network drives Archives

Winsage

January 7, 2026

3 Free Windows File Managers That Beat File Explorer

Recent evaluations of three free alternative file managers—OneCommander, Files, and FileVoyager—show that they outperform Windows File Explorer in efficiency and usability, particularly for tasks like bulk renaming and data transfer. While File Explorer has improved with features like tabs and cloud integration, it still falls short for power tasks, requiring excessive clicks and context switching. OneCommander offers a familiar interface with dual-pane layouts, tabs, and interactive navigation, excelling in seamless navigation and file operations. It maintained stable connections during large data transfers. Files is a modern, open-source option with strong cloud support and effective media handling, benefiting from community-driven updates. FileVoyager provides extensive control with dual panes and customization options, appealing to power users who prefer keyboard-driven control. All three alternatives demonstrate improved interaction efficiency and stability during complex tasks compared to File Explorer, making them viable replacements for users managing extensive media libraries or engaging in heavy bulk processes.

Winsage

January 6, 2026

These 3 Windows file managers made me ditch File Explorer

The text discusses three free file managers that enhance file management capabilities for Windows users: 1. Total Commander: - Dual windows with drag-and-drop support - Side panels for navigation - Built-in tools for batch renaming and archiving - FTP client integration - Favorites for quick access - Comprehensive file operations (copy, move, delete, rename) - File comparison with a built-in text editor - Folder synchronization - Encoding and decoding options - Full-text and duplicate file search - Customizable layout and toolbar - Background downloading support - Secure FTP over SSL/TLS 2. OneCommander: - Custom rendering and DirectX support - Session-saving tabs - Dual-pane view - Choice between Miller-Columns navigation and standard layout - Dark and light themes - User-editable icons - Built-in file preview capabilities - Support for long Unicode paths - Organized favorites into project groups - Quick filtering options - Adaptive view and dynamic columns - File Automator for advanced renaming and conversion 3. FileVoyager: - Dual-pane interface - Multiple browsing modes (report and thumbnail) - Comprehensive file operations - Support for numerous compression formats - Multimedia playback for audio and video - Folder synchronization and file comparison tools - Quick preview for any file format - Support for viewing ebooks and comic book files - Syntax highlighting for source code - Display files in flat or hexadecimal format All three file managers are available for free, with OneCommander offering a Pro version for additional features.

Winsage

December 1, 2025

5 Essential Windows Apps Everyone Should Be Using In 2025

Everything is a free application from Voidtools that indexes file and folder names quickly, allowing searches of up to a million files in a minute. It can index mapped network drives and supports Boolean operators and wildcards for advanced search needs. Flow Launcher is an open-source application that serves as a quick launcher and search utility, integrating with Everything for fast file searches and allowing users to open applications, search for files, and perform calculations from a single interface. NanaZip is an open-source archive manager derived from 7-Zip, supporting various archive formats and offering faster processing times, improved encryption, dark mode, and context menu integration. Microsoft PowerToys is a suite of utilities for power users that includes tools like Command Palette, PowerRename, and FancyZones, available for free from the Microsoft Store. Ferdium is an open-source tool that consolidates web applications into a single platform, allowing users to manage multiple web apps within one window, supporting multiple instances of the same app and offering workspace management and a built-in To-do list panel.

Winsage

October 18, 2025

New Windows GDI Rust Kernel Vulnerability Triggers Remote Code Execution

Security researchers identified a vulnerability in the Rust-based Windows kernel component, specifically within the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI), which can be triggered remotely and cause system-wide crashes. The flaw was linked to the win32kbase_rs.sys kernel driver, resulting from an out-of-bounds memory access while processing a malformed path in an EmfPlusDrawBeziers record. This vulnerability represents a denial-of-service risk, allowing a malicious actor to crash systems by embedding a harmful metafile in documents or webpages. It affects both x86 and x64 systems running Windows 11 version 24H2, with a single compromised low-privilege account capable of causing widespread crashes. Microsoft released a fix in the May 28, 2025, preview update (KB5058499), which included a new bounds-hardened routine, but initial testing showed that the feature flag for this fix was disabled, delaying full mitigation until July 2025 Patch Tuesday.

Winsage

August 7, 2025

These 9 File Explorer alternatives make your Windows PC so much better

Windows Explorer has a basic interface that can hinder file management, prompting the development of alternative "commander" tools. These alternatives include single-window and dual-window applications designed to improve file management on Windows PCs. Free Commander XE features a dual-window layout with tabs for quick access and modern icons, allowing users to manage ZIP files and synchronize folders. Multi Commander also uses a dual-window approach, supports bulk file renaming, and offers a portable version. Double Commander is an open-source option with a familiar interface, capable of creating symbolic links and synchronizing folders. One Commander allows toggling between single and dual-window views and includes customizable features. Paid file managers like Total Commander, SpeedCommander, and XYplorer offer advanced functionalities, including FTP capabilities and scripting options. Q-Dir can open four windows simultaneously and provides extensive customization. File Voyager features a two-window view but may have stability issues. For Android devices, Google Files, Total Commander, and X-plore are notable file management apps, each offering various features for organizing and accessing files.

Winsage

June 25, 2025

Building a Windows Storage Dashboard, Part 2: Collecting Historical Data

The process of gathering historical data for a Windows storage dashboard involves two steps: creating a PowerShell script to collect and save the data, and configuring the Windows Task Scheduler to run this script at set intervals. The script collects data on file system drives using the Get-PSDrive cmdlet, creating a custom PowerShell object with columns for Timestamp, Drive, UsedGB, FreeGB, and TotalGB, which is then exported to a CSV file. The script specifies the CSV file path, appends new data without overwriting existing data, and excludes type information from the header. The generated CSV file includes a header row and records for each drive with their respective usage statistics.

Winsage

June 14, 2025

OneDrive for Mac will soon give you more flexible storage options

OneDrive for Mac will soon support syncing with removable external drives, following the previous support for non-removable drives. This feature is available to Insiders using build 25.097 or later on macOS 15.0 or later. The external drives must be formatted for APFS, protected by FileVault, and not be read-only, network drives, or marked as quarantined. Users cannot transfer external drives between Macs for migrating OneDrive files; they must reconfigure OneDrive on the new device. Microsoft is seeking user feedback on this feature but has not provided a timeline for wider availability.

Winsage

May 28, 2025

The Windows File Explorer is still so bad when it comes to networked drives

File Explorer in Windows 11 has usability issues, particularly with sluggish search functionality and problems accessing networked drives. Users often experience drives disappearing after reboot, inaccessibility to files, and freezing of File Explorer, with error codes like c0000375 indicating deeper issues. The networked drive feature relies on outdated technology, as Microsoft has deprecated older protocols like SMBv1, complicating file sharing. Users can mitigate freezing by restarting File Explorer and ensuring network settings are correctly configured, such as setting Wi-Fi to private and enabling file sharing options. Excessive pinned items in Quick Access can cause crashes, and clearing the cache may resolve these issues. Alternatives to File Explorer, like XYplorer and File Pilot, can provide better access to networked drives. Overall, the challenges stem from outdated technology and the corruption of the Quick Access cache, with third-party solutions available for relief.