, you can usually dismiss the dialog pressing \f1 <Return>\f0  instead of clicking on OK button. If you want to cancel, just hit \f1 <Esc>\f0 .
Selection can be assisted by intelligent use of \b sorting\b0 . E.g. the easiest way to select all files modified within the last day is to sort by date, click on the first (topmost) item and \f1 <Shift>\f0 -click on the last file whose date is within the last 24-hour range.
If you are unsure whether there are any selected items outside the visible portion of the active folder, either check the reading of the selection pane on the statusbar or use \cf2\f1 Mark| Selection| Show \cf0\f0 to ensure that whatever is selected will be brought into view.
If you have many non-consecutive items selected, you can quickly jump to the next or previous selection using \f1 <Alt+DownArrow>\f0  and \f1 <Alt+UpArrow>\f0 , respectively. The command will also \i cycle\i0  to the first selection if you use it when the focus is on the last item (and vice-versa for the reverse direction).
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When items are arranged in groups (\cf2\f1 View| Arrange by| Show in groups\cf0\f0 ) you can use the keyboard shortcuts \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+DownArrow>\f0  and \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+UpArrow>\f0  to jump to the next and previous groups, respectively.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  In grouped view mode, you can collapse or expand a whole group by clicking on the little [-] or [+] box to the right of the group header.
If you want to know the "row number" of an item (its order within the list) you can use \cf2\f1 Mark| Select range\cf0\f0  and read its position from the dialog window title. We are sure there must be a good use for this information only we can't think of it right now! :)
To calculate the \b total size\b0  of a folder use \cf2\f1 Mark| Select all\cf0  <Ctrl+A>\f0  and read the number on the rightmost part of the status bar. If you have previously used \cf2\f1 Tools| Subfolder size\cf0\f0  to get the size of all subfolders' contents, the tally will include those too!
\cf2\f1 View| Toolbars| Info bars\cf0\f0  menu turns on status bars for each folder view pane. You can right click on an infobar to select any file property that will fit, plus some special columns like \b Total duration\b0 , which shows the length of any selected media files.
You can \b map network drives\b0  by right clicking on "My Computer" icon in the tree. To \b format\b0  a removable disc right-click on its icon (e.g. \f1 A:\\\f0 ). In general you'll find different commands in such context menus depending on the type of object clicked. Try right-clicking on several items and see what you get!
Before you can \b format\b0  a floppy disk you must ensure no program is accessing it, including xplorer\'b2! Make sure you are not browsing A:\\ in any pane and collapse any tree nodes. If windows still cannot format it, browse a folder like \b c:\\\b0  ensuring that xplorer\'b2 isn't locking the drive.
The context menu for most shell items has a \b Properties\b0  command. Different files have different kind of properties, so e.g. executable files have a program version tab, zip files have information about the compression, etc. Checkout the properties of various items and see what you'll discover!
If you press \f1 <Shift>\f0  as you are right-clicking on a file, the context menu will include some \i extra\i0  commands, depending on the file type. For example, the context menu of executable files will include a \b Run As\b0  command that allows you to run a program impersonating a different user.
If you want to access the background menu of a view pane full of files, and cannot find any "empty" space, right click on the little folder icon situated at the top left side of the pane's titlebar.
The folder background menu contains a few extra commands under \b Explorer\b0  submenu. For example you can create new documents, access TSVN repository management and more.
Press \f1 <Shift>\f0  while deleting files to avoid placing them in the recycle bin. \cf1\b WARNING\cf0\b0 : you cannot recover files permanently deleted so be careful! Some files can't be placed in the bin anyway, e.g. those deleted from floppy discs. Use the recycle bin \b properties\b0  to ensure that the delete confirmation is enabled for safety.
If the recycle bin fills up with too many items, file deletion will become \b sluggish\b0 . From time to time right click on the recycle bin desktop icon and pick \cf2\f1 Empty recycle bin\cf0\f0  from its context menu.
In detailed mode you can select which columns you want by right-clicking on the list header. You can \b reorder\b0  columns via drag-drop. Double-clicking on the divider between columns will autosize the one on the left to fit the largest name. To autosize all columns use the respective command from \cf2\f1 View\cf0\f0  menu.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can combine file details and a small thumbnail using the view mode \b Detailed thumbs\b0  (available through \cf2\f1 View| Pane style\cf0\f0  menu command).
The \b comment\b0  column shows file descriptions that you may set using the command from \cf2\f1 Actions\cf0\f0  menu. \cf1\b NOTE\cf0\b0 : the comment feature is only available for files on NTFS formatted partitions. If you subsequently move a file to a FAT volume (e.g. floppy disc) you will \b lose\b0  the comment; you may or may not receive a warning for this. The workaround is to use \cf2\f1 Actions| ADS| Bundle to go\cf0\f0  to pack the file including its alternate streams during the transport.
You can set comments for many files simultaneously. \cf2\f1 Actions| Set comment\cf0\f0  will \i insert\i0  the text you provide in the comment of \i all\i0  selected files, on top of any existing keywords. To \b clear\b0  the comments just supply an empty text string.
The \b checksum\b0  column shows a plain numeric sum of the file contents. It may be used to check for modifications and to quickly compare files. If 2 files have different checksums then they are definitely not same. On the other hand, same checksums do not necessarily imply identity; further checks are advisable.
The \b creation\b0  date of files can be newer than the date \b last modified\b0 ! When you create a new copy of a file, its creation date is updated whereas the modification (last edit) date remains unchanged. You can use these facts with the creation & modification date columns to figure out special situations.
If you don't need 1-second accurate file date information, you can turn on \b Friendly dates \b0 option (program options menu), which will show summary dates like "today" and "last month".  Ticking the advanced option \b Extra-friendly file dates \b0 is a variation that shows dates with at least 1-day accuracy.
The \b details pane\b0  (\cf2\f1 View\cf0\f0  menu) shows accurate date information always, regardless of any friendly dates used in the browsing panels. Another possibility is to use the file \b property page\b0  and see accurate dates while showing friendly dates.
If you want your dates to show with \b millisecond\b0  accuracy, use \f1 .zzz\f0  format specifier in \f1 szCustomTimeFormat\f0  registry tweak, e.g. set it to something like \f1 HH:mm:ss\cf1 .zzz\cf0\f0
The modification date of \b folders\b0  (NTFS) will tell you the last time some of its \i immediate\i0  contents was modified by copying, creating or renaming. It will \i not\i0  change if you merely edit an existing file or if you change contents in deep subfolders. Unfortunately folders on FAT32 formatted disks do not convey this information at all!
The difference between \b Size\b0  and \b Size on disk\b0  columns is that the latter shows the actual space occupied for storing each file. This is usually \i larger\i0  due to the way hard disks are organized. However for \i compressed\i0  files size on disk will be smaller!
On NTFS partitions you can create multiple copies of the same file without taking any extra space on disc! These are called \b hard links\b0  and can be created using the special paste command in \cf2\f1 Edit\cf0\f0  menu. There's a relevant column, too, showing how many links each file has.
The \b attributes\b0  column shows subtle information bits for files. For instance the \b "A"\b0  (archive) bit is automatically set every time you edit a file. You can \i clear\i0  this attribute at will or with backup/zip programs. At a later stage you can check which files have the archive bit back on and you'll immediately know they were changed since the last backup.
You can change many file properties in-place as you see them in the detailed view mode. Click the mouse twice on the property you want to change (e.g. the modification date, attributes etc) just as if it was the filename. With the keyboard, press \f1 <F2>\f0  to start a rename then \f1 <Tab>\f0  till you reach the column you need changed. Just like an Excel spreadsheet!
When changing the \b ratings\b0  property, stars correspond to a number from 1-100, so 15 is one star, 90 five stars and so on in slots of 20 for each star level.
On NTFS you can use the \b compressed\b0  attribute either for individual files or whole folders to save on disc space. You can enable compression using \cf2\f1 File| Properties| General| Advanced\cf0\f0 . This way you can enjoy near-regular use without resorting to cumbersome zip files.
Be very careful with folders that have the \b J\b0  attribute. These folder \i junctions\i0  are in essence hard links for folders; the catch is, if you try to delete the junction itself, you'll ransack all the target folder structure! If you have to use folder junctions make sure you name them in a way that makes absolutely clear what they are, e.g. use a "JUNCTION" extension.
On NTFS you can use the \b Summary\b0  tab of file properties dialog to set details like Author, Title, even comments. There are columns for many of these fields for convenient browsing of this information.
Many columns appear \i twice\i0  in the column customization dialog. This is because xplorer\'b2 knows how to get columns that windows explorer also offers. In such cases you're better off using the xplorer\'b2 versions (called \b stock\b0 , & carry \cf1 [S]\cf0  after their name) since they are faster and will also work in older windows versions where multiple columns aren't supported anyway.
