File manager (WinFile) was the file manager of the 16-bit operating systems of the Windows 3.x product line and the 32-bit operating systems Windows NT 3.1 and the successor Windows NT 3.51 . With the release of Windows 95, it was replaced by Windows Explorer and has been available as open source since 2018.
Retro file manager for new ones Operating Systems
Used for the first time under Windows 3.0 and later Windows 3.1 as well as the NT line, the source code of the file manager was published in April 2018 under the free MIT license as an open source app via the GitHub developer platform. Since 2020, it can be purchased from the Microsoft Store for the Arm64, x64 and x86 platforms for Windows 10 and the Xbox series game consoles.
The Deskmodder website has summarized a selection of the most relevant innovations of the Windows File Manager, the official name of the application, which now also runs under Windows 11.
- Added context menus in both windows.
- F12 runs Notepad or Notepad++ on the selected file.
- The Search includes an option that specifies whether to include subdirectories.
- Added easy forward/back navigation.
- CTRL + ENTER runs linked files as administrator. More keyboard shortcuts have also been added.
- The scrolling behavior of the tree view when expanding can be configured via Winfile.ini → Settings → ScrollOnExpand. The default is scrolling.
- Creates files with the suffix '- copy when copied with (CTRL+C) → (CTRL+V) in the same directory, or dragged with the mouse to an empty space in the same directory.
The location of the Winfile.ini has been moved to %AppData%RoamingMicrosoftWinFile, further settings can be made here. The app is characterized in particular by its operation via the classic two-window view.
Download from the Microsoft Store
In the latest version 10.2.0.0, the previous Arm version has been replaced with a new Arm64 version and localization has been improved. Users who want to add a touch of retro to the system can now download the file manager directly from the Microsoft Store or from the project page on GitHub.
You can find even more retro in the retro corner of the ComputerBase forum.
A quarter of the readers put their trust in alternatives
A quarter of ComputerBase readers rely on alternative file managers such as FreeCommander, Total Commander or Files. The file explorer of Windows 11 is currently being rebuilt and, in addition to a gallery, will also have a new preview function.
- Yes, I use an alternative file manager on Windows 27.3%
- No, I use Windows File Explorer 72.7%
862 Participants + 72 abstentions • Bottom line
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