i.File

There are a lot of users looking for an alternative file explorer utility and just as many possibilities. i.File is a compact and portable file management utility that sports standard commands, such as deleting, moving or copying files.

As installation is not required, you can just save the program files to any spot on the hard disk and open the executable file directly. Alternatively, you can move i.File to a removable storage device, in order to run in on any computer and perform file operations on the go.

An important aspect to mention is that entries are not added to the Windows Registry, and leftovers do not remain on the hard disk.

The interface's layout is based on the classic Explorer folder structure, with one pane containing a tree and another for viewing files and folders in the current location. Shown file details are of no surprise, since they are limited to the name, type, size and date of last modification for each item.

You can create a new folder, link or plain text document, copy a file's location, as well as cut, copy, paste, delete or rename files, open Windows Explorer in the current location, and toggle the display of hidden files and folders with the click of a button.

You can undo your actions, go to the parent folder, toggle the viewing mode between list and columns, and burn or erase a disc. As far as program options go, you can make i.File ask for confirmation when deleting files, as well as send files to the Recycle Bin on deletion.

The tool's complexity does not match the one of Windows Explorer, for instance, since its features are quite limited. On top of that, we have experienced some stability issues during our tests, as we were unsuccessful in our attempt to trigger some options (e.g. "Undo", "New Window", "Create Link"), although we have tested the program on multiple platforms. On the other hand, i.File surpasses Explorer when it comes to low resources consumption.

Taking everything into consideration, we can say that i.File is far from being a reliable choice when it comes to managing files a little better. It does not bring anything new on the block, the only positive aspect being the low amount of system resources used.