How to automate file tasks in Windows with FreeCommander XE

If you manage files on a daily basis in Windows, you've probably heard that Explorer falls short when it comes to doing bulk copies, batch renames or synchronizationsFor these cases, FreeCommander XE is a lifesaver: a dual-pane manager with powerful shortcuts and plugin support that speeds up any repetitive task.

In this guide I will teach you, step by step and in detail, how to use FreeCommander XE to automate workflows with files and folders on Windows: from configuring viewers and shortcuts, to leveraging plugins, favorites and filters, to Tricks advanced search, batch actions and solutions to their particularities on x64 systems.

What is FreeCommander XE and why it speeds up your work

FreeCommander XE is a file manager for Windows that offers a dual-panel interface (horizontal or vertical) to open two locations at once and effortlessly move and organize data. In addition to tabs, optional per-pane trees, and a directory bar, it integrates features that the standard Explorer doesn't cover well.

Among its strengths are an internal viewer capable of displaying content in text, binary, hexadecimal and image, navigation within compressed files, and handling of ZIP and CAB (read/write) and RAR (read) and the ability to compress and decompress files with commands. You can work with nested files, calculate folder sizes, compare and synchronize directories, split files, generate and verify MD5 checksums, and apply display filters.

It is portable, so you can carry it in a USB and run it on other computers. It has favorites for folders and programs, integration with the line of commands DOS, and customizable shortcuts. A particularly useful plus: it can handle paths of more than 255 characters, something that avoid uncomfortable limits of the Classic Explorer when working with very deep structures.

Automate the repetitive: dual panel, tabs, filters and favorites

The foundation of any fast workflow is to use the dual panel to have, for example, the source on the left and the destination on the right, with tabs to open multiple projects at once. This makes copying or moving files a snap. fast and visual: select, drop, and go.

With active filters, you can narrow down the content you see (by name or extension) and reduce unnecessary clicks. Mark your most-used routes—and also external programs that complement your flow—as favorites to get there in two keystrokesThese small optimizations add up to minutes every day.

FreeCommander also facilitates typical automation tasks such as multiple renaming (with templates), folder comparison/syncing, and MD5 hash calculations to validate integrity. And, when the Quick Viewer is handy, reviewing content before moving or deleting prevents missteps.

The file viewer: review, search, and decide in seconds

Activating File → Viewer or pressing F3 opens the internal viewer with the selected item (file or folder). If it's a folder, useful information about it is displayed; if it's a file, FreeCommander decides how to display it based on the settings in Extras → Settings → Programs → Viewer (defined viewer, plugins or internal viewer).

When there is no suitable external viewer or plugin, FreeCommander's own viewer comes into play, adjustable in Extras → Settings → Display → File ViewerIf you need to force an external viewer occasionally, use File → External Viewer or Shift+F3 after setting it up in Programs → External Viewer.

If you have multiple items selected in the list, the viewer's "next" and "previous" buttons are restricted to that set. This allows you to quickly review a batch and decide in sequence what to do next. copy, move or delete without leaving the review screen.

Search like a pro: text, binary, hexadecimal, and regular expressions

Searching within the viewer (Edit → Find or Ctrl+F) displays a bar with fine-grained options depending on the content type: text, binary, hexadecimal, or Unicode. When typing three characters, if you don't use regex, the first match is instantly stands outIf there are no results, the box turns red to let you know.

From that bar you can jump to the next find (corresponding button, Edit → Find Next or F3) or to the previous one (button, Edit → Find Previous or Ctrl+F3), with the option to “mark all” to see at a glance all the appearancesIf you reach the end, you can either resume from the beginning automatically or display a confirmation dialog depending on your preference.

There are buttons to "match upper/lower case," "whole words," "search for hexadecimal string," and "regular expression." If you use regex, the search is launched with Enter, allowing you to automate complex validations (e.g., naming patterns or formats within logs).

The Edit → Go To option (Ctrl+G) opens a dialog box to jump to a specific position: line number, percentage of content, decimal address, or hexadecimal address. Ideal for very large files where precision matters.

Shortcuts and File/Edit menu: steady rhythm without lifting your hands from the keyboard

From the viewer, you can chain actions without losing focus. Among the most useful: Save As (Ctrl+S) to quickly duplicate, Edit (F4) to open with your default editor, or Delete (F8) with confirmation. After deleting, focus falls on the next element, maintaining focus. the uninterrupted flow.

