Total Commander vs Explorer for search or another app ?

I used to always use explorer but I decided to return to use Total Commander because it is very fast in search, inverse selection, copy specific files , etc... it is really amazing that software released in 1993 and still the best or do you know something better ?

BTW I already enabled indexing but still explorer search very slow in my 4 drives compared to TC

Indexing was already enabled by default. Please explain exactly what you did & what you've set up in Indexing options.


All the best,
Denis

Nothing more than searching for files like *.rar or part of files names or string in content

You mentioned having enabled indexing.
Here are all my links to useful advice about using search in Windows 11.
Enable or Disable Search Indexing - ElevenForum
Turn On or Off Enhanced Mode for Search Indexer - ElevenForumTutorials
Reset and Rebuild Search Index - ElevenForumTutorials
Enable or Disable Indexer Backoff - ElevenForumTutorials
Using Search - ElevenForumTutorials

I use File explorer for simple searches.
For anything awkward I use NirSoft SearchMyFiles - see my ditty - Searching in Windows 11 - my post #6 - ElevenForum


Best of luck,
Denis

William654 said:

I used to always use explorer but I decided to return to use Total Commander because it is very fast in search, inverse selection, copy specific files , etc... it is really amazing that software released in 1993 and still the best or do you know something better ?

BTW I already enabled indexing but still explorer search very slow in my 4 drives compared to TC

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For a long time, I used Xplorer² as my alternate file manager. It is not free, but it is very, very powerful, and still being actively developed (there is a free version that is called 2Xplorer, but it is feature limited). The developer, Nikos, has also created 2 other programs more recently, DeskRule, which is a Search replacement that really expands upon Xplorer²'s already good search capabilities, and iDeClone, an app dedicated specifically to finding duplicates with advanced fuzzy logic capabilities. I've bought lifetime licenses for all three.

However, much more recently (about 2 years ago, I think) I also discovered this FM, and it is now my every day go to FM in Windows - OneCommander. I love it's modern look, and the built in settings make it worth using. You can have it conduct all file operations by way of TeraCopy, it has native file unarchiving capabilities (.ZIP, .RAR, .7Z, etc.), and just a ton of other features that make it a lot easier to work with. It has a very robust file renaming utility built in, even allowing for RegEx, is very customizable, and hte dev is every bit as actively developing this app as Nikos is Xplorer². Plus, it has a very beautiful modern UI which is also extensively customizable.

TC and Xplorer² look antiquated but still get the job done. but OC both looks good and performs just as well as those other two.

I also use Total Commander [paid for] but also MultiCommander and One Commander on some computers, both free. A resurrection of the old File Manager of Windows 3.1/3.11/WFW is simpler but things were back 3 decades ago.

Berton said:

I also use Total Commander [paid for] but also MultiCommander and One Commander on some computers, both free. A resurrection of the old File Manager of Windows 3.1/3.11/WFW is simpler but things were back 3 decades ago.

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Thanks I prefer MultiCommander and Total Commander UI over the others. When I started in the 80s coding I tried to create a file manager then I saw this and canceled my project

Berton said:

MultiCommander

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How to search for files without extension ? I tried "*." but no files found while there are

The *.* should find all files in a folder but *.xxx will find all files with that extension, e.g. *.txt, *.xlsx, *.jpg, etc. I've always liked setting File Explorer and the older Windows Explorer to having file extensions being shown when they are right-clicked and Open with, lessens the chance of choosing the wrong program. The single *. would work if all the files were name the same but that's not possible, folders and the older-named directories cannot contain 2 or more folders or files of the exact same name, there has to be at least one character differences. 2 or more files can have the same name but different extensions [types].

@Berton I still dont understand how to list files without extensions ?

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I got my first computer in '92 with MS-DOS 5 and Windows 3.1 running on top of it. Before that I had done some courses with my employer as change was coming. After retiring in '94 I got started in a computer shop/store and ended up building and repairing computers, still at it but not as frequent. The file name plus extension known as 8.3 [eight dot three] was the default. Starting somewhere back with Windows 95 Microsoft decided to make things 'cleaner' such as reducing what is shown on the screen and part of that was reducing what is shown in other areas. It's still there but has to be enabled in Options in File Explorer and the View tab. The files are stored in a folder with their name but extensions are hidden, never really understood Microsoft's thoughts on that. When working in a program and saving a file with same name already there we get error alerts and have to make a change. The extensions a program can use are listed in the Save or Save As panel so as to make a choice.

It's difficult for some of us old-timers to forget what we had to learn.

Program called Everything

KWEB said:

Program called Everything

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@KWEB Thanks, forgot about that one. Had it on an older computer and just haven't gotten around to getting it back, getting the latest now.