File Management for DOS
(file managers, file finders, file identifiers.)

Ratings: [* fair] to [* * * * * excellent]

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Most of the file managers listed below are design variations on the Norton Commander for DOS, a succesful commercial file manager/shell with dual directory pane, text mode display. Two of the file managers here deviate from this design (PC Valet and Tutordo) and display one directory pane and a status pane with disk, file, and/or system information. HFM and Byte Manager implement file "drag and drop." Bobby runs in graphics mode.


| File Managers | File Finders | File identifiers | Special purpose file utilities |

HFM - Powerful file manager for DOS, with many features.

* * * *

This isn't the prettiest looking file manager, but it possesses more features than any other freeware DOS FM I'm aware of- and is more feature-rich than most shareware FM's I've tested. Even if you don't use it as your primary file manager, I'd highly recommend keeping this on your disk as a ZIP/ARJ/LZH/ARC archive manager.

Strengths:
  1. Intuitive manipulation of compressed archives: displayed as directories. Drag and drop manipulation of archive contents (requires external archivers).
  2. Dual pane, text mode display. Drag and drop file copy, move, delete, and start.
  3. One undocumented gem of this program is its ability to delete files that DEL can't- e.g., errant files containing space characters.
  4. Text file viewer can display huge files.
  5. Includes stand alone text editor (with built-in calculator), and a mouse driven calculator.
  6. Very configurable.
Weaknesses
  1. Somewhat unorthodox design requires time to learn.
  2. No directory "tree" view.
  3. Memory hungry

download hfm404nl.zip (490K)


DOS Controller - Fast file manager for DOS, Norton Commander clone.

* * * * * reviewed 12-10-96

This is a top notch app and is preferred over HFM simply for ease of operation and its shallow learning curve. This file manager was coded in assembler language- which translates to minimal RAM wastage and quick operation even on under-powered computers. DOS Controller is essentially a clone of the Norton Commander for DOS with a few features omitted and improvements added. You can use it both as a file manager and a DOS shell (non memory-resident option exists). DC has no built-in archive management features (but you can associate archive extensions with 3rd party archive managers). DC is mouse compatible, has a very competent built-in editor, easy command line access, several directory /tree viewing options, a user configurable program menu, screen saver, and more. Documentation is lacking.

download dc-sk.zip


Pinco- NC clone file manager with good archive navigation.

* * * * * reviewed 6-20-97

Pinco Commander is an Italian, dual pane text-mode file manager which gets my top rating along with DOS Controller. In fact, it shares a resemblance with DOS Controller because it is a Norton Commander clone. It is a bit more colorful, and mouse navigation and menu bar navigation/ placement is different. Setup and configuration are a snap.

Strengths
  1. Can use XMS memory during copy and move operations- which makes things go very fast.
  2. Pinco can pack and unpack ZIP ARJ and RAR archives (external archivers required).
  3. File associations (manually entered in config file)
  4. Like HFM, it can display archives as directories.
  5. It has a fine built-in file viewer which can handle large files. Uses external editor.
Weaknesses
  1. Mouse-scrolling through directories is too "fast"-misses some files. Use the PgDn/Up keys.
  2. I dislike the start-up splash screen which is reminiscent of nagware shareware.
  3. No directory "tree" display option.
  4. Documentation brief (look at the pc.ini file for additional configuration options)

download pc20eng.zip
(See the Pinco home page for Italian and other translations.)


Byte Manager- NC clone file manager with loads of unique features.

* * * * *

May be the new "best of my list" FM. Hungarian origin.

Quick list of unique features:
  1. Mouse compatible, file drag-and-drop technology (Copy/erase/rename).
  2. Uses XMS for copying. Can use direct disk access for copying to floppy disk. Speeds things up.
  3. CD-ROM functions. Recognizes CD-ROM emulators, NETWORK drives.
  4. Reads ARJ, RAR, PKZIP compressed formats -with file view, delete and copy. Also handles AIN, LHARC, UC2 (compressing and decompressing).
  5. Recognizes recursive copying.
  6. Handles WIN95 long filenames
  7. Store program descriptions.
  8. Screen dimmer with screen hot corner.
Weaknesses:
  1. Mouse double-click action needs improvement.
  2. Mouse tends to lock under Windows.
  3. Mouse directory scrolling options too limited -and too jumpy since it tries to keep a marked file centered in the directory window.
  4. You might have trouble accessing floppy drive. Couldn't on my laptop- was using Norton Disk Cache.
  5. No directory "tree" display option.
  6. No "turn off file operation confirmations" option.
  7. Beta version. May not remain freeware?

download bm10b020.zip


PC Valet- Small file manager with built-in file viewer, hex editor, and more.

* * * * reviewed 3-4-97

PC Valet is a fast, single pane menu/file manager that has not seen wide distribution. I prefer dual pane file managers, but PC Valet has several features that overshadow this basic limitation. The executable and associated files use less than 40K disk space excluding documentation- quite remarkable. Features include drive tree navigation, file extension association, an internal text file viewer, hex viewer, capable hex editor, and a screen saver. Among the FM's listed here, PC Valet uniquely possesses a simple file backup feature and can list all files on a drive in a single window. Archives can be viewed/extracted using external archivers.

PC Valet can be used with a mouse, making directory navigation easier, but file tagging is achieved using the spacebar. Overall, PC Valet is comparable to DOS Controller in features and configurability- I prefer the latter simply for its greater ease of navigation and file manipulation. Memory usage may be an issue if you use PC-Valet as a memory resident DOS menu.

download valet.zip


Tutordo- Good file manager/shell with mouse support.

