Tabbed browsing has become more of a phenomenon more than a convenience. They minimize desktop clutter and eliminates the need of having to Alt+Tab your way around a long list of open windows. Now, you can add the experience of tabbing with QTTabBar a freeware for you Windows Explorer. It allows you to add a tabbed interface and so much more.

QTTab opens each new explorer instances into a new tab. It also adds a handy toolbar which contains some intuitive and useful controls. Another noteworthy feature is that it provides a preview of the file once hover your cursor over it. Additional functionality can be added from the plug-in SDK. QTTab is Windows XP and Vista compatible.

Download QTTabBar.

Now, if you’re looking for a replacement for Windows Explorer altogether, I suggest you look into Xplorer2. There’s already an in-depth guide from Lifehacker so I’ll just post the gist of what you get.

Multiple folder interface

Xplorer2 displays 2 folders (plus a directory tree) at once which saves you time in moving files around.

Tabbed Exploring

You can increase the number of folders opened with tabbing. From the File menu, pick “New Tab” or press Ctrl+Ins to open a new tab. Move between tabs with your keyboard with Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right arrow. Tabs can also be renamed without changes to the folder it refers to. Just right-click on it and choose rename.

Bookmark folders and files

Like your browser, you can bookmark folders and assign keywords to open them quickly. To add a folder, from the Bookmarks menu choose “Add Current.” To organize them, just click “Organize” Bookmarks.

FTP folders

Xplorer2 also offers the option of opening folders on a remote server via FTP. Be warned though, Xplorer2 only supports plain FTP (not encrypted), and you’re required to put your password in the bookmark itself. The format is ftp://you:[email protected].

File filters

When working with numerous files with various file types, it can be a pain to tinker with the view option from Windows Explorer to select them all. You can use a filter to select all the files that start with G or end in .png. Simply type your filter into Xplorer2’s address bar (like “*.txt”) or from the Mark menu, choose “Select Group.” From there you can copy, move or otherwise manipulate the set of files.

Download Xplorer2 Lite.

The “lite” version of Xplorer2 has a few features disabled, but it’s far from being limited. The pro version costs $30, and there’s a full 30-day trial to check out pro features.

If Xplorer2 does not suit your needs, you can always try alternatives: FreeCommander, UltraExplorer, TotalCommander and CubicExplorer for replacing Windows Explorer.