If you’ve ever wondered if there was a better way of doing things when using Windows Explorer, this is the program for you. Directory Opus, built from the ground up for the Windows OS (and now supporting XP), offers an Explorer replacement and much more.

With built-in ZIP and FTP support, the number of features and degree to which you can customise the program are staggering, to say the least, but even the most timid PC user running Directory Opus with its default settings will find substantial benefits.

For one, users will find noticeable improvements in efficiency through Directory Opus’s multi-threaded program structure. It includes a main program running invisibly in the background, lister windows that display files and folders, and toolbars that may be free-floating or attached to listers. Multiple listers may be open at any time, allowing various tasks to be performed simultaneously. Hook up to an FTP site, ZIP a large folder, and search for that file you downloaded last week — all at the same time.

With its default settings, Directory Opus looks much like Explorer, but it can be customised easily. Create a two-pane lister for easy drag-and-drop tasks, or set your images folder to display in Filmstrip mode (pictured, above right). Customisation goes far deeper than cosmetic changes, however. GPSoftware has made it quite straightforward for users to add predefined commands to toolbars, and advanced users may tinker with Directory Opus’s raw command set to create their own functions. Viewer plug-ins are also included for a number of file types such as MP3s, which means, for example, that you can play audio files directly from within the program.

In brief: Directory Opus 6.2
4 stars
The price for Directory Opus may be a little steep for the average PC user, but anyone who deals with a large number of files on a daily basis will appreciate the power behind this intricately developed tool.
Price: $149.95
Distributor: GPSoftware
Phone: (07) 3366 1402
URL: www.gpsoft.com.au.