Print opens the standard Windows dialog; Properties (Alt+Enter) displays the classic panel with permissions, dates, and attributes; and contextual menu (Shift+F10 or right click) gives you shortcuts to copy, copy as hexadecimal (if you are in hex view), copy detected links (URLs or emails), select the row, check all and encoding options.

To navigate between items from the viewer: “Next File” from the menu, using the right arrow or spacebar; “Previous File” using its equivalent option, the left arrow or Ctrl+Spacebar. If there is several items marked, the traversal respects that selection; otherwise, it iterates through the entire list.

When you want to leave, “Logout"Close the viewer with ESC, from the menu, or with the window button. These are simple details, but they add up to many seconds in a day of working with files.

View, zoom, and text: what you need, how you need it

In View, you choose the display mode and can activate “Plugins” to force the opening with a plugin when one is applicable. It is possible to prioritize plugins over the internal viewer from the plugin configuration, something recommended if you work with specialized formats.

Zooming is straightforward: zoom in with the corresponding button, View → Zoom or “+” on the numeric key; zoom out with its button, View → No zoom or “-” on the numeric key; and “Original size” with its command or Ctrl+* from the numeric keypad (depending on your mapping). This visual agility is great for reviewing PDFs or embedded images.

In Text mode, you can adjust the encoding, enable line breaks, display non-printing characters, and show line numbers. There is a standard dialog box for “writing” text (fonts/style). These are options that help you audit content and prepare renowned or pattern-guided cleanses.

In Multimedia, in addition to “fit to window”, you can rotate 90° to the right (Ctrl+→) or left (Ctrl+←), put the viewer in full screen (Ctrl+F11), and keep it “always on top” if it suits you to have it floating over FreeCommander for subsequent consultations.

Other handy visual tweaks include “Browse offline,” show .lnk shortcuts (Ctrl+L), and “Show converted files,” which uses a previously defined converter in Settings → Converter when applicable. If not active, the file is displayed as a unconverted, for example, as plain text.

WLX Viewer Plugins: Add formats and prioritize them

From Extras → Settings → Display → File Viewer → “Plugins” tab you manage the WLX: add (opens the Windows dialog to select the .WLX), delete the selected one, edit it and move it up/down to change your priority.

In the editor, you define the extensions the plugin should handle and the path to the plugin file. Each time you open a file, FreeCommander goes through the list from top to bottom and launches the first applicable pluginIf you check the option to prioritize plugins over the internal viewer, it will always attempt a WLX before falling back to the native viewer. If you're looking for alternatives to Explorer, compare alternatives to File Explorer that can complement your flow.

Shortcut keys and context costs: customize your speed

The default keys can be seen in Help → Shortcut Keys and, best of all, they can be redefine in Extras → Define Shortcut Keys to adapt FreeCommander to your way of working. If you're coming from other managers (Total/Double Commander), it's a good idea to replicate your mind map.

Additionally, in “Extras → Settings → Display → Folder/File Functions → General” you have options to rename with slow double click inline or with dialog box (F2), display only the name without an extension when editing, and control how files are deleted, copied, or moved.

Copy, move, and delete: Windows, FreeCommander, or external tool

In Copy/Move you can choose “Use Windows”, “Use FreeCommander” (with its dialog and options) or “Use external program”. The latter allows you to plug in utilities like Ultracopier with predefined parameters for automate transfers in one or two clicks. If you prefer to use the command line, see how copy files between disks with XCOPY/Robocopy.

Examples (adjust them to your actual route):
Copy with Ultracopier: C:\tools\Ultracopier\ultracopier.exe cp «%ActivSel%» «%InactivDir%»
Move with Ultracopier: C:\tools\Ultracopier\ultracopier.exe mv «%ActivSel%» «%InactivDir%»

To delete, the approach is similar: use the Windows method, the FreeCommander method (with its options box) or define a external program if you work with specific deletion flows (e.g., secure erase).

Create files and folders with “smart” names

When creating new items, you can define their name and creation date/time. With Folder → New (F7), the dialog box suggests useful default valuesIf you perform “Take a snapshot of desktop” (Shift+Ctrl+F11), the date is used as the name and the option “Create subfolder for current date” appears.

