Help for a newbie

[CarlB]

Hi forum members

I have been using XyPlorer for many years and try to find an alternative because it is now clear that XyPlorer will never come in a 64 bit version.
I have tried several explorers and Xplorer2 seems to be closest to what I want.
I use a setup that looks like the old Win XP explorer, a tree pane to the left and a list pane to the right, maximum working space, so only the menu bar is visible.
I have installed the trial version of Xplorer2 ult. on a Win 7 32 bit pc.
I have a few functions and visible stuff that I hope I can get som help to obtain, or maybe just an answer that it is not possible in Xplorer2.

I use the same settings for all folders, except one, which is my download folder. Here goes all the things I download and stays there until I take time to delete it or move it to the correct folders. Therefore i want different settings for for this folder. According to the online help, this should be possible by using Actions\Folder settings. But how? I only see Save/clear/suspend/default.
I want to change from >Filename< to >date created< in the sorting, and I also want to have files before folders while all the other folders should have folders before files in the list pane. Are these 2 things possible?

I have obtained a very familiar and nice interface, but miss a few adjustments to make it perfect.
1) Is it possible to change the text colour (All text inside the 2 panes)?
2) Is it possible to adjust the vertical space between the folder/file lines so they come further apart?

Thanks in advance.

[nikos]

Hi CarlB and welcome to the forum
for sure, coming from a different file manager you won't find a perfect match and you'd need to adapt your use of the program somewhat

in terms of folder settings, xplorer2 uses whatever mode you set last as "default" for all folders. If you want your downloads to show or sort differently, just set it up as you like and use ACTIONS > FOLDER SETTINGS > SAVE menu. For more information see here
www.zabkat.com/blog/23Mar08.htm
note some settings cannot be set on a per-folder basis, e.g. you can't have files on top in your downloads unless you have them like that in all folders

1) Is it possible to change the text colour (All text inside the 2 panes)?

xplorer2 lets you choose the background color, which then sets a suitable text color automatically. So you can only choose text color indirectly. For more information see www.zabkat.com/blog/dark-window-theme.htm

2) Is it possible to adjust the vertical space between the folder/file lines so they come further apart?

no
if you have problems seeing the lines you can turn on grid lines from TOOLS >OPTIONS menu

[CarlB]

Thank you for the prompt answers.

Yes, I know that you can't have it all and that users wishes are extremely different. But even though Xplorer2 does not meet all my needs it is still the one that come closest, and I can have the clutter-free interface where space for file/folders has priority. Maybe you could consider implementing some of the features I point out.

XyPlorer is extremely configurable but the menu is a mess. But once it is configured, you can have it exactly as you wish. But, a 32 bit file manager on a 64 bit system is a no go

I have another question: When i select a "background colour for inactive window" it only works on the tree pane. The list pane always use the active colour. What am I doing wrong?

Also: Your link for dark themes is invalid.

Thanks.

[nikos]

sorry the link should be www.zabkat.com/blog/dark-window-theme.htm
the inactive background color goes for all panes that are inactive. Do you have dual pane mode or single? You would only see a difference in dual pane

coming from a competitor, what would you say is the top thing you're missing? (Probably it's available somewhere in xplorer2 too)

[CarlB]

I use single pane with a tree on the left and a list on the right, simple as the old Windows XP explorer.

I can now see that the "background colour for inactive window" works on the tree but will not be saved between sessions. Next time I start Explorer2, the tree will have the background that i don't want when the tree is inactive. What am I doing wrong here?

I will tell you what I miss most when I have finished trying to make it work after my wishes.

[nikos]

do you have save settings on exit enabled? (TOOLS > OPTIONS menu)

[CarlB]

Yes, and I even tried with "Actions\save settings now"...
All other settings seems btw to be saved automatically on exit.

[CarlB]

Here is my current settings, Win7 32bit (since I can't upload them here):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WoDRxk ... sp=sharing

[nikos]

have you turned on dark mode? In that case some colors are interpreted as default. Try setting background colors that aren't exactly black (=0) or white

[CarlB]

You can try the settings file from my previous post.
I do neither use dark mode nor black or white background.

[nikos]

are other settings saved and remembered? e.g. window size and position?

[CarlB]

I have not yet noticed anything else that is forgotten...

[nikos]

ok I will download and test your settings. Are you using INI files or the registry for your settings? Is the problem related to which persistence mode you choose?
in general I don't recommend INI files (it's slower) unless you are running xplorer2 off a USB stick

[CarlB]

I use the registry, it is a standard installation.
I don't know what persistence mode is...

[nikos]

your package has both INI and REG settings. Anyway I tried the registry and didn't see any problems
your REG file has the "default" background color (it's set to -1). So it shows as light gray.
When I change it to something else, it stays

if you are trying to do a dark mode scheme, you can just use the one available in TOOLS > OPTIONS menu, general property page