Total Commander is a file manager for Windows that places two file locations side by side. It combines everyday copying and moving with tools for finding files, changing groups of names, comparing directory contents and transferring files to FTP servers. Archives can also appear as browsable locations within the same interface.
The Windows program is paid shareware with a fully functional 30-day evaluation. Continued use after that period requires a license.
Total Commander’s two-panel layout
Each panel displays a location, so a source folder and its destination can remain visible together. Total Commander copies, moves, renames and deletes files as well as complete folder trees. It also accepts drag and drop from Windows Explorer and the desktop.
Folder tabs keep additional locations available without replacing the current pair. History and favorites provide routes back to previously used directories, while custom columns can display additional file details. A command line beneath the file lists launches programs with parameters. Custom toolbar buttons can pass the current directory or selected file to an external application, connecting file selection with the tool that will process it.
File search and Lister
Total Commander’s search can combine filename patterns with file size, date and content criteria. Full-text searches can extend across multiple drives and into archives, allowing the search to reach beyond the folder currently displayed. A duplicate-file search addresses the separate task of locating repeated files.
For inspecting a result, Lister displays text, binary or hexadecimal content, including files inside archives. Quick View uses this viewer in a panel to show the file under the cursor; a separate Lister window leaves the file panels available. Thumbnail view presents image previews in the file list. Viewer and content plugins extend supported formats and the information displayed, such as image dimensions beneath thumbnails.
Batch renaming
The multi-rename tool applies naming rules to a group of files. Its controls can change letter case, search for and replace text, use regular expressions or add a counter. Names can also be loaded into a text editor for changes outside the rule controls.
File attributes provide another source for the new names. Total Commander can use dates and times, photo Exif information or audio ID3 fields, with content plugins extending the available attributes.
Folder synchronization
Total Commander compares directories before synchronizing them. The comparison can cover whole folder trees, and the resulting file list allows individual actions to be selected through a context menu. Users can therefore synchronize the complete tree or choose what happens to particular files. Supported combinations include directories on FTP servers and a directory compared with a ZIP archive.
For differences within a file, the separate content-comparison tool works with two text or binary files. Its edit mode allows changes in the comparison window and lets text be copied between the files.
Archive handling
Opening an archive in Total Commander presents its contents like a directory. Files can be copied out for extraction, added to supported archives or copied directly between archives. Larger packing jobs can run in the background.
ZIP creation is built in. Internal unpackers also handle formats including RAR, TAR, GZ, CAB, ARJ, LZH and ACE. Creating other archive types can involve an external archiving program or a packer plugin, so extraction support does not mean that every format has an internal creator.
FTP transfers
The built-in FTP client uploads and downloads files and participates in directory synchronization. Interrupted downloads can be resumed, files can be added to a list for later downloading, and transfers can run in the background. FTPS adds encrypted FTP connections, while proxy support accommodates connections made through intermediary servers.
When FTP connection passwords are saved, Total Commander can protect them together with an AES-encrypted master password.