In the settings, you choose your preferred date and time format to standardize how these names are automatically created. Standardizing the formats reduces human errors and, if you automate it with powershell commands, allows you to search and group results by pattern.

Viewer Operation Tricks: Clipboard, Lists, and Batch Navigation

From Edit → Show clipboard (Ctrl+V) you can dump its contents into the viewer and work with it as if it were a file. Useful for quickly inspect large copied texts.

The “Link to File List” option creates a link between the viewer and the active list so that the “next/previous” buttons only navigate a specific subset (the marked ones). When you activate this feature (Shift+Ctrl+L), a checkmark appears in the menu; if you deactivate it, general behavior is restored.

Windows x64 Features: What Limits It and How to Fix It

The current FreeCommander XE is 32-bit and, running on Windows x64, inherits typical limitations. For example, it cannot display the Control Panel and the %windir%\system32 folder (and subfolders) shows different content due to system redirection (32-bit processes usually see %windir%\SysWOW64).

Practical solutions: To display the 64-bit context menu, FreeCommander uses FcContextMenu64.exe by default (right-click in the left pane). If you need to display the 32-bit context menu, edit freecommander.ini in the section and set ShowContextMenu64Bit=0 (then right click on the left panel to invoke it).

Since Windows Vista x64 there is the invisible alias SysNativeTo get to the real “system32” from a 32-bit process, you can use %windir%\sysnative; add “%windir%\sysnative” to Favorites (Favorites → Edit Favorites…) and you’ll have direct access to that real path without annoying redirects.

Another possibility is to create a symbolic link inside C:\Windows pointing to the authentic system32. Here's how to do this: go to C:\Windows with FreeCommander, hold Shift while opening Tools → DOS (accept UAC), in the console go to C:\Windows with "cd.." if you're in system32, and create the link with:
mklink /J «symlink_System32» «C:\Windows\system32»
From there, access the real system32 via “symlink_System32”. Use it wisely: symbolic links are for experienced users.

Edit, view, and share: small gestures that save time

A right click gives you useful contextual options; Edit (F4) opens with your preferred editor according to combinations defined in Extras → Settings → Programs → Editor. Print brings up the usual Windows dialog box, and Properties (Alt+Enter) displays the panel for viewing/editing metadata.

The viewer allows you to copy the content as is or "as hexadecimal" if you are in hex view. If the pointer falls over a link (http:// or email address), you can "copy the link" directly. These are shortcuts designed to technical review flow (e.g., inspecting binaries or complex logs). If you have doubts about a file, perform a analysis with VirusTotal.

Compare, Sync, and Verify: Change Control Without Surprises

Compare folders and synchronize them (for example with Robocopy for file synchronization) saves hours when maintaining duplicate trees (e.g., production and backup). FreeCommander analyzes differences and helps you decide what to move or what remains, with preview to avoid errors. MD5 checksum calculation closes the loop by validating that what you copied is identical to what you had.

If you work with large files or need to cut them up for transport, the function of split files It allows you to safely split and rebuild. Combined with ZIP/CAB/RAR and nested archive handling, packaging is no longer a bottleneck.

Stability Notes and Recent Changes

FreeCommander continuously fixes issues that impact productivity. Recent fixes include: fixes to the definition of new elements for column profiles, automatic views, and the status bar; a fix for an exception when switching from a dual-pane to a single-pane mode with Quick Viewer open; and improvements when starting with parameters (/N /L=D:) so that the tree and tab titles update correctly.

Also fixed the inability to unzip large ZIP files (>4 GB) and the Incorrect folder size value just after booting (e.g., in C:\Windows). The fact that the team ironed out these issues gives us confidence to rely on FreeCommander for critical tasks.

A note on 64-bit versions

There is a x64 variant of FreeCommander XE available as bonus for donorsWhile the main release is 32-bit, this 64-bit channel may be of interest to you if you're looking to better integrate with 64-bit system components and mitigate some of the limitations described.

FreeCommander XE becomes a Swiss Army knife for managing and automating file tasks in Windows: from moving and renaming files in a flash, to reviewing content with advanced searches, prioritizing plugins in the viewer, defining shortcuts, and connecting external tools. When the standard Explorer falls short, here's the solution. power and control to work faster and with less friction.