Filed under: Utilities, Features, Windows Mobile, Freeware, Mobile Minute
5 free Windows Mobile file explorers - Mobile Minute
One of the first things programs I install on any new Windows Mobile device is a replacement for the built-in file explorer utility. The default utility is difficult to navigate, can't browse ZIP files, and doesn't have split screen support. There are some great commercial replacements out there like Resco File Explorer and Anton Tomov's Virtual Explorer, but there are also several great free alternatives. Just a quick note, I've tested each of these programs on my Dell Axim X50v, which means they run well on a VGA Pocket PC running Windows Mobile 2003SE. I can't confirm that they all run on Windows Mobile 5 or 6, although I suspect most will work well on older devices running WM2003, or Pocket PC 2002 or 2003.
Total Commander
Christian Ghisler's Total Commander (shown above) is probably one of the best known file explorers for Windows Mobile devices. You can choose to view your files in a variety of formats, including split screen, virtual split screen (where you can tap an arrow to shift back and forth between a "left" and "right" screen), or single screen mode. There's also a tree view mode.
Total commander also gives you access to detailed file information, lets you view or create ZIP files, and lets you choose to view or hide files in ROM. An FTP client is included, as is a file search utility. When I said the first thing I install on a new PDA is a file explorer, I was talking about Total Commander.
Ghisler also makes a commercial version of Total Commander for Windows, but the mobile software is freeware.
After spending the better part of an hour on 