I think we can safely say that one of the most used applications in any computer OS is the file manager. Since these kinds of applications are always in the front line and expected to run all the time, not only should they be very durable but they should also be very user friendly.

The default file manager under Windows is of course Windows Explorer. While most users can get along just fine with this application, there are quite a few areas where it could be improved for the better. That’s why there are Windows Explorer alternatives out there. One of them is SE-Explorer, which gives users much more than just the ability to manage files and folders.

SE-Explorer is a free application which is also available as a portable app. Let’s take a peek at what this application can do, and whether you could use as a Windows Explorer alternative.

It Comes With Tabs

If you’d like to try this application, you can download either the installer or the compressed portable version (or both). I personally prefer the portable version, as it’s more mobile and gives users similar features. Moreover, I can place it in my Dropbox folder so it will always be ready at every computer that I use. The file size is very small, less than 2.5 MB, so the download should be done quickly.

The first thing that you will notice about the app is the tabs. SE-Explorer will begin the sessions with three basic tabs: file manager, file search, and size scanner. The file manager will show you the content of your drive with all the basic managerial functions (like copy and move) and quick access to all of the mounted drives on your computer.

File search is exactly what the name says. It allows you to do basic and advanced searching of everything inside your hard drive. I don’t have the tools and expertise to do a comparison, but I personally feel that SE-Explorer’s search function is much speedier than the default Windows search feature.

Size Scanner comes with several scan options, but the most useful one for me is the “Top largest files” as it allows me to find which files consume the largest portion of my storage.

After you have the results of the file search or size scan, you can save the list as text files for future reference. This is another useful feature that you won’t find on Windows Explorer.

More Useful Features

Aside from the features mentioned above, SE-Explorer also comes with several other more useful features. One of them is the ability to compare files and folders.

Even though most normal users might never need to compare files, it would be very handy for programmers, web designers, or those who have lines of codes for breakfast.

On the other hand, every computer user could use the folder comparing feature once in a while, especially if they keep several copies of a folder in different places as backups and do a lot of folder synchronizing.

SE-Explorer gives you quick access to the command line via the address field on the location bar under the file manager tab. Just write down the command, hit enter, and the action will be performed inside the open command line window.

More customizations are available via the “Options” window.

As a nice bonus, SE-Explorer comes with a media player. The player will open in a new tab and will play pretty much everything that you throw at it. The player managed my collection of common multimedia files with no problem.

To know more about other things that SE-Explorer can do, there’s a features list on the app’s homepage.

To sum things up, I think SE-Explorer is a solid files And folder manager with many useful features. If you are looking for a viable Windows Explorer alternative, this app could serve you well.

If you have your own personal alternative(s) to Windows Explorer, please feel free to share them using the comments section below.

Image credit: jma.work