I’ve never really liked XTree for DOS. I know that traditionally it has been considered the standard for PC file management, but there has always been something about it that irritated me. I was, therefore, wary of my preconceptions when I first came to look at the Windows version.
XTree for Windows is a good product. Working with it gives the impression that someone became sick of the Windows File Manager and set out to build a utility that included all the features missing from it — a job well done, even though it has a few flaws.
XTree for Windows requires considerable screen real estate for effective usage. At first, I tried using the program under standard VGA, in a non-maximised Window, which is usually how I use the Windows File Manager. Not with XTree, however. To use it effectively, I needed Super VGA resolution and a maximised Window.
The program uses a row of Smart Icons across the top of the screen, which are too useful to remove, even though they take up space. By default, you have a list of all available volumes in a window found on the left-hand side of the screen and a directory path windows on the right-hand side.
While you can expand XTree for the volumes on the left-hand side, every time you double-click on a volume or directory path to open it, XTree opens another window on the right-hand side. While it’s possible to simply expand the tree on the left completely, this starts to make moving between multiple volumes a nuisance, and it’s in working with large numbers of volumes (on a network, for instance) that XTree is most useful.
With a few paths open, you end up with as much space being occupied by the cascaded window title bars as is taken up by the directory you’re working on.
XTree for Windows also comes with a wide range of viewers for most applications and application types. Viewing almost any file, whether they’re Macintosh Word or dBASE III files, is easy. Simply select the file and click on the view icon; a window appears at the bottom of the screen with the files contents, which can then be exported or captured.
Working on several volumes with many paths open, however, quickly crowds the screen, but this is a small sacrifice when considering that XTree is packed with features, runs quickly and is simple to use. The program is the most useful utility I’ve seen for extensive file management on a network, and includes facilities that make mapping and managing server volumes kid’s stakes. ZIP archives can also be mounted as volumes, and individual files or paths extracted with a minimum of fuss.
You’ll enjoy XTree for Windows’ features, but wish you had a bigger monitor
The package also includes XTreeLink, a utility that works in conjunction with either XTree for Windows or XTree Gold, which allows access to files on a laptop or another PC hooked up by cable. The advantage of this over a package such as Brooklyn Bridge is that with XTreeLink you use the same file manager for moving files locally, over a network or between linked PCs.