Latest windows versions export more than 300 columns (file attributes). To find the column you need in \f1 <Alt+K>\f0  dialog, type a part of its name and click \b GO\b0  button. The matching columns will show in the available columns list box.
\cf2\f1 Edit| Copy names\cf0\f0  puts the full paths of all selected items in the clipboard as text. This is useful e.g. for opening a file in \i another\i0  program, pasting its name in the standard windows \b Open\b0  dialog. If you press \f1 <Shift>\f0  you get the short 8.3 path name.
If you have multiple items selected, \f1 <Alt+C>\f0  will put each file path in a separate line. If you prefer a single comma-separated line containing all the paths then use \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+C>\f0 . This can be useful for pasting onto fields that accept comma separated paths, e.g. the \cf1 Look in\cf0  box in Find files dialog.
If you want only the details of the primary sort column copied as text, press \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+P> \f0 combo. If used in list view mode, this will copy the selected names \b without path\b0  information.
What's an 8.3 name? In the old days files were limited to names with \b 8\b0  characters and \b 3\b0  letter extensions, and no spaces and other fancy letters were allowed. Modern filesystems have done away with this limitation but support 8.3 names too. They are useful when you want to avoid embedded spaces or try to minimize the length of a command.
You can identify files with extra long names using the \b characters\b0  stock column. In deep folders, the total path may exceed the system limit of 260 characters, where problems usually start. However xplorer\'b2 works fine even in super deep folders.
A command in \cf2\f1 Edit\cf0\f0  menu enables to copy all the information you see in a pane, including the columns for the selected items, as a tab-separated list. You can then import (paste) into a text editor for \b printing\b0 , even to Excel for advanced manipulation.
\cf2\f1 Edit| Export CSV\cf0\f0  is the most convenient way to export folder contents for printing. It creates a CSV file out of the current folder view and loads it in MS Excel, if installed.
\cf2\f1 Edit| Paste\cf0\f0  works even when no files are copied in the clipboard. If you paste text a text file is created in the current folder; if you paste a picture then a PNG or BMP file is created.
The \cf2\f1 Edit| Copy columns\cf0\f0  command also works when the folder tree is active. There you get a hierarchical list of all the open branches beneath the active one, copied in the clipboard as text for further processing. \f1 <Alt+RightArrow>\f0  will expand all the branches starting from the focus.
When you traverse the folder tree with the keyboard, normally (unless you have used \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0  to prevent it) the folder where you rest for a short while will be automatically loaded in the active pane. If you want to temporarily prevent that happening you can hold down \f1 <Alt>\f0  while pressing the arrow keys.
The folder tree can automatically follow the folders you browse in a regular pane. Use \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0  and tick \b Keep (tree) synchronized with active folder\b0 . If you need this feature while browsing network folders, you must first disable \b Faster network access...\b0  option from program options (Advanced property page).
The folder tree shows the entire hierarchy of your computer folders, but you don't need most of them. Enable the \b quick access list\b0  from program options and create your own focused tree (list) of favorite and frequently used folders, ignoring the rest of the clutter.
Whenever xplorer\'b2 is busy working in a lengthy command, it offers a way to interrupt or cancel, usually if you press the \f1 <Escape>\f0  key. This will be mentioned in a status bar busy message. Whenever possible there will also be a \b progress bar\b0  giving an estimate of the time remaining to completion.
Some time consuming operations like folder statistics show their progress bar in a modal window. Click on the little clock icon there to \b pause\b0  and restart the operation, or cancel it altogether.
xplorer\'b2 grows with your system. When you install new \i namespace extensions\i0  or \i column handlers\i0  (e.g. for MP3 tags) more often than not it will be able to integrate with them immediately just like windows explorer. External column handlers work even in windows vista and later.
You can control which items are visible in a pane using \b wildcards\b0 . These are DOS templates made of the special characters \cf1\b *\cf0\b0  and \cf1\b ?\cf0\b0  mixed with regular letters and numbers. \cf1\b *\cf0\b0  matches anything and \cf1\b ?\cf0\b0  matches any \i single\i0  character. So \cf1\b *\cf0 .txt\b0  will allow \cf1 file\cf0 .txt, \cf1 1\cf0 .txt but not 1.dat. Similarly \b a\cf1 *\cf0 .xl\cf1 ?\cf0\b0  will allow a\cf1 File\cf0 .xl\cf1 s\cf0 , a.xl\cf1 l\cf0  but \i not\i0  a.xl. You can type them directly in the addressbar.
You can ask for more than one wildcard at a time using \b commas\b0  to separate the individual templates. So \b *.cpp \cf1 ,\cf0  *.h\b0  will show all files that have either cpp or h extensions. A \b minus\b0  sign in the start of a substring acts as exclusion, e.g. \b *.cpp, \cf1 -\cf0 a*\b0  will select all files with cpp extensions except for those that begin with the letter \b a\b0 . So file.cpp is in but \cf1 a\cf0 nother.cpp is out.
Wildcards are also used to select (or unselect) items through \cf2\f1 Mark| (Un)Select group\cf0\f0 . Just specify the template for the filenames using the special \b *\b0  and \b ?\b0  characters as in visual filters. You can also use \b multiple\b0  comma separated wildcards, leading \b -\b0  (minus) symbols to exclude filenames etc. Finally \f1 <Alt+Plus>\f0  will repeat the last selection command using the wildcard typed earlier in the dialog (ditto for the unselection command).
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Instead of  composing custom wildcards you can use predefined document categories like \{documents\}, \{pictures\} etc (using curly braces). For example to select all pictures except for bitmaps (BMP) you can use \b\{pictures\},\cf1 -\cf0 *.bmp\b0  in the addressbar.
The \cf2\f1 File| Change type\cf0\f0  command can be used to change the \b extension\b0  of files, even when those are normally hidden from Control Panel's Folder Options. Naturally not all possible changes make sense but you can use it to change a file from e.g. readme.txt to readme.dat.
You can access \b FTP\b0  sites by typing the login details alongside the URL in the addressbar using the format \f1 ftp://\i username\i0 :\i password\i0 @ftpsite.com\f0 . But this may not be an option for many users, since it implies revealing your passwords which will be stored unencrypted in the registry. Still it may be reasonable for lightweight FTP users.
The fastest way to get to a local or mapped drive is to use the \f1 <Ctrl+Shift+\i driveLetter\i0 >\f0  keyboard shortcut, where \i\f1 driveLetter\i0\f0  is substituted by A, C, etc, depending on your intended destination. In a dual-pane setting, try keeping \f1 <Alt>\f0  pressed at the same time and see what happens!
\cf2\f1 Go to| Quick bookmark\cf0\f0  is meant to be assigned and reused frequently, in contrast to long-term favorites listed in the \cf2\f1 Bookmarks\cf0\f0  main menu. So if you want to have a quick look around your namespace but get back to the original folder afterwards, just hit \f1 <Ctrl+Shift+F1>\f0  to store it as the "quick" (or scrap) bookmark, without worrying about overwriting any important favorite.
You can have bookmarks on favorite \b files\b0  too. Use \cf2\f1 Bookmarks| Add\cf0\f0  to insert the file's parent folder and then edit the fresh bookmark's \i description\i0  (from \cf2\f1 Bookmarks| Organize\cf0\f0 ) to append the filename. Then you can browse the folder and simultaneously select your favorite file in one stroke!
Each folder pane shows the full path of the current folder on its titlebar. You can click on any part of the path to jump to a parent folder e.g. \f1 E:\\Users\\\cf1 nikos\cf0\\Documents\\c++\\xplorer2\f0 . If you right-click on a subpath you get a menu with a folder list under that subpath. This is the \b breadcrumbs\b0  feature.
When you \f1 <Control>-\f0 right-click on a pane's titlebar where the current folder path is shown, you get a list of folders visited recently in this pane. You can also double-click this titlebar to go to the parent folder or click on a highlighted subpath (e.g. \f1 E:\\Documents and Settings\\\cf1 Administrator\cf0\\My Documents\f0 ) to jump directly there. If some of the subpaths are hidden due to width limitations, right-click while holding \f1 <Shift>\f0  to reveal them all.
You can type \i file\i0  names in the addressbar too (not just folder names). In this case the parent folder is loaded and the file in question highlighted.  You can also type wildcards alongside paths, so \b c:\\\cf1 *.bat\cf0\b0  will browse \b c:\\\b0  and set \cf1\b *.bat\cf0\b0  as a visual filter at the same time.
The addressbar also accepts \b bookmarks\b0 . You can type any folder name you have saved (everything under \cf2\f1 Bookmark\cf0\f0  menu), even \i part\i0  of it. For example if you have a bookmark called "tools" that points to c:\\programs, you can type "\b ols\b0 ", hit up arrow a few times till you see the full name, and then hit enter to browse the target folder.
