Windows Explorer is more than enough for most users, but if you find yourself needing to copy hundreds (or even thousands) of files at once, modify their attributes, and batch-rename them, you'll definitely need a more powerful file manager. That brings us to Double Commander, a flexible, free, and open source option you can customize to your liking.
A classic trap many developers fall into is feature creep. The goal or need to keep updating to stay relevant will never disappear, but sometimes they bite off more than they can chew, ending up affecting users with a certain "mechanics" or "muscle memory".
Among file managers, I must admit that Windows Explorer showed some resistance to the changes the operating system underwent in its latest editions, but I also believe there are superior options among the clones of the classic Norton Commander. One of the most interesting is Double Commander, a free and open source development compatible with Windows, macOS, and several flavors of Linux.
Double Commander: Free and open source Norton Commander clone
Using Double Commander is a quick and intuitive process. With the Tab key you switch focus between the left and right panels (and vice versa), the cursor arrows let you navigate files, Enter opens a folder or launches programs, and both Space and Insert select/mark files. The main commands are almost identical to the eternal Norton Commander: F3 shows the file content, F4 opens the editor, F5 and F6 copy or move files, F7 creates new folders, and F8 deletes. Specifically in Double Commander, F2 renames files and folders, F9 opens the Windows console, and F10 activates the top menu.
Double Commander comes with a basic visual configuration out of the box, but nothing stops you from enabling or disabling elements to your liking, replacing fonts, modifying text and background colors, and looking for additional plugins, many of which are compatible with alternatives like Total Commander. File decompression is completely transparent and supports the main formats (7z, Rar, Zip) as well as older variants (for example, ARJ). The only technical detail is that you must run Double Commander with elevated privileges to save all changes.
The latest update of Double Commander (as of this writing) was published in April 2023, and despite being in a semi-beta state, we haven't found any major errors during its use. Download a copy! Double Commander will serve you well as a file manager.
Official website and downloads: Click here
