Sh'elf

The default Explorer is quite flexible, letting you have multiple instances up to comfortably navigate through folders and manage files. However, you might not need all panel elements in plain sight to get a better view of content. This is what Sh'elf has in mind, letting you create multiple configurations, depending on how you need to manage your files.

On the bright side of things, Sh'elf doesn’t come packed inside an installer, so you can check out the set of features from the moment download is done. As such, you can create multiple configuration files for work folders and carry them on a thumb drive to use where necessary. Just make sure that the target computer is fitted with .NET Framework.

By default, the application is set to display the content of the desktop. Files and folders are shown in a standard layout, with full support for drag and drop, as well as regular file operations also available in your default Explorer program. The original context menu can be brought up on items, while holding a set of custom options when opened in empty space.

With the custom context menu up, you have options to create new files and folders, refresh, select all items, bring up an explorer window, open the command prompt, or set up default tools and status operations. With items selected, you can view different types of items associated with corresponding programs for text, image, or archives.

The application makes it possible to customize the visual design in terms of background color or image, or even made transparent. Apart from aesthetics, you’re allowed to set a default directory to show up when launched, and create different configuration files, but individual shortcuts need to be created so that you don’t switch between profiles in a single instance.

All things considered, we can state that Sh’elf isn’t really a virtual desktop, and mostly aims to offer a cleaner folder view to manage your files. It might take some time to figure out the best configuration and how to use it, but it might just make the cut if you’re mostly interested in a clean layout of directories.