Whenever any kind of filter limits the visibility of items in a folder (see \cf2\f1 View| Visual filter\cf0\f0 ) a filter icon will appear in the rightmost status bar pane, as a reminder. Double click on this icon to turn off the filter.
Using the advanced settings (registry) editor you can define a \b global exclusion filter\b0 , either as a comma separated list of wildcards, or using a saved hyperfilter name. Any files or folders matching this filter will be hidden, similar to files with the \cf1 H\cf0 idden attribute.
There are tons of small xplorer\'b2 tweaks available through \cf2\f1 Tools| Advanced options\cf0\f0  menu. Luckily there is a search box near the bottom left corner that helps you find that minute property you are after by keyword.
The folder tree shows some folders twice and some that people seldom use. You can hide folders you don't need using the tree context menu (\cf2\f1 xplorer\'b2| Hide this folder\cf0\f0 ) on the unwanted folders. To show all folders again right click on the tree background and tick off \cf2\f1 Use blacklist\cf0\f0  menu option.
You can access \b shared folders\b0  on computers in your network using a UNC path like \f1\\\\computerName\\share\f0 . If you have administrator privileges or can logon to a remote PC, you can even access unshared folders using \b C$\b0  for C:\\ drive, \b D$\b0  for D:\\ etc.
For slow network folders and removable media, you can \b abort\b0  reading the contents via hitting \f1 <Esc>\f0 . You can tell whether xplorer\'b2 considers some folder to be slow or not by checking the message on the status bar while reading is in progress.
The registry setting \b nPingTimeoutMS\b0  (available through \cf2 Tools| Advanced options\cf0  menu) can be tweaked for better network browsing. By default xplorer\'b2 considers any network folder that takes more than 5 seconds to respond as unavailable. You can increase this timeout if your network is slower. To turn off pinging, set nPingTimeoutMS to 0.
From windows 2000 onwards, \b virtual folders\b0  like control panel, recycle bin, etc have "pathnames" too in the form \f1 ::\{\i funny number\i0\}\f0 , using a CLSID-like number. For instance "My Computer" is addressed by ::\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D\}. You can see all these paths in the addressbar when you browse such special folders.
The \b addressbar\b0  is a valid drop target. A usual scenario is to drop a shortcut onto it (from the desktop or the quicklaunch bar) to jump to its location and then use \cf2\f1 Go to| Find target\cf0\f0  to reach the actual file pointed to by the shortcut.
\cf2\f1 Go to\cf0\f0  menu offers easy access to a few interesting special system folders. \b Recent\b0  holds items you accessed or launched recently (the list shown in \f1 Start| Documents\f0  and more). \b Startup\b0  is a folder containing shortcuts to programs that automatically start whenever you logon. You can experiment with the rest of them for even more revelations!
xplorer\'b2 automatically remembers folders you visit often and makes it easy to browse them without explicit bookmarks. If you have the ribbon UI, check the leftmost \b File\b0  tab; if you have the traditional menu bar use \cf2\f1 Go to| Frequent\cf0\f0  submenu. Frequent folders are also available in the history portion of the addressbar
Using \cf2\f1 Window| Save layout\cf0\f0  you can save different window configurations for different tasks. For instance you can have a layout where there is just one pane with a big previewer window and no toolbars, and another with dual panes and a tree for regular file management. You can then clone instances from each type at will from \cf2\f1 Window\cf0\f0  menu.
\b Cloning\b0  is a quick and efficient way to get another window for file management. So instead of opening a folder in the same window you can "clone" a fresh one and browse it there, keeping the original intact. You can even clone windows of particular type (registry key) using those available from \cf2\f1 Window\cf0\f0  menu.
If you want to permanently switch to a new layout, getting rid of the starting window, check the advanced option (\cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Advanced\cf0\f0 ) "\b Close old window after cloning a new layout\b0 ".
The easiest way to switch among top-level windows controlled by xplorer\'b2 process is to use \cf2\f1 Window| List\cf0\f0  or \f1 <Ctrl+W>\f0 . This command is useful when windows from other running programs clutter the system \f1 <Alt+Tab>\f0  list.
In dual-pane mode, pressing \f1 <Alt>\f0  while double-clicking (or pressing \f1 <Return>\f0 ) on a folder opens this folder in the \i inactive\i0  pane. Likewise, \f1 <Alt+BackSpace>\f0  forces the inactive pane to go to \i its\i0  parent folder. \f1 <Alt>\f0  can be used in this fashion in most places where you browse for folders, e.g. typing paths in the addressbar.
If you miss Norton Commander's \f1 <UP-DIR>\f0  item that goes to the parent folder use \cf2\f1 Tools| Advanced options\cf0\f0  menu command, then find and tick the \f1 ".."\f0  checkbox. This special folder item will appear in most filesystem folders.
The inactive pane is a natural target for copy or move file operations. The Copy To command \f1 <F5>\f0  normally brings up a dialog, but you can suppress this if you press \f1 <Ctrl+F5>\f0 , sending the files to the inactive pane directly. \f1 <Alt+F5>\f0  will send the active selection to the folder last used (typed) in the \cf2 Here:\cf0  field of the CopyTo dialog. The same principles hold for \cf2\f1 Edit| Move To\cf0\f0  (\f1 <F6>\f0 ).
Drag-drop is the easiest method to transfer files to an \i inactive tab\i0 . Just hover the mouse pointer over the target folder tab and it will be automatically brought to the front for you.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The \b drivebar\b0  is a valid drop target too. Drop files over a drive button to copy or move them to the root folder of the respective drive e.g. \f1 C:\\\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you place any bookmark or user command on any toolbar then it becomes a drop target too! This way you can easily move files into your bookmarked folders without browsing them first.
The fastest way to divide a window in two equal portions is to double-click on a \b splitter\b0  bar. In dual pane mode you can also press \f1 <Ctrl+E>\f0 .
In dual pane mode press \f1 <Ctrl+E>\f0  to maximise the active pane. The difference compared to \f1 <Ctrl+O>\f0  is that the inactive pane remains available with all its tabs, ready to be restored with another \f1 <Ctrl+E>\f0 .
In (Miller) column mode, double-click on a splitter to autosize the pane on the left. Hold down \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  key to resize all panes in the miller group.
To compare the contents of two panes use \cf2\f1 Mark| Sync wizard\cf0\f0 . It uses the \i filename\i0  as a guide to match items left and right and a user-selected comparison rule to figure out whether they are identical, or which one seems to be \i newer\i0 , i.e. modified later. You can use this information to select items that are either identical or to check which items need to be copied across to make the two folders identical. \f1 <Alt+F9>\f0  \b repeats\b0  the last synchronization command with the same options.
To compare the contents of 2 text files for differences use the \f1 WinDiff\f0  sample user command in \cf2\f1 Customize\cf0\f0  menu. To compare 2 images, select them and press  \f1 <Alt+Shift+Q>\f0  for a side by side popup preview.
\cf2\f1 Actions| Sync-touch\cf0\f0  forces the modification dates from the active pane to name-matching items in the inactive pane. It is useful for eliminating phantom differences introduced by changes in daylight saving time between NTFS and FAT drives. \cf2\f1 Actions| Change attributes\cf0\f0  on the other hand sets the \i same\i0  date/time to all selected items, acting like a normal \b touch\b0  command.
The default file operation when drag-dropping files depends on whether the source and target folders are on the same logical drive or not: if they are, then \b move\b0  is performed, else the files are \b copied\b0 . You can override this default behaviour using keyboard modifiers while dragging: \f1 <Shift>\f0  forces a move, \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  a copy and \f1 <Ctrl+Shift>\f0  pastes a shortcut. Have you ever tried dragging with the \i right\i0  mouse button?
Pressing \f1 <Escape>\f0  while dragging cancels the operation. If you can't see the window you want to drop on you can use \f1 <Alt+Tab>\f0  till the target shows up. Another option is to \b hover\b0  the mouse on the windows taskbar over the button of the window; after a short while the window will be restored for you.
You can also drop files on non-folder targets. Dropping on an executable (or shortcut) icon is the same as starting the application with the dropped files as arguments. Dropping on zip icons usually adds files in the archive. Finally you can drop files even on running applications; try dropping a text file in an open Notepad window and see what happens!
While dragging you can \b hover\b0  the mouse on some folder in the tree pane (wait over the folder icon while maintaining the mouse button depressed) to automatically \i expand\i0  the branch, revealing a subfolder where you want the drop placed. You can turn this and other usability features on/off using \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Window\cf0\f0 .
If you release the mouse button by accident while drag-dropping, and you can't find which folder your files ended up in, use \cf2\f1 Goto| Drop target\cf0\f0  command.
While dragging in a pane with many items, you can \b scroll\b0  the contents by hovering on the window edge closest to the direction you want to see revealed. This trick works in the tree too.
