Panes - top2bottom or left2right

[twinkletoes]

I still mostly use 2xExplorer.exe as opposed to the latest free version xplorer2.exe. I haven't trialed the pay-for version yet though.

With explorer2.exe there seems to be no option to have the panes on top of each other, I prefer it that way as it allows more screen width to display the file size, date, etc etc. My screen resolution is 1024x768, there's no point in setting any higher, my eyes aren't up to it.

The version I use is Version Z1 omega Product Build: 1.4.1.12. The main bugbear is that there is no column for the extension.

This program seems to try to replace Explorer including all it's irritations, but with a dual-pane view. I was trying to explain to someone the other day that his file system was like a filing cabinet with several drawers each labeled with your drive letters and in each drawer there are folders and files and in each folder there are more folders and files until there are no more folders just files. I didn't put it quite like that of course. I do not want to see 'control panel' and 'printers' and 'dial-up-networking' and 'web-folders' and most of all 'Desktop' and 'My Computer', those area's are mostly accessible via the start button. I remember what it was like when I first started using PC's and the main source of confusion was that there seemed to be so many ways of getting to the same place. I would be prepared to explain that the 'desktop' was in fact the contents of C:\windows\desktop, but much later.

Also, other computers on the network should appear under and in parallel with the other drive letters and ideally it would find all of them. without the dreaded 'the network is inaccessible' message box coming up' - There is a badly configured machine on my local network, I think it thinks it's a DHCP server, the message appears whenever it is turned on until it's is off and all the other machines have been rebooted. Suggestions gratefully received. 'Find computer' and a specific name works alright.

The main irritation that I get all the time is whilst dragging and dropping, you download a program to the desktop and later want to move it to somewhere sensible, then you have to remember to right-click and drag because it's .exe otherwise you get a shortcut to it. Now whilst this is a safety measure to ensure that people don't go moving programs that have been registered as being in that location, it should be permitted unless the file was under 'windows' or 'program files' or ideally the registry would be checked to see if it was safe to do. Also irritating is when dragging between drives, left-click and drag makes a copy.

I was trying to organise the toolbar buttons in the latest free version. I found the easiest way was to right-click the toolbar to customise, then remove the lot from 'available toolbar buttons' to 'current toolbar buttoms' then just use 'move up' and 'move down' to shift the ones I wanted into view. It really is easier when setting it up because whilst it's in 'available toolbar buttons' you have no way to read a fuller description of what it does.

One other thing I should like from an explorer replacement is the assurance that no information as to a drives contents is kept in other parts of the system as that drive might be encrypted, all data pertaining to that drive should be kept in a single file in the root of that drive.

[fgagnon]

@ option to have the panes on top of each other -  
choose (•) Horizontal for Dual pane alignment on Tools | Options.. | Window tab

@ no column for the extension [in 2xExplorer] -
xplorer² provides access to dozens of columns, including extension.

@ This program seems to try to replace Explorer including all it's irritations -
These programs (both 2xExplorer and xplorer² and most other substitute Windows file managers) are merely  relpacements for the user interface to the Windows shell. So, not being replacement shells, they must deal with the shell as-is -- some of which can be irritating. Hopefully the more powerful user interface more than compensates for the way the shell is organized.    

@ badly configured machine ...
(I have no suggestions)

@ whilst dragging and dropping ...remember to right-click ... otherwise you get a shortcut [etc] -
That's the Windows way
xplorer² Pro has robust transfer features to help ease these frustrations.

@ organise the toolbar buttons -
Agreed!

@ assurance that no information as to a drives contents ... -
Many app's (including Windows Explorer and 2xExplorer and xplorer² ) keep Most Recently Used (MRU) history lists in the system registry. While these lists do not reveal encrypted file contents, they do show file existence and path. Other than that, there is no discosure of encrypted content that I am aware of.

HTH