The BEST File Manager for Windows


Works with and greatly enhances:

Windows 11, 10

Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP

Servers 2003 and later


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Version 4: the future

Major new tools, significant upgrades to current components and faster folder listings.


  • Find and rename problem files: bad paths, illegal characters, Linux & iOS (Mac) characters.
  • Check files and folders for compliance with different file systems e.g., NTFS, Fat-16, Fat-32, eFat, CDs, iOS, Linux and custom.
    Know if the files are right before you copy.
  • Delete files no matter their length or how they are named.
  • Powerful renaming with RegEx e.g. change 'Romeo Smith' into 'Smith, Romeo' and much more.
  • Lightening fast directory listing no matter how large the folder.
  • Detailed reports for copy errors.
  • Variable text size for views and dialogs.
  • and many more improvements and fixes..

 

See the V4 preview here.

Update May 2017

A May 2017 Microsft security update for Windows 10 conflicted with a major routine in FileBoss resulting in FileBoss not starting on some Windows 10 systems.

Versions V3.101 and later, fix the problem. You can read more about this at the page
Windows Creators Conflict.

 

Finding Files with iMac / iOS/nix Characters in their Filenames

Please note that this docmentation applies to FileBoss V4 which will be released in September/October 2021

Note that this documentation applies to FileBoss V4 which will be released in August 2021.

There are three ways to find filenames that contain Mac Characters that are illegal under Windows.

Visually

Visually inspect the names in an Explorer Tab. This is easiest if the display of Mac characters is set to using Meta-codes. (Use the View > iOS/nix Filenames > Show Meta Tags command from the main menu. See Viewing Mac Filenames for more.)

Standard File Search Routine

Use the Search > Find Files... command from the main menu and then use the Mac Filename Meta-Codes in the search pattern as you would use any other characters. A list of valid Mac Meta-Codes is at the bottom of this page.

Search Dialog for files with names containing Mac characters

 

Viewing the Results

 

Three views of Apple Characters

 

Remember that you can change how the special characters are displayed using the View >  iOS/nix Filenames > commands from the main menu or the icon on the main menu bar. Using the Meta-codes option will make the illegal characters (illegal as far as Windows in concerned that is) more noticeable.

 

 

Meta Codes for iOS/nix Specific Characters

Valid Meta-Chars for Apple Filenames are:

Name

Meta

Char

Description (used by Windows for)

Backslash

<\>

\

Used by Windows to separate path elements

Slash

</>

/

Reserved, can be used in some places as a backslash

Asterisk

<*>

*

Wild-card to match any string in searches

Question Mark

<?>

?

Wild-card to match any single character in searches

L. Chevron

<<> 

<

Used internally and by DOS subsystem

R. Chevron

<>> 

>

Used internally and by DOS subsystem

Dbl. Quote

<">

"

Used to enclose parameters that contain spaces

Bar

<|>

|

Used internally and by DOS subsystem

Trailing period

<.>

.

Windows filenames can not end with a period

Illegal spaces

<is>

space

Windows filenames can not begin or end with a space