You can pin any xplorer\'b2 window above all other windows checking \cf2\f1 Topmost\cf0\f0  in system menu (click on the left corner of the window titlebar). This can help dragging objects among other uses.
xplorer\'b2 senses changes occurring in any part of the filesystem (in most cases) and will automatically refresh all affected folder views. Sometimes this behaviour can be a nuisance e.g. when you browse a folder while files are being downloaded within it. \cf2\f1 View| Hold autorefresh\cf0\f0  comes handy in such cases, suspending all time-consuming refreshes. Don't forget to turn the autorefresh back on later!
xplorer\'b2 is fully aware of shell item \b shortcuts\b0  (links), those with the little arrow on the left of the icon. It will help you create them and manage the target object. For instance, when you drop files on a folder shortcut, they will be sent to the actual folder.
When a shortcut item is highlighted, you can use \cf2\f1 Goto| Find target\cf0\f0  to jump directly to the actual file object it points to. This is especially useful for \i file\i0  shortcuts, folder junctions etc.
Find target command also works for hard links: put a linked file in a (mini) scrap container, select it and press \f1 <Ctrl+L>\f0  keys to see all the files hard linked to it. Some may have different names even!
\cf2\f1 Actions| Merge files\cf0\f0  will join all the selected files in the order they are shown in the active pane. So make sure they are ordered properly (e.g. \b alphabetically\b0 ) before proceeding with the merging, to avoid corrupting the originally split file.
xplorer\'b2 accepts \b command line arguments\b0 . You can control details like the folders you start browsing, what kind of window you want displayed initially, the registry key to use for options, etc. See the help file for more information.
You can search for text in files using the command in \cf2\f1 Mark\cf0\f0  menu. The command automatically senses the text file \b encoding\b0  if a BOM (identification number at the beginning of the file) exists, allowing searches within Unicode and UTF-8 files. For some cases you may have to \i force\i0  the encoding e.g. when trying to locate OEM text.
To suppress automatic encoding and other text filter interpretations when searching for text in files, use the \cf2 Raw\cf0  encoding option in either \f1 <Ctrl+G>\f0  or \f1 <Ctrl+F>\f0  dialogs. Then you can search the bytes \i exactly\i0  as they are stored on disk.
If you are certain of the character case of the text you are after, check \b Match character case\b0  in find text dialog. This will speed up the process. Case \i in\i0 sensitive searches on the other hand are slower but more convenient: searching for "foo" will also match "Foo" and "FOO".
You can search for special characters in text contained in files using the \b $\cf1 xx\cf0\b0  format, where \cf1\b xx\cf0\b0  is the 2-digit hexadecimal code that corresponds to the character in question. For instance searching for \b hello$\cf1 0D\cf0\b0  will only select files that contain "hello" at the end of a line (0D is hex for 13, the character that is usually found at the end of text lines). You'll find useful escape sequences in a drop-down box in the dialog box.
You can search for multiple words in files using comma separated substrings as those used in visual filtering. You can assign a boolean context to substrings too using a leading \cf1\b +\cf0\b0  (AND) or \cf1\b -\cf0\b0  (NOT). E.g. searching for \b help, \cf1 +\cf0 me, \cf1 -\cf0 god\b0  will mark files that \i must\i0  contain "me", \i maybe\i0  contain "help" and \i not\i0  contain "god". Note that spaces around the separator commas are \i not\i0  significant.
Multistrings used in text searches within files are very flexible but all these special characters may backfire. If you want to find text that contains commas, dollar characters etc, you'll need to "escape" them using the \cf2 Special characters\cf0  drop-down box in \f1 <Ctrl+G>\f0  command's dialog. So if you want to find "\cf1\b ,\cf0\b0 " search for "\b $\cf1 2C\cf0\b0 " instead, where \b 2C\b0  is the hex code for comma. Or, just check the \cf2 Verbatim\cf0  box to disable boolean multistrings altogether.
The text previewer window will sense when a file has matched a previous text search and will automatically scroll near the hit location, \b highlighting\b0  the word. Pressing \f1 <F3>\f0  (when the previewer is clicked) will take you to the next match, if any. Don't forget to right-click in the previewer window for some more interesting commands!
The quick viewer pane offers \b previews\b0  of many file types, including text, graphics, HTML, office documents, it even plays music and video clips! When you turn it on it automatically shows the preview of the \i focused\i0  item in the active pane. As you use the keyboard or mouse to change the focused item, the quickviewer will follow (after a short delay) so you can easily preview many files just by scrolling the contents of a pane.
If your system supports it, xplorer\'b2 can browse certain classes of folders like as if they were pseudo-filesystem (e.g. zipfolders and FTP). You can check file details, view \f1 <F3>\f0  or preview content, even see thumbnails. Goes without saying that you can copy files from and into them, too.
You can browse, preview and search into more compressed archive types like \b 7z, RAR\b0  etc if you install a shell extension we wrote for you. Just google for \b 7zNSE\b0  for all the details.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can browse into pseudo-zipfolders like JAR, DOCX and even installers like APPX using a WCX plugin called \b Total7zip\b0  and the menu command \cf2\f1 File| Enter archive\cf0\f0 .
xplorer\'b2 won't extract thumbnails and quick previews for large files, especially those within slow folders (zipfolders, FTP, etc). Exactly how large is "large" is user-configurable from \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| General\cf0\f0  (size limits group box).
xplorer\'b2 is aware of \b cloud\b0  files on demand, and will not download such offline files unless you try to do something with them explicitly, e.g. open or copy them. Text and thumbnail previews for such files are usually not available.
If you want to see the raw text in a HTML file instead of the graphic preview, select \cf2\f1 Text only\cf0\f0  from the previewer context menu. If a file appears as binary (hex preview) and you know it is Unicode without a BOM, force the \cf2\f1 Encoding\cf0\f0 , again from the right-click menu. The previewer can also show UTF-8 and OEM text.
Sometimes when browsing log (text) files, you may prefer to see the \b end\b0  of the file in the quick previewer instead of its beginning. Just right click in the previewer and pick \cf2\f1 Tail mode\cf0\f0  menu command.
xplorer\'b2 and editor\'b2 share the same search options. Thus, if you search for text contained in files and then you \b view\b0  the matching files pressing \f1 <F3>\f0 , editor\'b2 will be prepared to search for the matching text. Once the file is loaded, a simple \f1 <F3>\f0  will take you straight to the hit! That is why using editor\'b2 as the default file viewer is highly recommended.
You can associate separate (text) \b external viewers\b0  and editors via \cf2\f1 Tools| Options\cf0\f0 . They will be used if editor\'b2 can't be found in the installation folder. If editor\'b2 exists then \i it\i0  will be used for \cf2\f1 File| View\cf0\f0  \f1 <F3>\f0  and your external editor for \f1 <F4>\f0 . You can reverse these roles if you hold \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  key down, e.g. \f1 <Ctrl+F3>\f0  will use the external viewer even when editor\'b2 exists.
It's a good idea to create a backup of your settings from time to time, against mishaps and reinstallations. Use \cf2\f1 Actions| Export settings\cf0\f0  menu and keep the saved \f1 x2settings.REG\f0  (or INI) file safe. If you need to restore settings, select the saved file and use \cf2\f1 Actions| Import settings\cf0\f0  menu.
You can switch among various panes using the keyboard. \f1 <Tab>\f0  on its own takes you to the inactive view, which becomes active. \f1 <Shift+Tab>\f0  takes you to the addressbar, \f1 <Ctrl+Tab>\f0  to the tree (if visible) and \f1 <Ctrl+Shift+Tab>\f0  to the quick previewer. To get back to the active folder pane, press \f1 <Escape>\f0  or \f1 <Tab>\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  To jump into the mini-scrap pane (\cf2\f1 View| Mini scrap\cf0\f0 ) use \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+Tab>\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  To change the keyboard shortcut that jumps to the addressbar to the internet explorer friendly \f1 <Alt+D>\f0 , use \cf2\f1 Customize| Keyboard\cf0\f0  command, switch to \cf2 Miscellaneous\cf0  category and locate the command cryptically called "\b 32859\b0 " and assign to it the new key. You can tell that 32859 relates to the addressbar from the explanatory text under the box that lists the commands.
Assign a keyboard shortcut to the "hidden" command number \b 33525\b0  to jump from pane to pane in a cyclic fashion (including the addressbar and all auxiliary panes, tree etc). See the previous tip for details.
Most combo boxes including the addressbar support 2 kinds of \b autocompletion\b0 . You can start writing a path and hit \f1 <F1>\f0  to get the first possible match, another \f1 <F1>\f0  to get the next match etc, in a similar fashion that the \f1 <Tab>\f0  key works in DOS boxes. The second mode allows you to type a small part of a string contained in the combo history (drop-down) portion and hit \f1 <UpArrow>\f0  to fetch the complete string; another \f1 <UpArrow>\f0  brings the next match and so on.
