Multi Commander Review - Fully Customizable File Manager for Seasoned Users

very good
key review info
application features
  • Multi-tabbed file manager
  • (13 more, see all...)

When Windows Explorer is no longer capable of handling user requirements, it's time to turn our heads to third-party apps designed to enhance the default file manager's capabilities. For example, a lot of us have a soft spot for the old Norton Commander, but we haven't shied away from testing other powerful applications either, such as Far Manager, Q-Dir, XYplorer or Total Commander.

This time we're looking into another "commander," namely Multi Commander. It's a multi-tabbed file manager that, judging by its presentation, contains more than enough options and customization properties to satisfy the preferences of even picky users. Notable features include support for a file archiver, registry browser, advanced file searcher, attribute changer, FTP support, along with configurable file viewers, editors and launchers.

Customizable installer and initial configuration

The setup operation doesn't take a long time to finish. Apart from the core files, the full package includes support for file viewers, editors and launchers, RAR and 7-Zip archives, FTP uploads (with SSL/TLS), a network share browser, SFV verifier and creator, portable devices (like smartphones or tablets), registry browser (as a filesystem), and others. Any of these components can be excluded from the installer.

At startup, you can select the UI language and theme: Commander by default, or Windows Explorer-styled. Alternatively, you can pick between the two styles for the overall look, mouse, keyboard and color settings separately.

The main app window probably seems overwhelming to those who haven't used anything outside of Windows Explorer. The two panes give you the possibility to navigate two different locations on the disk and easily perform basic file operations such as cut, copy, paste, move and delete, as well as to open multiple tabs within the same pane. All files listed in a directory can be filtered by name or format, while tabs can be moved, locked or duplicated.

Customizable buttons and commands

A small window embedded on the bottom part of Multi Commander contains several buttons for quickly executing some commands, like editing or copying files, creating a new folder, accessing the root directory along with local, removable or network drives, jumping to registry paths, launching any M3U playlists available in the current folder, hiding folders, DLLs or executables, or making special selections (e.g. images, same extension, duplicates).

This button window can be hidden, along with the menu bar and toolbars, to minimize the UI elements. It's also possible to personalize the properties of each button, such as text or background color, icon, tooltip or command type, in addition to copying properties to another button or swapping information.

A command line bar is displayed on the upper part of the main frame, so you can directly input a folder path to jump to it. More importantly, it's possible to create as many user-defined commands as you want, (whether we're talking about internal, external or custom commands). Multi-scripts or batch scripts, and associate them with aliases that can be inserted into the command bar for automatic execution (e.g. by default, "n" opens Notepad). This is actually similar to using the Run command of Windows.

File packer, advanced searcher, multi renamer, and checksum maker

Multi Commander features packer profiles for internal ZIP, internal Tar.gz, and 7-Zip, thus allowing you to create archives from any selected files and folders on the go without having to resort to an external tool. It's capable of taking into account file filters and of compressing folders into separate files. You can either proceed with the default configuration, manage profiles in regard to the profile name and packer, or create new profiles from scratch and assign external archiver utilities. It's backed by an unpacker and archive integrity tester.

Multi Commander: Explore disk directories in two panes and multiple tabs
Multi Commander: Explore disk directories in two panes and multiple tabs

Search operations can be conducted to locate files by applying wildcards, regular expressions, exclusion filters, and the maximum level of subdirectories. To narrow down scan results, you can indicate the file content (even hexadecimal code or regular expressions), attributes (e.g. encrypted, compressed), minimum, maximum, approximate or exact size, together with a date range.

A batch file renaming tool lets you apply file filters, convert the case, specify counters for the starting position, number of steps, and total digits, apply regular expressions, and replace any strings of characters with something else. It can modify only names or extensions, or both. Profiles can be saved and reused in future projects, while undo information may be saved too. CRC32 or MD5 checksum files can be created too.

Additional tools, plugins, and extensions

The program has a wide range of bonus features. For instance, it gives you the possibility to calculate folder sizes, change file attributes and time stamps, copy file paths, versions or comma-separated lists to the Clipboard, select the oldest duplicates based on the version in the name, and quickly rename files by replacing or capitalizing text, or turning it into uppercase or lowercase. When it comes to text, you can convert it to Unix, Windows or Mac format, turn tabs into spaces, reformat XMLs to structured or compact mode, sort lines, or find and replace text.

Other functions of Multi Commander let you take ownership, add or remove permissions for files and folders, and create file links. The picture-oriented operations are meant to convert, rotate or resize images, strip or export EXIF info, and adjust the EXIF date and time. The audio tools can show MP3 file properties, remove or export tags, while the video-based feature can scan for media information. Shortcuts to the Windows Control Panel applets are accessible via the "Tools" menu.

Multi Commander: Associate apps and formats for viewing and editing files
Multi Commander: Associate apps and formats for viewing and editing files

Multi Commander's entire configuration can be backed up to file and later restored, and the app can be prepared for USB storage devices (i.e. no installation).

As mentioned in the installation state, the software utility supports plugins and extensions, which you can easily enable or disable, and make any of them automatically launch at program startup. These include the Explorer and settings panel, workspace, file search tool, together with the audio, picture and video utilities.

Other configuration options

Regarding the file viewer, editor and launcher, you can assign new third-party programs, make file type associations for each one, set custom icons, and write command-line parameters to extend functionality.

Any buttons and options can be hidden from the command line bar, panel tab, or button window. You can create a system tray icon for swiftly accessing Multi Commander and keep it minimized there to continue with regular PC activity without any interruptions, or examine log details with the app's entire activity and fiddle with its settings (like picking the exact file operations to record while excluding the rest).

Those who want to enter expert mode are free to tinker with the read and write strategy, copy and move plugin presets, along with packer profiles for file operations, local and network file system, file coloring rules, and so on.


The Good

This is clearly a file manager designed for experienced PC users. It offers support for multiple tabs, FTP and network shares, browsing registry paths, packing files and unpacking archives, performing advanced file searches, changing file attributes and timestamps, as well as for creating and verifying SFV files.

Furthermore, you can customize a button window with shortcuts and a command-line bar with aliases, make associations with file viewers, editors and launchers, inspect log details with the program's whole activity, personalize various file coloring rules, and configure a wide range of expert settings.

It is multilingual and compatible with most Windows editions, ranging from XP to 8/8.1. Keyboard shortcuts are supported and they can be remapped.

Lengthy file operations are carried out in the background. CPU and RAM consumption was low in our tests. Extensive help documentation with screenshots is available.

It's free to use.

There's also a portable edition available if you want to skip the installer and directly run the file manager from a pen drive, Portable Multi Commander.

The Bad

It hanged several times during our tests when we tried using several tools, like Base64 encoding.

Even for experts, the configuration settings may be difficult to understand at times.

The Truth

Provided that you're adventurous, meticulous and patient, Multi Commander may be just the file manager you need for hard disk exploration.

user interface 3
features 5
ease of use 2
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
NEXT REVIEW: AudioShell

Multi Commander (22 Images)

Multi Commander: Explore disk directories in two panes and multiple tabsMulti Commander: Select the UI appearanceMulti Commander: Manage tabs just like in Chrome or FirefoxMulti Commander: Compare folders by various criteriaMulti Commander: Customize the viewing mode
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