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Anyone who uses the built in Windows File Explorer app to manage their files and folders knows that it has some limitations when it comes to how you can view your files. You may have heard of other file managers such as Double Commander or OneCommander that offer many features that File Explorer does not have.
If you are looking for an easy to use app that can show your folder structure in columns with each folder’s contents in their own column, we have the app for you. In this article, we will be showing you how to get a directory level view of your files and folders with Hierarchical File Manager.
Hierarchical File Manager is by no means a super advanced tool or even a replacement for File Explorer like Double Commander or OneCommander. But it does offer a unique view of your folder structure that can come in handy when you have a folder with multiple subfolders.
Hierarchical File Manager is free to use but they do have a pay for version that includes updates and support. They also have an installable version as well as a portable version that does not require any installation. All you need to do is extract the files from the zip file and run the hfmanager.exe file. You can download Hierarchical File Manager from their website here.
Once the app opens, it will be set to whatever folder you have the executable file located in, assuming you are using the portable version. You can then click the browse button to open the root folder that you want to view the subfolders and file information for.
For our example, we will open the Documents folder. As you can see in the image below, it only shows the files and subfolders for the Documents folder in one column.
But when we click the Confidential Files folder, it expands its contents into the next column over.
Now when we click on the Client Files folder, it will expand its contents into the next column over. From there, we will click on the ACME subfolder, then Old Files and finally Receipts. As you can see, as we click on each folder, it opens the contents to the right in a new column.
You do have most of the same options as you do in File Explorer when you right click on a file or folder.
Plus, you have a few options when you right click on a blank area of the app. The New File option will only create a text file though.
There are a few options you can configure from the Settings menu at the top of the Hierarchical File Manager app. You can have it show folder sizes at the bottom of the app when you select a folder in a column. You can also have it show hidden and system items if you need to see those as well.
As you can see, Hierarchical File Manager is not a very complex application, but it is unique because of the way it lets you display the folders and subfolders on your computer.
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