Many Windows users wouldn’t even imagine that you don’t have to put up with the basic Windows Explorer program. It’s such an innate part of Windows, that it doesn’t occur to people to try an alternative. However, those alternatives do exist, such as Modern File Explorer, which not only improves on the functionality of the default Explorer but also gives it a style upgrade. When you want more power, or a change from Windows 10’s defaults, this is a solid choice.

A new way to explore Windows

Whenever you need a file in Windows, you open Windows Explorer, though it isn’t immediately obvious because browsing the file structure is such a normal Windows activity. In fact, you’re accessing a program and that program can be replaced. Modern File Explorer is one of the more popular alternatives and it has all the default features you would expect: copy and move files, rename them, access network drives and like Windows, you can directly make and open Zips. You have the standard tree view and can use touch screen if your device supports it. Naturally you can share files with other apps too, for quick emails and so on. Additional features that add value to this program are things like the PDF viewer, which is really useful given the popularity of this format. A lot of people are trying to get away from using Adobe’s default reader and a built in viewer makes accessing files that bit quicker.

Not ground-breaking, but a refreshing change

The expanded features of Modern File Explorer add to its useability, for example letting you open the less common, third-party forms of zip like such as 7z and Rar. Otherwise, however, there is not a lot here that you can’t get from the default explorer. You still have all the useful features like pinning files and folders which make explorer easy to use. Fortunately, this software does have a strong aesthetic appeal that puts it above Windows Explorer, with a bold and easy to navigate design that will appeal to fans of modern design and those with eyesight issues. The design has been made with Windows 10 in mind so it won’t clash and you can even customise the layout to suit your needs. Users with touch screen will probably get the most out of this, thanks to the chunky, boxy shapes. It should be noted that you can try this app before you buy, for a limited time. Support for OneDrive is also limited to paying an extra cost.

It’s good to have options

Though Modern File Explorer does not provide much that you can’t get for yourself, it is a very robust tool and it’s easy on the eye. Having an alternative to the default is always good, especially if you don’t like the current layout. With a trial version available, it’s worth giving this software a chance to see if it can do anything for your productivity. The inclusion of features like the PDF viewer make it worth the cost for the full version.