Q-Dir is a free Windows file manager that brings up to four folder views into one window. It is designed for browsing and moving files among several locations while keeping those folders visible. Local disks, network folders and removable drives can occupy the same arrangement, with tabs providing additional locations inside each pane.
Q-Dir’s pane layouts
The four-pane layout gives Q-Dir its name, but you can also use one, two or three panes. Two-pane arrangements can divide the window horizontally or vertically. Each pane has its own address bar, and navigation can use either a shared directory tree or separate trees for the individual views. The trees can also be hidden to give the file lists more room.
Each of the four views supports up to sixteen tabs. This lets you keep other folders available without adding more visible panes. Address bars accept typed paths as well as folder navigation, while the views offer details, lists, icons and thumbnails. Displayed columns can be changed and saved, so a folder of pictures can emphasize different information from a folder of documents.
File transfers use drag-and-drop or the clipboard. You can move or copy a selection between Q-Dir panes, or between Q-Dir and a Windows Explorer window. The panes keep the relevant source and destination folders on screen during these operations.
Favorites and Quick Links
Q-Dir distinguishes between saving a working arrangement and saving a shortcut to one location. A Favorite records the folders across all four views together with their view settings. Optional settings include divider positions, window size and window placement. Recalling that Favorite restores the combination for a recurring set of folders.
Quick Links provide individual shortcuts instead. They can point to a folder or launch a program, and are available through Ctrl+Q. A Quick Link therefore suits opening one location, while a Favorite suits returning to a group of related locations and their layout.
Filtering and coloring file lists
Each pane has independent filtering controls. A filename mask such as *.txt narrows its file list, and several masks can be joined with semicolons. Exclusion filtering reverses the match, while an option leaves directories outside the filter. These settings can be retained in Favorites along with the folder arrangement.
Color rules identify file types within a list. You assign a color to an extension mask, or group several extensions under the same color. For example, *.txt;*.rtf can share a text-document color. Folder rules are available too. These colors change how matching entries appear; the file filter controls which entries the pane displays.
Seeing what a folder holds
Q-Dir can add folder sizes to the file display, with sizes expressed in units such as bytes, KB or MB. It can also show folder and file counts, and present folder-size information in the status bar.
The preview offers several ways to examine a selected item. Image previews cover common picture formats and supported camera raw files, while a media-player mode handles audio, video and animated GIFs. Other modes use Windows document previews or show file and folder details. Office document previews depend on the installed preview support, and playable media formats depend on the system’s codecs.
Folder list output
The Print command uses the current folder view. A detail view produces a file-detail listing, while a thumbnail view produces a visual overview of the folder’s images.
Q-Dir also exports folder-list information to XLS, CSV, TXT and HTML. The program is freeware for personal and business use.