If you prefer explorer-style path autocompletion, without having to press \f1 <F1>\f0 , check the relevant option in \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Advanced\cf0\f0 .
You can use the addressbar to \b execute commands\b0 , in a similar fashion to \f1 Start| Run\f0  utility, if you start the command with the special characters \b >\b0  or \b $\b0 , for normal and DOS commands respectively. Perhaps more useful is the DOS mode \b $\b0  which runs commands that require the command processor like \f1 ren\f0 , \f1 xcopy\f0 , etc.
While typing commands in the addressbar you can press \f1 <Ctrl+Return>\f0  to grab the active filename from the active pane and use it as part of the command. \f1 <Ctrl+Arrows>\f0  move the focus around in the active pane while \i remaining\i0  in the addressbar, so that you can pick even more filenames. \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+Return>\f0  picks the whole path of the focused item. Holding \f1 <Shift>\f0  all at the same time pastes the 8.3 name.
You can type addressbar commands in a \b reusable\b0  fashion, using special $-tokens supported by the \cf2\f1 Tools| Command script\cf0\f0 . E.g. instead of executing \cf1\b >\cf0 windiff file1 file2\b0  which is fixed and not reusable, try \cf1\b >\cf0 windiff "$N" "$I"\b0 . This means that you compare (windiff) the currently focused file represented by \b $N\b0  (whatever it may be) with a file with the same name in the inactive pane path (\b $I\b0 ). This variable formulation can be reused time and again with different files. Command history is available from \cf2\f1 Tools\cf0\f0  menu.
Normally user commands started from the addressbar act only on the single \b focused\b0  item. If you want to apply the command to all \b selected\b0  items then use a double command prompt e.g. \cf1\b >>\cf0  notepad "$N"\b0  will open all selected files with notepad.
When you use the special $-tokens for commands or scripts, you should watch out for embedded spaces in pathnames that may confuse the application that executes the arguments. It's best to surround the tokens in quotes, as \cf1\b "\cf0 $N\cf1 "\cf0\b0 . Alternatively you can use the lowercase version e.g. \b $n\b0  that stands for the short 8.3 name that is guaranteed to be free of space characters.
Command templates may include \b environmental variables\b0  like \i %WINDIR%\i0 . These are automatically expanded for the actual pathname e.g. \i c:\\winnt\i0 . You can also type such variables in the addressbar and other input fields accepting paths in dialogs. Try typing \i %TEMP%\i0  in the addressbar and see what happens when you press \f1 <Return>\f0 !
DOS commands are not supported for UNC paths in the form \f1\\\\computer\\share\f0 . If you want to execute a $-prompted command on a remote computer you must first map the network drive onto a local drive letter like F:\\
When executing commands you should keep in mind the whereabouts of the \b current directory\b0 . If the files you want to act upon are in the active pane then you can address them with their simple name \b $N\b0 . To access files in the \i inactive\i0  pane or in situations where there is no active folder (e.g. in scrap containers) you should use \b $F\b0  or \b $G\b0  and generally only use tokens that include path information.
Programs launched from the addressbar may require a full path as in e.g. \b > \cf1 c:\\tools\\\cf0 windiff.exe $n $i\b0 . You can omit the program path if you extend your \i %PATH%\i0  environmental variable to include folders where you store your utilities. If your search path includes \cf1\b c:\\tools\cf0\b0  then you can type the same command simply as \b > windiff.exe $n $i\b0 .
The syntax of command templates is identical whether they are used in the addressbar or in the script generator (\cf2\f1 Tools\cf0\f0  menu). The difference is in the context: addressbar commands apply only to the \i focused\i0  item whereas in scripts as many commands as there are selected items are emitted. Some $-tokens don't make sense in all situations, like using \b $01\b0  counters in the addressbar or tokens that represent all the selection (e.g. \b $A\b0  or \b $S\b0 ) in scripts.
The script wizard issues commands for the selected items \i in the order they appear\i0  in the active pane. If the order is important (e.g. when using counters $01) and you cannot achieve it via regular sorting, you can manually rearrange items using \f1 <Ctrl+Shift+UpArrow>\f0  and \f1 <Ctrl+Shift+DownArrow>\f0 . Note that you can only move one item at a time and the rearrangement is temporary.
Within the script wizard \f1 <Ctrl+B>\f0 , you can generate \b multiple\b0  commands for each selected file. Just type all the commands you want within the dialog's \cf2 Template\cf0  field separated with commas, in the usual fashion. E.g. you could specify \b encrypt $N $B.xxx \cf1 ,\cf0  del $N\b0  to encrypt files into a new name and then delete the originals.
You have two ways to execute scripts generated with \cf2\f1 Tools| Command script\cf0\f0 . The \i DOS\i0  way uses the command processor and \i shell\i0  launches 32-bit windows applications. Use the first for commands like \f1 ren\f0 , \f1 copy\f0  etc and the second for programs like MP3 converters. There is a slight performance advantage running 32-bit tools in their natural environment, but you can also run them under DOS. The reverse is not possible, e.g. you can't run a script containing \f1 ren\f0  commands with shell execution.
\b Mass renaming\b0  in \cf2\f1 File\cf0\f0  menu is also furnished with $-tokens. For instance a rename template of \b $B$001.$E\b0  uses the original base name ($B) and extension ($E) and adds an automatic counter inbetween. If you apply it on files a.jpg and b.jpg you'll end up with filenames a001.jpg and b002.jpg. If instead of $001 you used a counter like $02, you'd get a number sequence of 02, 03, 04,...
Mass renaming supports search and replace within filenames. Using regular expressions you can even rearrange parts of the filename.
When inserting file dates in filenames using the mass rename wizard, you can specify the date format on the spot. So \f1 $\{Modified\cf1 :yyyyMMdd\cf0\}\f0  will insert a file sort friendly date like \f1 20200228\f0 .
xplorer\'b2 automatically removes illegal characters (\f1 :\\?*\f0  etc) from filenames while renaming. The default replace character is _ (underscore) but you can change that using \b chRenDefault\b0  global registry setting.
$-token counters can have an optional step size argument separated by a colon, e.g. $01\cf1 :3\cf0  will generate the sequence 01, 04, 07, ... If you don't specify a step, the counter is increased by 1.
With \b mirror browsing\b0  mode enabled (\cf2\f1 Go to\cf0\f0  menu), the inactive pane tries to follow the active one as it traverses the folder hierarchy. So if you are browsing \b c:\\temp\b0  on the left and \b d:\\aux\b0  on the right and you get into a folder called \b code\b0  in the left, the right pane will try to follow switching to \b d:\\aux\\\cf1 code\cf0\b0 , if the folder exists. This feature is convenient for comparing folders and subfolders.
When \b mirror scrolling\b0  is on (\cf2\f1 Go to\cf0\f0  menu), the inactive pane tries to follow the active pane \i focused item\i0  as you scroll around using the keyboard. So if \f1 file.txt\f0  is focused in the active pane and a file with the same name exists in the inactive pane, it will be brought into view, handy for comparing individual files left & right. While you are at it, try bringing a column other than \b Name\b0  in the leftmost position and see how mirror scrolling behaves!
xplorer\'b2 uses advanced \b multi-threading\b0  techniques to extract some pieces of file information that are time consuming. The advantage is that you can start working with your files \i immediately\i0 , while the view is possibly still being updated. This is particularly evident in detailed view modes where some slow columns are filled in long after you started your work with the contents; you just don't have to wait at all!
The free version of xplorer\'b2 has a few less commands than the "pro" version. That's why you get some menu items permanently disabled, no scrap containers, etc. Extra features available after registration are marked as \cf1 [PRO version]\cf0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you are on windows NT/2000 or XP/Vista you are most likely using the special \b Unicode\b0  build of xplorer\'b2 (see \cf2\f1 Help| About\cf0\f0  version information). It is more efficient and the only option for dealing with some locale-related problems for far-Eastern and non-English users in general.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can see the \b real contents\b0  of some special folders like the \b Recycle Bin\b0  using \cf2\f1 View| Raw contents\cf0\f0 . This offers the same kind of access as a DOS \f1 dir\f0  command so you can check what \i really\i0  goes on under the covers!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can \b save\b0  a folder's view mode settings (\cf2\f1 Actions\cf0\f0  menu) so that every time you browse this folder it switches to the same format. This makes sense for folders like "My pictures" that you'd probably want to browse in \b thumbnails\b0 , or the windows system folder where you'd want to have the \b version\b0  column shown to check those DLL files.
