Explorer++

Explorer++ is a small, portable, tabbed file manager for Windows that keeps the familiar Explorer layout and adds the things admins miss in it: tabs, bookmarks, a drives toolbar, file splitting and merging, bulk attribute changes and directory listings. The Explorer++ download is free and open source under GPL-3.0, written and maintained by David Erceg.

Its main appeal for IT staff is that it needs no installation. One executable on a USB stick, a jump box or a Windows PE boot disk gives you a capable file manager on machines where you cannot or should not install anything. The latest stable release is 1.4.0 from January 2024; development continues on GitHub, and development builds are published from the main branch for those who want newer features before the next stable release.

Explorer++ at a glance

What it does

• Tabbed browsing with saved tabs between sessions, plus bookmarks for tabs and a bookmarks toolbar.
• Drives toolbar for one-click access to local, USB and network volumes, and an application toolbar for your own tool shortcuts.
• Display window that previews the selected file and shows its details.
• Advanced file operations: split a large file into pieces and merge them back, change file dates and attributes in bulk, and securely destroy files.
• Copy folder paths, file paths and universal (UNC) paths, and save a directory listing to a file.
• Search by name and attributes, filter the current view, and switch between icon, list, details, thumbnail and tile views.
• Portable mode that stores every setting in an XML file instead of the registry.
• Full drag and drop with other applications, including Windows Explorer.

How sysadmins use it

Build a portable file manager for a USB toolkit or WinPE

1. Unpack the x64 build (or x86 for 32-bit WinPE) into a folder on the stick.
2. Start Explorer++.exe, open Tools > Options > General and tick Run in portable mode. A config.xml file appears next to the executable as soon as you close the dialog.
3. Set up tabs and bookmarks for the paths you use on every job (for example C:WindowsLogs, C:ProgramData and your software share).
4. If the config must live elsewhere, point the EXPLORERPP_CONFIG environment variable to the full path of the file; if the path is invalid, Explorer++ falls back to the registry.

Hand a folder listing or UNC paths to a ticket

1. Browse to the folder on the file server.
2. Use File > Save Directory Listing… to write the contents to a text file you can attach.
3. Select files and use File > Copy Universal File Paths to paste UNC paths that work for users on other machines.
4. File > Set File Attributes… clears read-only or hidden flags on a batch of files after a restore.

Move a file too big for the transfer channel

1. Select the file and choose Actions > Split File…, setting a piece size that your mail gateway or upload form accepts.
2. Copy the pieces across.
3. On the other side, select the pieces and use Actions > Merge Files…, then compare a hash (for example with certutil -hashfile file.iso SHA256) against the original.

Make it the default file manager

1. Right-click Explorer++.exe and choose Run as administrator.
2. In Tools > Options > General, under Default File Manager, choose to replace Explorer for file system folders only or for all folders.
3. To undo, return to the same setting and select the option that does not replace Explorer before you delete or move the executable.

Install and first run

There is no installer. Pick explorerpp_x64.zip for 64-bit Windows or explorerpp_x86.zip for 32-bit systems, unpack and run. Language packs are separate translation DLLs that go in the same folder as the executable and then appear in the Language list under General options.

• Requirements: Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11; Windows PE is also supported.
• Settings storage: the registry under the current user by default, or config.xml in portable mode. Remove or rename config.xml and untick portable mode to go back to the registry.
• Admin rights: not needed to run, but needed to set Explorer++ as the default file manager and to touch protected folders.
• SmartScreen: an unpacked executable from the internet may trigger a Windows warning on first start; unblock the file in its properties if your policy allows.

Limitations

• The last stable release is from January 2024; newer work, including dark mode on Windows 10 1809 and later, is only in development builds.
• Single file pane with a folder tree, not a twin-panel commander layout.
• No built-in FTP, SFTP or cloud storage browsing and no archive handling beyond what Windows provides.
• Windows only; there is no macOS or Linux version.
• “Destroy files” overwriting is not a reliable way to erase data on SSDs; use full-disk encryption or the drive’s secure-erase function instead.

Explorer++ vs alternatives

FAQ

Is Explorer++ free?

Yes. It is free and open source under the GNU GPL v3, with no paid edition.

Is Explorer++ portable?

Yes. It runs without installation, and in portable mode all settings go to config.xml next to the executable instead of the registry.

Does Explorer++ work on Windows 11?

Yes. Version 1.4.0 supports Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 in 32-bit and 64-bit editions.

Does Explorer++ have a dark mode?

Not in the 1.4.0 stable release. Development builds include a Dark theme under Tools > Options > Appearance on Windows 10 1809 and newer, with a few controls still light.

Is Explorer++ available for Mac or Linux?

No. It is a Windows-only application.

Where is the Explorer++ source code?

On GitHub in the derceg/explorerplusplus repository, which also hosts the release notes and issue tracker.

What is a good Explorer++ alternative?

Total Commander or My Commander if you want twin panels, or Files if you prefer a modern-looking installed app.

Last checked against official sources: 1 October 2026 (developer website: explorerplusplus.com). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in production.