FastExplore

Basic navigation through your computer folders is done via File Explorer. Other programs can be used as alternatives for more functions and flexibility, but there are also some specialized tools like FastExplore which help enhance the default experience, such as a default folder to launch at the press of a button.

One of the application’s main advantages is that you don’t even have to go through a setup process to make it work, so you can take it for a spin as soon as download is done. It has minimum impact on the target computer, because it doesn’t make any changes inside system registry entries.

It quietly sits in the tray area most of its time, with no interface of its own, except for a compact settings panel to tweak general behavior options. If properly configured, the application brings up a specific folder path when clicking the tray icon. There’s also the possibility to choose how the new window is brought up.

By default, the application doesn’t open any explorer window, because you need to manually define a custom path. This is done in the settings panel, and you need to either write down, or paste the target path, because there’s no built-in browse dialog, and drag and drop is not supported as an input method.

A single click is required to run the target directory. Moreover, you can have the window in foreground minimized or maximized, in the taskbar, or using the last size and position specifications. The icon menu makes it possible to have the application launched with Windows so it’s ready when you reach the desktop.

Bottom line is that working with Windows Explorer is a common activity, and FastExplore does manage to slightly enhance the way you access a particular folder. The target folder is easy to set, with options to open with different attributes, but there’s only one slot at your disposal.