Custom folder settings may include the \b position\b0  of your items (think of your desktop icons). Use \cf2\f1 View| Arrange By| Manual\cf0\f0  in any large icon view mode (including thumbnails) and you can position file icons with the mouse to taste. Then when you save the folder's settings, the positions will be remembered too, next time you browse the folder.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When you place a file in a \b scrap container\b0 , you don't change its physical location on disc. You can think of these windows as "bags" where you put notes about actual files that can be located in \i more than one\i0  folder. So you can roam your folders hand-picking items with \cf2\f1 File| Send to scrap\cf0\f0  command and in the end switch to the scrap window and deal with them simultaneously, just like as if they were on a \i single\i0  folder!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Scrap containers are fully operational file managers. You can do \i mostly everything\i0  on a file in a scrap window as in normal windows. So you can drag-drop, use context menus, preview contents, etc. You can even have \b dual-pane\b0  scrap frames.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When you press \f1 <Delete>\f0  in a scrap container, it forces \cf2\f1 File| Remove\cf0\f0  command that merely \i removes\i0  items from the window without actually affecting the files on disk. If you really want to \i delete\i0  the files use \cf2\f1 File| Delete\cf0\f0  (keep \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  pressed).
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you enable \b infotips\b0  in a scrap container (via \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Window\cf0\f0 ) you'll see the \i path\i0  of each item in a popup window as you hover over it, as well as the normal shell infotip.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The \b Find files\b0  command can be used to fetch files using \i any and all\i0  column attributes, combined in a boolean context. For instance you can search files by \b Owner\b0 , or for files that contain some text within their \b Comments\b0  etc. Similar super-filters can be used for selecting and unselecting files (\cf2\f1 Mark| Matching rule\cf0\f0  command).
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you use a special attribute as a search parameter, and want to see what was matched in the search results (scrap) window, right click on the column header and use \cf2 Details from filter\cf0  menu command. This will add any missing columns used in the search filter.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  To locate files by name, it is easiest to type part of the filename \i without\i0  wildcards and they will be added for you automatically. So if you type \b sys\b0  in the \cf2 Named\cf0  field of the find dialog, it is equivalent to \cf1\b *\cf0 sys\cf1 *\cf0\b0  and will match anything containing "sys" in their names, e.g. \cf1 sys\cf0 tem32, config.\cf1 sys\cf0 , etc. If you type any wildcard characters (*?) yourself then none will be added by xplorer\'b2.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When you search for files by name you can match \i similar\i0  filenames using a value less than 100 in the \b fuzzy name %\b0  match box. The smaller the number, the bigger the "fuzziness", increasingly matching names that are distant relatives of what you type in the \cf2 Named\cf0  box. This feature is useful for spelling errors, removing \i accents\i0  etc. For example with 80% exact, \b bat\b0  will match a\cf2 b\'e2t\cf0 er.txt.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  To enable regular expressions in the \b Named\b0  box and match files with complex regexp syntax, set the fuzzy name % box (to its right) to 0. For example abc\cf1 [1-5]\cf0  will match abc\cf1 1\cf0 , abc\cf1 2\cf0 ... abc\cf1 5\cf0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  xplorer\'b2 has some predefined document categories which you can select from the drop-down portion of \cf2 Named\cf0  field. For example \f1\{audio\}\f0  will limit the search to music files. In reality these categories are just glorified wildcards! You can change or even add your own categories under \f1 HKCU\\Software\\ZabaraKatranemia Plc\\xplorer2_UC.global\\File types\f0  registry key.
If you want to search for an exact filename or text property, start your text rule with a \b colon\b0  \cf1 :\cf0  e.g. \cf1\f1 :\cf0 for\f0  will only match the exact string and not \cf1 for\cf0 m or pro\cf1 for\cf0 ma. Leading colon also works with regular expressions.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When a search rule tries to locate text \i within some column\i0 , you can use boolean expressions as in the \cf2\f1 Mark| Containing text\cf0\f0  command discussed in a previous tip. So to search for files that have the \cf1 A\cf0 rchive attribute but not the \cf1 H\cf0 idden one, add a rule for the \b Attributes\b0  column that looks like \b +A,-H\b0 ; note the use of the \b +\b0  and \b -\b0  special characters to denote the boolean operators AND and NOT, and the comma that separates the 2 substrings \b A\b0  and \b H\b0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can use simple * and ? wildcards when matching text column properties (find files and related dialogs). These work in a similar fashion as in filenames. If you want to find the exact text as you type it, tick on the \b Verbatim\b0  box; this will cancel wildcard and comma processing.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you want to find all files that have \i any\i0  comment set, add a rule on Comment [S] column and type a single \b ?\b0  (question mark) for the text to find. This is a fast search especially if you have xplorer\'b2 ultimate edition, and works for any text file property.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The \b Look In\b0  field where you specify \i where\i0  to search for files in the Find files dialog accepts multiple folders if separated by commas, e.g. \b c:\\\cf1 ,\cf0  d:\\\cf1 ,\cf0  f:\\\b0  will search all three hard discs. You can also specify folders to \i exclude\i0 , e.g. \b c:\\, \cf1 -\cf0 *temp*\b0  will search all c:\\ except for folders that contain \b temp\b0  in their name. Note that \i only\i0  excluded folder names can contain wildcards.
If you want to limit your search to, say, 2 levels below the current folder, tick \b Breadth first\b0  option in the Find files dialog. Then, once you start seeing results from deeper levels, press \f1 <Esc>\f0  key or the \cf1 [X]\cf0  scrap window titlebar button \b once\b0 . This will abort the search and show you just the results you need.
Normally file search (and similar folder recursive commands) will skip folder junctions. If you want to search or copy through junctions enable the \b Advanced option\b0\i  "Treat folder junctions as normal folders"\i0 . Turning this on may lead to duplicate search results though.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The registry key \f1 .global\\Find Blacklist\f0  under the main program key lists folders that are always excluded from searches, since they are more trouble than worth. You can add or remove folders from this list by editing the registry, after quitting xplorer\'b2.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can search for files within \b FTP\b0  and \b zipfolders\b0  (if you have windows XP) too, by ensuring you have \cf2 Archived content\cf0  box checked in the Find Files dialog. The only limitation is that you can only use \i stock\i0  properties (columns) in the search rules. Keep in mind that these searches are much slower than those in regular filesystem folders, so only check this option if you want to get in such slow folders.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can \b refine\b0  a search as follows: after the main search command has filled a scrap container with the rough results, issue an \f1 <Alt+G>\f0  command within the same window, where you can specify a similar or completely different filter. Out of the original files only those that match the secondary criteria will be highlighted! Another possibility is to issue another search \f1 <Ctrl+F>\f0  command making sure you check the \cf2 Local search\cf0  box.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Pressing \f1 <Shift>\f0  while attempting to browse a folder will open a scrap container and \b flatten\b0  the subtree, filling in all the files contained in the folder and recursively in all its subfolders. You can then manage all the files simultaneously just like as if they were in the same folder.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Unlike Find files command, \cf2\f1 File| Browse flat\cf0\f0  will not step into slow folders (FTP, zipfolders, webfolders etc) unless the root (where you start flattening from) is itself a slow folder. It also won't get into folders listed under the registry key \f1 .global\\Find Blacklist\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  To compare files in two folders, including their \b subfolders\b0  ("deep" synchronization), use a dual-pane scrap container. \i Right\i0 -drag the first folder in one pane and pick the \cf2\f1 Flatten here\cf0\f0  command from the context menu; likewise flatten the second folder in the right pane and then use \f1 <F9>\f0  or \cf2\f1 Mark| Sync wizard\cf0\f0  to specify the comparison options. Once differing items are marked, use \cf2\f1 Edit| Sync-o-paste\cf0\f0  to overwrite older files in the appropriate subfolders.
The \b Path\b0  column is especially useful for items in scrap containers, since they usually come from different folders.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can \b save\b0  the contents of a scrap container and reload them at a later time. There are many possible uses for such a feature: save the results of searches, keeping files with similar content from throughout your filesystem in a single "database" file, maintaining lists of favorite folders for bookmarks or copy targets, etc.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can use the mini-scrap pane (\cf2\f1 View| Mini scrap\cf0\f0  command) as a bookmark pane or even program launchpad. After you put in your favorite contents, \i save\i0  them in a "playlist" using the context menu. From then on, whenever you open the mini-scrap it will automatically reopen this "playlist" for your convenience. You can open other content files using the context menu, too.
If you want to keep network items in the mini-scrap pane, create a LNK \b shortcut\b0  to the actual target and add \i it\i0  in the miniscrap instead. This protects you if the network becomes disconnected and you can also rename the miniscrap shortcut item without affecting the real file or folder. It's easy to create such links: drag the target item with the \b right\b0  mouse button and drop it in the miniscrap, selecting \cf2\f1 Link target\cf0\f0  menu command.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Have you tried typing a path in a scrap container's address bar to see what happens? You can also use it to execute commands on the focused item in the active view as in regular windows, too.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  By default the output of all DOS commands (started with \b $\b0  prompt) go to a special \b console window\b0 , much friendlier than the standard DOS box. It is nearly an independent command processor on its own. Its \i current directory\i0  follows the folder you are browsing in the main program automatically (you can read it off its titlebar). Its toolbar keeps a history of past commands and also supports \f1 <F1>\f0 -based \b autocompletion\b0 : type a few characters from an existing path and press \f1 <F1>\f0  a few times to see what happens!
