If you do choose to use one of these, you may also want to read about how to set your Default File Manager in Windows.

• PowerDesk special free version - Single Window*
  Powerdesk is an excellent Explorer replacement, particularly because it includes a couple of REALLY handy tools (worth the download all by themselves, to be honest) in the indispensable (put it in your startup folder _now) Dialog Helper ("pddlghlp.exe"), and it's excellent "file find" tool ("pdfind.exe"). Totally aside form these unexpected bonuses, it's a great file manager, and the only one I've tried that actually associates itself with your folders and drives so that it gets launched instead of explorer when you try to RUN "c:\temp" or something. Powerdesk __Pro_ of course, comes with all sorts of extra goodies like a built in image viewer, FTP access, and more. (Notice: Link may not work)

• xplorer ² Free Version - Two-Pane
  xplorer ² Lite is one of the lightest file managers I've tried, and is great for older machines. It's a double pane filemanager (taking some inspiration from Norton Commander), and the Pro version has tabs and an incredible file-search tool as well. X ²'s specialty is the selection tools and "filtered" views which make it uniquely gifted at synchronizing backups and dealing with network drives. It can create "Hard" links and attach file comments in NTFS volumes, and can handle network synching over UNC paths and even FTP. This file manager is also the top choice for users who preffer the keyboard, as every little function is possible with just a keyboard. (Personally, I use the Pro version and find it indispensable --Joel)

• ExplorerXP Free - Tabbed
  Very similar to xplorer ², with special features for merge/split and copy/move as well as the tabbed interface. The lack of a thumbnail view and poor network support let it down.

• GXExplorer Open Source (Delphi) - MDI (multiple windows OR Tabbed)
  This filemanager had great poptential, but it's somewhat unfinished. None of the settings save, and some of them are features that I wanted badly. That said, it's a beautiful program, somehow nicer looking than most of these others, and was the first filemanager I've used since I started alt-shelling that actually used the icons I specified for my folders and drives (I don't understand why this is such a hard thing, but none of the others do it). It also has the advantage of being Open Source, so maybe YOU know some Delphi and would like to finish it off?) It has file-viewers built in, and a sweet "favorite folders" bar ... It's also scriptable (although I can't seem to figure out how they work)

• Directory Opus Not free (trialware)
  NOTE: There's a known issue with Directory Opus causing crashes in Geoshell's "Drives" and "Control Panels" menus. Check out this thread for more details/help.
  I (Duey) just started using this one. It has an evaluation version that works for 60 days. Seems to use only one program loaded in memory for mutliple windows (unlike 2xExplorer and Power Desk that will load multiple programs to display multiple windows). Has an installer that allows you to set it as the default explorer. Show's pretty much everything Explorer can (Control Panel, Network Neighborhood/Places, full details in Recycle bin). After using 2xExplorer and Power Desk for a couple days, I think I like this one the best. We'll see how much I like it when my trial period is up.

• ZBrowse Free Software - Single Window
  This software is the accessory of ZCopy, made by a well known Japanese programmer. The biggest feature is that it can use an FTP server as a network drive. It's very small (76 KB) and simple, and lacks keyboard shortcuts. Some error messages are in Japanese.

• 7-Zip File Manager Free Software - Two-Pane
  This software is the accesosry of 7-Zip, high compression rate archiver. Therefore the functions as file manager are still very simple. However, it can manage many kind of archive files like 7z, ZIP, CAB, RAR, ARJ, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, CPIO, RPM and DEB. Many languages also supports.

• A43 File Management Utility Free Software - Two-Pane
  This is a minimalistic file manager that has an integrated text editor including an HTML highlighter, a shelf like quicklaunch area, fast file search and other features. Looks very polished and has a nice feel to using it.