Comments on: Stupid Geek Tricks: Using 7-Zip as a Blazing Fast File Browser

By: Hoax Buster

Hoax Buster — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:03:35 +0000

For Windows Think about the excellent QTTabBar, free too, and compatible XP and Vista (Not 7 yet).

Windows Xplorer will be fitted with tabbar, launcher, favorites… And some plugins are available…

http://qttabbar.wikidot.com/

Excellent ! Terific !

By: Randy

Randy — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:42:29 +0000

I like Xplorer2 better: http://www.zabkat.com/x2lite.htm
It is more powerful, even the “lite” version:
tabs, customizable toolbar, etc

By: Caitlin

Caitlin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:13:13 +0000

My favorite part about using 7-zip as a file explorer, is being able to open zipped files to an editor and then when I save & close the file, 7-zip updates the archive – no unzipping & rezipping necessary.

By: Brazilianboiii

Brazilianboiii — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:11:31 +0000

Too bad you can’t search the web using it :/

By: Jeffs3rd

Jeffs3rd — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:19:15 +0000

That’s pretty cool. 7-zip is the archive manager of choice around here as well. Never would have thought of it as a file browser. Another cool tip from HTG!

By: KBPrez

KBPrez — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:53:47 +0000

What a great tool this is! THANKS Geeks!!!!!

By: Bojan K.

Bojan K. — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:23:53 +0000

I wasn’t aware of this feature of 7-Zip and although I am impressed with just how snappy it is (reminds me of the days of using the abandoned Turbo Navigator) I doubt it can replace my Windows Explorer replacement of choice – FreeCommander. Its navigation through folders is a bit clunky and requires way too many steps to get me where I want. The feature it sorely misses is moving back and forward through history using standard keyboard shortcuts – ALT+left or right arrow. And if it had such feature, customizable shortcuts would come really handy.

I like the ability to delete individual entries in history, but the whole ALT+F12 process of moving through it is too slow, too restricted by the fixed size window and because of that almost gruelling compared to FreeCommander’s ALT+down arrow.

The missing breadcrumb feature is also a big minus.

My main reason for using the option to switch panes in FC is to toggle between sorting the files and folders by name (in right pane) and date modified (in left pane). That can be done in 7-Zip by switching views with CTRL+F keys, but the omission of indicator on the selected column completely baffles me. I just don’t understand how any of the developers didn’t notice that or, much worse, deemed it as such an unimportant detail that it’s not even worth the trouble implementing it. But I guess they are mostly focused on the primary nature of the program (archiving) and not its functionality as a file manager. Which is a shame, cause this could be a great light-weight alternative.

So, as it is now – capable, extremely fast, but also too unpolished – I highly doubt 7zFM will replace FreeCommander on my computer. But I can see myself using it on other people’s computers, if by some chance I don’t have my USB stick on me.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:54:01 +0000

I am actually embarrassed that I never thought of this before. This really does work so very well.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:01:37 +0000

The only thing it’s missing is the ability to use your “send to” options.

By: BrianA

BrianA — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:20:40 +0000

Thanks for pointing this out – it’s fast and easy. I’ve been using 7-Zip as a compression utility but this never occurred to me. After trying other file managers such as Zabkat Explorer2, but finding them far too complex for my needs, this is just right.