If you need a standard DOS console for the current folder, just type a solitary \b $\b0  in the addressbar (without any command) and press \f1 <Return>\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Holding \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  while launching a file or folder in a scrap container will "load" the parent folder in a regular xplorer\'b2 window and select the original item. Still keep in mind that within a scrap container you can do pretty much all the file management that single-folder windows allow, so you don't have much use for this \f1 <Ctrl>\f0  modifier after all!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can search your whole hard disc for \b duplicates\b0 . First flatten the logical disc (e.g. C:\\) in a scrap frame; use \cf2\f1 Tools| Check duplicates\cf0\f0  to begin the detection process. Most of the true duplicates will have the same name and size but other possibilities are available as options. In the end all suspected duplicates are grouped together for further inspection (the \b checksum\b0  column is ideal for this). Files that are unique are hidden from view.
Discovering duplicates by file \b content\b0  is very time consuming, that's why xplorer\'b2 applies statistical matching for very large files, if above 20MB in size (use \f1 nMaxDupeContentMB\f0  registry tweak to change this limit). This speed-up technique is also used when synchronizing by content, and for \b checksum\b0  column.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When you instruct xplorer\'b2 to select all duplicates as part of the detection process, it automatically turns on the \b sticky\b0  selection mode. This way you can roam freely examining the suspected duplicates, without accidentally losing the selection. When you are done you can turn this mode off using \cf2\f1 Mark| Sticky selection\cf0\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The stock column \b Group ID\b0  (press \f1 <Alt+K>\f0  to add it) is handy for duplicate check results. If you rearrange the duplicate results, you can sort by group ID to bring the duplicate files back grouped together.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can permanently store your favorite commands using \cf2\f1 Customize| User commands\cf0\f0 . So instead of searching for \f1 windiff $N $I\f0  in the command history, just add it in the user menu. If you associate a keyboard shortcut for it, it will be at your beck and call with a single keystroke!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  A number of keyboard \b shortcuts\b0  are user-configurable through various \cf2\f1 Organize\cf0\f0  menus. You can associate combinations of \f1 <Ctrl>\f0 , \f1 <Alt>\f0  and \f1 <Shift>\f0  and keys within 0-9 with any command in a customizable menu, like bookmarks, user commands, layouts etc. To aid memorisation it is best to organize shortcuts by subject, e.g. bookmarks with \f1 <Ctrl>\f0 , layouts with \f1 <Alt>\f0  etc.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can add up to 14 extra toolbars using \cf2\f1 Customize| Toolbars| Add\cf0\f0  and place user-configurable command buttons on them, like bookmarks, layouts, columns etc. For these it makes sense to enable \b text labels\b0  from the toolbar's context menu so that you can tell them apart.
The targets appearing in \b Send To\b0  context menu are actually files in a folder accessible via \cf2\f1 Go to| Special folders| Send to\cf0\f0  menu. For example you can add a \i shortcut\i0  to notepad.exe in that folder so you can send text files to it for editing, even when notepad isn't associated with them.
If you want to send files as \b email\b0  attachments, select them first, then right click on them and pick \cf2\f1 Send to| Mail recipient\cf0\f0  from the context menu.
To \b repeat\b0  the last shell context menu command press \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+F10>\f0 . Given that each file type may have its own commands in the context menu, this repetition is only going to work properly if you keep on acting on the same file types.
To repeat the last menu or toolbar command you issued, whatever it was, press \f1 <Ctrl+Y>\f0  keys.
If you want to preview larger portions of text files, increase the text preview size from \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Window: Quick viewer\cf0\f0 . The downside is that you'll have to wait longer for them to load!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  \cf2\f1 Tools| Subfolder size\cf0\f0  will calculate \i total\i0  subfolder sizes and display them in the \b Size\b0  column, if any.  \cf2\f1 Tools| Folder statistics\cf0\f0  on the other hand will gather the \i detailed\i0  breakdown of a folder's disk usage and present it in a tree, so that you can see how much space each subfolder is using. You can even extract this information as text for printing etc.
If you want to include a \b comma\b0  as part of a script command template, then use \i two\i0  commas in a row. This escapes the default meaning of comma as a command separator. So "\f1 foo\cf1 ,\cf0 bar\f0 " will produce two separate commands (foo & bar) whereas "\f1 foo\cf1 ,,\cf0 bar\f0 " will use the comma verbatim generating "\f1 foo\cf1 ,\cf0 bar\f0 ".
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Using \cf2\f1 Customize| Folder groups\cf0\f0  you can save a set of folders that you usually browse together. Later when you want to reinstate this working situation you can load all the folders \emdash  each in its own tab \emdash  conveniently with a menu item or even just a touch of a button. This is like a multi-bookmark feature.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you want more control for copying a large number of files, just use the \cf2 Options\cf0  button from \cf2\f1 Edit| Copy to\cf0\f0  dialog. This is a more robust copy engine compared to the standard windows one. If you prefer the windows animations on the other hand just use drag-drop to copy files instead of \f1 <F5>\f0 .
It is possible to have many copy operations running in parallel, but this will most likely make things \b slower\b0 . It's best to let xplorer\'b2 do one file transfer job at a time, using the copy queue. Just leave \cf2 Use queue\cf0  option ticked in the robust copy dialog.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The copy options dialog allows you to copy files in background mode, consuming less resources. Giving lower priority to the file transfer leaves the computer more responsive for you to continue with your work. In case you need to halt the copy altogether there is a \cf2 Pause\cf0  button in the copy progress dialog.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can prevent all user interaction during large copy operations. This silent mode is useful for unattended copies. Files will be overwritten automatically and errors ignored. In the end you can examine a \b log\b0  with a summary of the problems encountered \emdash  if any!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The copy and robust delete logs are searchable. Press \f1 <Ctrl+F>\f0  or use the context menu if you are trying to locate anything in particular, e.g. an occurrence of \b Error\b0  string
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you get annoyed with files inheriting the \cf1 R\cf0 ead-only attribute when copying from CD-ROMs, make sure you check "clear read-only attribute" in the Copy options dialog.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  When robust-copying subfolders the progress bar may seem to wobble, since xplorer\'b2 can't know in advance how many files will be found. If you want to make the copy progress estimates exact, check \cf2 Calculate total file size before starting transfer\cf0  option. But if you do you'll somewhat delay the start of the copy while the transfer size is being calculated.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can use robust transfer options to simulate a \b backup\b0  operation. When copying a folder to its "backup" location, if you check \cf2 Overwrite if newer else skip\cf0  and \cf2 Clear archive attribute for source files\cf0 , only files that were modified or added will be copied and marked as backed up. If you don't want to process any newly added files check \cf2 Copy only files that already exist at destination\cf0 .
Many times you don't want to backup all your hard disc, just your data folders. These are usually scattered in the filesystem so how do you do them all in one stroke? Use \i folder junctions\i0  which are links to folders. Here is an example: create a folder called \f1 Backup\f0 . For each of your data folders, copy the folder using \f1 <Ctrl+C>\f0  then paste a junction to it in the \f1 Backup\f0  folder using \cf2\f1 Edit| Paste special| Folder junction| Paste\cf0\f0 . Effectively you have modified the structure of your filesystem, bringing all your data folders under a single parent folder. Now just copy this master \f1 Backup\f0  folder and you've sorted out all your data in one step!
Sometimes the error messages on the status bar are a bit cryptic. If you want more clarifications please use \cf2\f1 Help| Last error\cf0\f0 .
If you hold down \f1 <Alt>\f0  as you press \f1 <GreyPlus>\f0  (or minus) then you select items using the last wildcard typed in \cf2\f1 Mark| Select group \cf0\f0 dialog (or unselect respectively). This is a fast way to repeat the last selection without showing the dialog.
The keyboard-only command \f1 <Ctrl+Alt+GreyPlus>\f0  (or minus) will add to (or remove from) the selection all files that have the same \b extension\b0  as the currently focused item. It even works for items without extension as well as folders.
In a similar fashion, \f1 <Alt+Shift+GreyPlus>\f0  (or minus) will select (or unselect) files that share the same \b base\b0  name as the currently focused item. E.g. if you use it on \f1 kenny.c\f0 , files like \cf1\f1 kenny\cf0 .h\f0 , \cf1\f1 kenny\cf0 .obj\f0  etc will end up selected.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  In a dual pane scrap window you can use \f1 <Alt+Enter>\f0  to flatten \i all\i0  selected folders in the inactive pane. One possible use of this is to perform a local search limited to a few hand-picked folders: just switch to the pane with the flattened contents and use \cf2\f1 Mark| Matching a rule\cf0\f0 .
