Files App. Not free??


swerd

Well-known member
Member
VIP
Local time
7:00 AM
Posts
267
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Hi everyone,

I am keen to have a look at Files App on Windows, but on the Microsoft Store, it says you have to pay. Everywhere I look it says it's free. Is this right??

TIA for any help.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming X570-Pro WiFi II
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC897 @ AMD K19.2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC U34G2G4R3 [34" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    NVMe Samsung SSD 970 x 2
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    4TB ST4000DM004-2CV104
    PSU
    750W Coolermaster V Series V750 80 Plus Gold
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 D-RGB Tempered Glass Full Tower Black
    Internet Speed
    250Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox / Chrome / Edge / Vivaldi
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
Hi everyone,

I am keen to have a look at Files App on Windows, but on the Microsoft Store, it says you have to pay. Everywhere I look it says it's free. Is this right??

TIA for any help.
If you read the info it tells you it is free except through the MS Store where the cost goes to support the developers. Go to the listed developer site to download the free version.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS Custom 1700
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
    Memory
    64GB DDR 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
    Hard Drives
    WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X Modular
    Case
    Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    800Mbs
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Defender, Malwarebytes
If you read the info it tells you it is free except through the MS Store where the cost goes to support the developers. Go to the listed developer site to download the free version.

Thanks. Didn't see that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5800X3D
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming X570-Pro WiFi II
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC897 @ AMD K19.2
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC U34G2G4R3 [34" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    NVMe Samsung SSD 970 x 2
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    4TB ST4000DM004-2CV104
    PSU
    750W Coolermaster V Series V750 80 Plus Gold
    Case
    Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 D-RGB Tempered Glass Full Tower Black
    Internet Speed
    250Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox / Chrome / Edge / Vivaldi
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
If you read the info it tells you it is free except through the MS Store where the cost goes to support the developers. Go to the listed developer site to download the free version.
Ughh - this is an awful precedent.

Either the software is free or it is not.

We have no idea about what percentage goes to developers!

I used to buy charity XMAS cards until I found the charities only got a tiny percentage - I now donate directly.

I would have less of an issue if MS came clean about their cut.

Even wikapedia are more honest with their request for funds - you are not forced to pay.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Zenbook 14
    CPU
    I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB soldered
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop OLED screen
    Screen Resolution
    2880x1800 touchscreen
    Hard Drives
    1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
    PSU
    Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
    Keyboard
    Built in UK keybd
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
    Internet Speed
    900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

    Macrium Reflect Home V8
    Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
    Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
I see nothing wrong with this, MS are not forcing the devs to charge, the devs are allowing the app to be sold to help thier dev costs. You can find out how much of a cut MS takes, they recently introduced a tiered system but I believe the max is now 15% or 20%.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2, build: 22621.521
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Scan 3XS Custom 1700
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700K 3.6GHz Base (5.0GHz Turbo)
    Motherboard
    Asus ProArt Creator B660 D4
    Memory
    64GB DDR 3600Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Tuff RTX 3080 10GB OC
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Gigabyte G32QC 32inch 16:9 curved @2560 x 1440p 165Hz Freesync Premium Pro/ Dell SE2422H 24inch 16:9 1920 x 1080p 75Hz Freesync
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440p & 1920 x 1080p
    Hard Drives
    WD SN570 1TB NVME (Boot), Samsung 870QVO 1TB (SSD), SanDisk 3D Ultra 500Gb (SSD) x2, Seagate 3Tb Expansion Desk (Ext HDD), 2x Toshiba 1Tb P300 (Ext HDD)
    PSU
    Corsair RM1000X Modular
    Case
    Corsair 4000D Airflow Desktop
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H150i RGB Pro XT 360mm Liquid Cooler, 3 x 120mm fans, 1x Exhaust
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Ergonomic
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Internet Speed
    800Mbs
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Defender, Malwarebytes
Yeah, MS takes 15% atm.

