In my personal experience, I always try to resist the idea that "everything was better before", but I can't deny that Microsoft has reinvented the wheel too many times, when in reality their projects only need minimal tweaks to ensure compatibility. With that in mind, I decided to visit Redmond's profile on GitHub, where they offer a modern edition of the Windows File Manager, also known as "winfile" in 3.x versions.
We all want the operating system to stay out of the way. Obviously, it should include some essential tools to simplify our work, but in general, a "stand-by" strategy is always preferable. Unfortunately, that disappeared in the latest versions of Windows, and the OS tortures us with all kinds of notifications, messages and requests. For this reason, it's never a bad idea to look for simpler solutions, but today it's Microsoft itself that offers us one. It's Windows File Manager, the classic file manager for 3.x, working perfectly on Windows 10 and 11.
Windows File Manager from 3.x, Compatible with Windows 10 and 11
"Winfile" is undoubtedly a different creature. It comes from an era when tabs were absent, and the user had to create windows for everything. Another detail of Windows File Manager is that the copy operation does not work as we imagine. If we choose the Copy option (F8 on the keyboard), the program will ask us to enter the destination path manually. Instead, Copy to Clipboard (Ctrl+C, as always) is aligned with modern copying, so to speak.
On the other hand, Winfile simplifies the creation of "symbolic" and "hard" links, offers shortcuts for all consoles (read PowerShell and CMD), and allows running programs with elevated and/or minimized privileges. The View section is essential to customize windows (disable tree view, sort by date, etc.), and in Options there are additional commands to change the font, moderate confirmations, and modify the contents of the top bar.
This version of Windows File Manager was recently updated, but if the plan is not to fight with GitHub, there are also copies available on the Microsoft Store, winget and chocolatey. Link below!
Official site and download: Click here
How to download programs from GitHub: Click here