By default xplorer\'b2 remembers all the changes you make to its options, path histories etc and makes them available at subsequent runs. You can stop this by clearing \b Save program state on exit\b0  from \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| General\cf0\f0 . Then only "global" changes will be remembered, such as new bookmarks.
If you want to move your favorite xplorer\'b2 settings to a different PC, use \cf2\f1 Actions| Export settings\cf0\f0  to create a .REG file. This can be copied to any other PC running the same windows version, and when double-clicked it will reinstate your favorite options including bookmarks etc. Just make sure xplorer\'b2 isn't running when you import the registry settings.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you find yourself working often on other people's computers and you want to keep your tools in a USB stick then you may be interested in the \b portable\b0  edition of xplorer\'b2. It is a personalized inexpensive upgrade that can be run without special user login privileges and doesn't leave traces in the registry. For more information visit \cf2 http://zabkat.com/x2port.htm\cf0
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The stock \b Contents\b0  column shows how many \i direct\i0  items are contained in some folder. You can use it as a rule to locate all empty folders,  that is all folders that have this property set to 0. Make sure you uncheck the \b Files\b0  box in the find files dialog so that the search only focuses on folders.
xplorer\'b2 will calculate subfolder sizes automatically if you check the respective box in \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Advanced\cf0\f0 . This is quite time consuming so by default xplorer\'b2 won't calculate subfolders if you are browsing a root or network drive. To force size calculation in such folders you must press \f1 <Ctrl+D>\f0  \i twice\i0 .
Calculating subfolder size can take too long but xplorer\'b2 will do (any) selected folders \i first\i0 . If you have many subfolders but you are only interested in a few, make sure you select them before issuing \f1 <Ctrl+D>\f0  command.
If you are using a shell extension that relies on custom icon overlays (e.g. Tortoise CVS) you can force xplorer\'b2 to read extra icon states by checking "\b Extract custom icon overlays\b0 " box in \cf2\f1 Tools| Options| Advanced\cf0\f0 . There's a slight reading speed penalty when this option is active.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you have Tortoise SVN installed you can create search and selection rules using its extra columns. For example, to find all files within version-control folders that have been changed, create a filter with an additional rule based on \b SVN status\b0  column, containing the text "\f1 modified\f0 ".
File icons are nice but consume many resources. Speed up your browsing switching to Simple icons from the program options (General property page). If you choose \b Plain \b0 icons xplorer\'b2 will not even show icon overlays or color tags, for the fastest experience.
If you want to remove all color tags from your files quickly, fully quit xplorer\'b2 then locate the color database file in shell:appdata folder and delete it: \f1 C:\\Users\\\cf1 YOU\cf0\\AppData\\Roaming\\zabkat\\tagdb.bin\f0  . When you restart xplorer\'b2 all the color tags will be gone.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  xplorer\'b2 can extract plain text previews from office (e.g. Word) and PDF documents. You can also search for text within such "binary" files (make sure you have "\b Search non-text files\b0 " box checked). For PDF files you may need to download this filter plugin (required only if you don't have any recent adobe reader installed): \f1 http://www.planetpdf.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=737\f0
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  \cf2\f1 Edit| Extract text\cf0\f0  command will extract plain text (without formatting) from complex file types like PDF, as long as you have the required desktop search filters installed.
Columns related to picture data (\b dimensions\b0 , \b camera model\b0 , etc) rely on EXIF data stored as part of the file. Usually digital cameras will embed this information automatically. Otherwise these columns will remain empty.
When your audio files contain ID3 tags, xplorer\'b2 can read information like \b artist\b0  and \b album title\b0  and present the details for each track in the respective columns. Just use \cf2\f1 View| Select columns\cf0\f0  to bring such columns into view.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  The quickviewer has two tabs corresponding to "draft" and "native" modes. Each shows different previews of the active item. In general, draft is quicker and native is more representative but much slower, based on ActiveX technology.
While previewing images in the \b Draft\b0  tab, use the toolbar to zoom in/out and rotate pictures. If you need bigger previews, right click on the previewer titlebar and choose \b Float\b0  menu command; resize the pop-out window to taste.
The docked preview panel is either too small or takes up valuable space. Try the new \b Mouse peek\b0  preview for an instant (draft) preview of the item under the mouse cursor (enable it from program options, Window property page). Hold down both mouse buttons and a large popup will show you the contents. Let go of any button and the preview disappears!
When skimming your MP3 music collection it helps to set the previewer to \b autoplay\b0  mode from program options. Set \b playback begins\b0  option to 1 minute so that songs start playing 1 minute past the beginning. Thus aspiring DJs can quickly build song sets :)
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Some malicious trojans like keyloggers may hide in ADS of a legitimate file. You can locate files with suspiciously high number of streams using \b Streams\b0  column as a search rule (\cf2\f1 Tools| Find files\cf0\f0 ). Files with more than 2-3 streams are fishy and you should examine them further using \cf2\f1 Actions| ADS| View streams\cf0\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  If you are on \b 64 bit\b0  windows you will like the native 64 bit xplorer\'b2 that will work better with your 64 bit shell extensions (e.g. context menu handlers). You can download the 64 bit trial here: \cf2 http://zabkat.com/x2-64bit.htm\cf0
If you have windows vista or later, UAC may prevent you from changing certain system folders. To unleash the full power of xplorer\'b2 use \cf2\f1 Window| Administrator\cf0\f0  to start an elevated process with full access permissions.
You can bypass many UAC restrictions without running xplorer\'b2 elevated (forced administrator). For example, use drag-drop instead of \f1 <F5>\f0  key to copy files into protected areas like \f1 C:\\Program Files\\\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  \cf2\f1 Bookmarks| Dual\cf0\f0  submenu lets you define a 2-folder bookmark from the folders you are browsing left and right. Then you can restore the 2 folders as a pair.
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  Drag-drop any file over a dialog like \b Find Files\b0  (or related) and see what happens! This is useful for locating similar files in other parts of the filesystem.
\cf1 [ULT version]\cf0  xplorer\'b2 uses fast windows search whenever you press \f1 <Ctrl+F>\f0  within indexed folders. You can make the search even faster if you tick the \b verbatim\b0  box for all text rules (e.g. \i Author\i0  property). The down-side is you will only find whole words, not partial string completions.
\cf1 [ULT version]\cf0  For much faster file searches keep your documents in automatically indexed locations like \b My Documents\b0 . If you store files somewhere else, just add the parent folder to the system search index using the context menu command \cf2\f1 xplorer\'b2| Add to search index\cf0\f0 .
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can add any command from xplorer\'b2 menus in the right click shell context menu using \cf2\f1 xplorer\'b2| Organize\cf0\f0  menu command. E.g. you can add the \b Shred\b0  command or anything else!
\cf1 [PRO version]\cf0  You can add even menu commands \i without\i0  icons on a toolbar. Just create a simple macro with the desired command name (e.g. \f1 COMMAND "large icons"\f0 ), save it, then add the macro on the toolbar. For more information see this guide: \cf2\f1 http://zabkat.com/blog/menuhack-customize-toolbar.htm\cf0\f0
You can edit the definition of some custom commands (bookmarks, user commands and macros) placed on a toolbar by right-clicking on the toolbar button and picking \b Properties\b0  from the menu. You can change the definition of the command, the icon and shortcut key, just like using \cf2\f1 Customize| Macros| Organize\cf0\f0  menu command.
Pictures and videos from most mobile phones (android, iPhone etc) can be easily transferred to your PC. Just connect the phone via USB cable then you will find it in \b ThisPC\b0  folder. Drill down to a folder (usually) called \f1 DCIM\f0  and you will find your pictures there. Point the xplorer\'b2 dual pane to your destination folder and drag-drop to transfer!
If your phone mangles your photos' modification dates, you can repair them using \cf2\f1 Actions| Change dates\cf0\f0 . In the dialog pick operation \i Set equal to \b Name\b0\i0 .  Most phones pics contain the date in the name (e.g. \f1 IMG-20250422.JPG\f0  = 22 April 2025) and xplorer\'b2 can utilize the name to repair the date modified!
Using advanced option \b nLineSpacing100\b0  you can spread out items in Details and List view mode. You will see less lines in a folder view but they will be cleanly spaced. A value of 150 means line spacing 1.5 times the normal.
xplorer\'b2 is constantly evolving. Please use \cf2\f1 Help| Check for updates\cf0\f0  every now and then to keep up with any new developments, see if there are any new versions, bug-fixes etc.
This is the last tip. We hope it has been a fruitful journey for you! If you want a printable version of all tips please open the file called \b x2tips.rtf\b0 , within the installation folder.\par \par By the way, have you read the manual? Loads of information there too! Please start your next journey with \cf2\f1 Help| Contents\cf0\f0 .