Clarification (quote from the MS developer agreement):

6b. Store Fees. If your App uses the Microsoft commerce engine to support purchase of the App or any In-App Purchases within the App, the Store Fee (plus any taxes 15 due in connection with the payment of such Store Fee, if applicable) you owe to Microsoft will be deducted from Net Receipts to calculate the App Proceeds payable to you in accordance with this Section 6. The Store Fee is:

i. Fifteen percent (15%) of Net Receipts for any Apps (and any In -App Products in such Apps, including) that are not listed in Section 6(b)(iii) below.

ii. For all Net Receipts generated on or after August 1, 2021: Twelve percent (12%) of Net Receipts for any Games (and any in-App Products in such Games) that are not listed in Section 6(b)(iii).

iii. Thirty percent (30%) of Net Receipts for:
1. all Xbox console Apps made available in the Microsoft Store and billed to Customers on a non-subscription basis;
2. all Xbox console Games made available in the Microsoft Store
3. all In-App Products acquired on a non-subscription basis by Customers in the Microsoft Store on an Xbox console and
4. all Apps and In-App Products acquired by Customers in the Microsoft Store on Windows 8 devices; or Microsoft Store on Windows Phone 8 devices.

Source: https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE4YJB0
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 build 10.0.22631.5189 (Release Channel) / Linux Mint 22.1 Cinnamon
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo A485
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 2700U Pro
    Motherboard
    Lenovo (WiFi/BT module upgraded to Intel Wireless-AC-9260)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    iGPU Vega 10
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    14" FHD (built-in) + 14" Lenovo Thinkvision M14t (touch+pen) + 32" Asus PB328
    Screen Resolution
    FHD + FHD + 1440p
    Hard Drives
    Intel 660p m.2 nVME PCIe3.0 x2 512GB
    PSU
    65W
    Keyboard
    Thinkpad / Logitech MX Keys
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Internet Speed
    600/300Mbit
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    SecureBoot: Enabled
    TPM2.0: Enabled
    AMD-V: Enabled
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 build 10.0.22631.5189(Release Preview Channel)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    i7-7700k @4.8GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus PRIME Z270-A
    Memory
    32GB 2x16GB 2133MHz CL15
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW 11GB
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    32" 10-bit Asus PB328Q
    Screen Resolution
    WQHD 2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB ADATA SX8000NP NVMe PCIe Gen 3 x4
    PSU
    850W
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 2S
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX Keys
    Internet Speed
    600/300Mbit
    Browser
    Edge (Cromium)
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    AC WiFi Card
Thanks. Didn't see that.
I tried Files app for a brief period of time and was disappointed in the performance. Before installing, a brief visit to the following site will provide some very useful information along with a download link, ignore the MS Store link to get the free version.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Professional
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microcenter B677
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-9400
    Motherboard
    ASRock H310CM-HDV/M.2
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Intel Kaby Lake - High Definition Audio / cAVS (Audio, Voice, Speech) [A0]
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Model: GSM59F1
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1080
    Case
    Lian Li 205M
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky AV
I've used it as a secondary file manager, and it was buggy for a while for sure, but it finally has gottena lot of things right. I prefer to use it in dual pane mode, and it was not keeping that mode until recently.

It has a lot of good features, but is still basic compared to more mature file managers like OneCommander (my new go to FM), TotalCommander, Xplorer², and more. But it does a great job with modern UI elements, as does OneCommander.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 RGB + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge , Arc
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
I've found explorer++ to be a good replacement for file explorer. You can check it out since it's a standalone app with no install. I put mine at the root of C and made a shortcut to the executable. There's a lot of screenshots. Explorer++ - A small and fast file manager for Windows
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2 26100.3775
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 nvme+256gb SKHynix m.2 nvme /External drives 512gb Samsung m.2 sata+1tb Kingston m2.nvme+ 4gb Solidigm nvme
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    #1 Edge #2 Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

Latest Support Threads

Back
Top Bottom