* * * * reviewed 6-15-97

Tutordo is a file manager/shell of Italian origin- and has made significant strides in useability since I last reviewed it almost two years ago. This app has joined the ranks of the other comprehensive file managers listed here. While Tutordo boasts some very nice features it still needs polishing in some areas. Tutordo displays a single pane that is well suited to mouse users- of particular note are the copy, move, and archive decompress routines which contain directory browsing dialogs for file destinations- real time savers compared to typing paths. Copy and move dialogs also permit application of date and time filters. Multiple archive compression and decompression options are available through dialogs. In general, navigation is quick and painless. This version should not be considered a finished product.

Other nice features:
  • built in uuencoder and decoder.
  • Command line available at bottom of screen.
  • Label disk and make directory functions.
  • File associations
  • Enhanced for Win95 compatability (associations, long filenames).
  • Uses only 2K RAM as shell.
  • Good online help
Weaknesses:
  • single pane, no directory "tree" view.
  • default dialog colors don't look right on my system. ( try B&W)
  • I'd suggest using an external editor and viewer rather than those supplied in package. One of the supplied editors is unfinished (mark/cut/paste don't work). I'm not sure why the author hard-coded this as the default editor. For large files, the author also hard-coded two shareware programs (supplied). Workaround: Copy your favorite editor to Tutordo's directory and rename it TIVED.EXE (Can replace shareware progs as well.)
  • Previous versions have been a bit buggy (e.g., installation)- appears to be cleaned up now.

download tuteng22.zip English version (385K)
download tutit22.zip Italian version (389K)


Bobby - Big graphics mode FM with image viewing capabilites.

* * * reviewed 7-10-97

I'm hesitant about including this file manager here- not because it is a poor file manager, but because it is so big. The zip file is over 1MB (exe is 500K), and that alone should suggest Bobby is a lesson in excess. Bobby is a beautiful piece of art, no doubt, and the developers have obviously invested much effort. It is the only graphics mode file manager listed here. And it has some unique features not found in the other file managers reviewed. Most notable is its ability to view graphics files including JPEG's (VESA driver highly recommended). As a file manager, it does not stand apart from the crowd and lags behind most in raw file management features (e.g., archive management). Overall, Bobby is a more-than-adequate file manager.

Pluses
  1. A set of 32 buttons (x 2) and icons can be configured to launch programs.
  2. Built in text file viewer- binary and ascii viewing.
  3. Views BMP, JPG, GIF and PCX images.
  4. Basic Zip and Unzip feature.
  5. Directory history.
  6. Wired for sound.
  7. Well documented.
Weaknesses:
  1. Requires 386+ machine, VGA, and lots of memory (XMS plus 220K conventional)- which makes Bobby a less than desirable memory-resident program launcher.
  2. No drive tree display.
  3. Won't run in a DOS box.

download bobby13b.zip (1 MB)


Locate - Small, very fast file finder with several output options.

* * * *

This is a great little program for a laptop (and desktop). This puppy finds files fast and offers the user several display options- including the default paging of results. Locate can't search inside archives, or find text, but it does the simple task of locating any file better than programs 10 times it's size. The most recent version overcomes DOS wildcard limitations allowing more flexible pattern-matching (filespecs like *FOO, *FOO* and F*O are now permitted).

"Version 1.23 is mainly a bug-fix release. The 1.22 overhaul screwed up the &S and &N macros; this release fixes them. Also, the new switches /NP and /NR didn't work correctly in the environment variable; fixed. New features: LOCATE now recognizes screen heights greater than 25 lines and adjusts scrolling accordingly. Limited support for UNC-style filenames. This release also makes minor changes in the &B macro and adds a blank line at the beginning of /O display if the &U macro is used. The executable size is still below 8K. The miniature version (FLOC) is no longer included, to reduce the download size."

download floc123.zip


Target - Fast, comprehensive file finder can search inside compressed archives.

* * * *

It's surprising how few DOS users possess a file finding utility. With huge hard drives now common place, such a utility is indispensable. MS-DOS lacks a file finder, and although the Win 3.1 file manager has a bare-bones file finding function, it is subpar. Target is a multi-drive file finder that will locate files using a variety of search options. Unlike Locate, it can search within several archive types (e.g., ZIP, ARC, ARJ, LHA, ZOO) for a file name. Power users can employ regular expression searches. Can also function as a duplicate file finder and can optionally scan found files for viruses (using McAfee's shareware SCAN.EXE).

By default TARGET won't search directories with extensions or find hidden files and it can't search hidden directories. Nevertheless, used together with Locate, Target can save hours of frustration. Also see: PKzoom- Menu driven file finder and ZIP file extractor.

download target15.zip


Filex- File identification based on extensions.

* *

Filex uses a list of 1800 file extensions to identify sources of unknown files. Unfortunately, Filex is prone to error since it does not actually analyze the structure of a file- it simply matches a file extension to a description in it's database. Thus it can't distinguish MS Word "*.doc" files from plain text "*.doc" files. You can add new extensions and descriptions by editing the DAT file.

download filex16.zip


Analyzer- File identification based on signature.

* * * reviewed 7-13-97

Analyzer is a file identifier that analyzes the signature of files rather than relying on extensions. It doesn't claim to identify many file types but it does identify some popular formats (e.g., Word (incl. subversions), Corel Draw, popular movie and image formats). It's real strength lies in it's ability to identify different compression archives, packed executables, and some high level language EXE's. Analyzer works like a directory lister but has no command line switches. It simply lists all files in a directory with the file type displayed next to the file name. You can use wildcards to filter the listing.

Note: The program doesn't accept a path as a switch, but if you put Analyzer in a directory on your path, you can 1) switch to the directory you wish to analyze and 2) run Analyzer. Some new file signatures (e.g., more EXE packers and sound files) have been added in v.132.

download an132.zip


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(c)1997 Richard L. Green