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A Great Improvement On The Windows File Dialog
You're using your favourite program to edit a document, picture, web page, audio file, movie, or whatever. You want to load or save a file so you hit the File menu and then choose Open, Save, or Save As. And then you're faced with the standard Windows dialog box, from which to select the name of the file that you want to open or save.
More often than not, you need to search through a few folders before you find the file you're interested in. And, in my opinion, the Windows dialog box just isn't up to the job of helping you do that.
There are many useful free Windows add-ins that can help you. One such is Listary, which you can get from www.listary.com. It costs $20 for commercial use, but there's a free version for home users which contains all of the features you'll need.
Listary runs on all recent versions of Windows. The download is around 6 MB for the installable version, or 8 MB for the portable one. It works on both 32- and 64-bit systems, and according to VirusTotal is free of all malware.
Once you've installed Listary, or clicked the portable version to run it, you'll notice a small window appear underneath all your Open and Save dialogs in future. You can see it in the document below, about half way down, just above the box that starts with List and Document1.
Within that window, just start typing the name of the file or folder you're looking for. The Windows dialog box updates instantly, based on whatever you type in that auto-complete box. You can also maintain a collection of favourite folders, to which you can jump with a single click.
I used the program on my test machine for an afternoon before writing about it here. Now I'm back on my main PC, I miss its ability to make almost every Windows program easier to navigate. I might well install it again. And from me, that's high praise indeed.
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Comments
did i miss something¿
listary isn't a file/folder search utility (in the normal sense of the word) and must be triggered by windows explorer and the files dialog box, right¿
one guy had me rereading the article/comments 3 times trying to find the association between the two i had missed... somebody should shut the gate.
mcd
I was wrong in my earlier post, this is one extremely nice program. I am very glad I gave it a 2nd try and I am grateful it was brought to my attention. Thank you.
I like it. I especially like that it's portable. thank you for the info on this.
Take a look at FileBox eXTender. It's free now.
http://www.hyperionics.com/files/index.asp
Regards.
Not only that, it works "with the latest file dialog boxes in MS Office and Windows XP".
Another benefit: "We no longer support FileBox eXtender".
I get the feeling free might be too costly this time.
You're only partially "right". Saying they don't support the program anymore doesn't mean they don't develop it any further, at least to a point, relating to compatibilty issues and stuff. Actually, since its source code is available for anyone to use or take a peek at and considering the program usefulness (it DOES run on Win7-32/64 - I use it without a problem), they do get contribution from other programming-savvy users, who certainly amount to many of them and point out glitches and even pass on real solutions for them, over the years, as I've myself testified by accompanying the program dev process and watching it for possible new releases.
Second paragraph, second word is misspelled. ENOUGH is how it should be spelled.
Thanks,
Scott
I suppose you didn't both to look at the context? I believe it should say "often than."
Thanks,
Josh
"Didn't both to look"?
And how does one get "enough" from "ofthen"? Good grief.
Easy. Engrish as sikind lingwidge. lqtm
Wow, the nitpickers are really on the prowl today.
Where would we be?... :D - now fixed courtesy of Jojo - thanks! :)
That horrible little Windows File dialog never remembers your last preferences, and keeps reverting to the up/down/sideways snake.
Is there anyone in the human gene pool that prefers that ?
If so I would like them removed from the gene pool.
Does anyone know how to substitute a decent File dialog ?
Just tested the free portable version and it will not find files located in sub-folders. You need to be in the correct folder which sort of handicaps the program. I would test the pay version as the concept is great but I do not feel like paying for the privilege of doing so and then have to try to get a refund if the program is not to my liking. Perhaps I am doing something wrong but......
Sounds nice but no link provided? I guess we will have to search to try it.
Ops, your right, sorry I missed it. Thanks for the prompt reply.
Link for Listary is there in the article.
I agree about Everything, but it serves a slightly different purpose. Listary apparently works inside the standard Open or Save dialog box, while Everything does not. Although I use Everything a lot, I will try this program also.
Everything is great but it and Listay have different purposes. Been using the paid version of Listary for a while and it works great and enables me to navigate quickly. It works outside of dialog boxes also.
To better understand Listary, go to the web site and read the info on how it works and can be used.
This reminds me of FlashFolder on open source alternative but it hasn't yet been updated to work with windows 7.
Thank you for sharing this!
Another "instant search" tool is "Everything" from voidtools.com I have no affiliation with them.
Something most people overlook is using a tool like this to search for all left over bits when uninstalling software. It's amazing what get's left behind sometimes!
yes I agree. "Everything" folder and file search engine is amazingly very fast. It can search your entire computer as you type the file or folder name, and, its a very small totally free program! God bless the makers of "everything"
+1 for "Everything".
+1 for "Everything" combined with "Launchy"!
http://lifehacker.com/5274774/integrate-everything-search-tool-and-launchy
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