Explorer View
Explorer View
Reviewed July 2009
What’s It Do?

Explorer View is an instant file viewer for more than 100 file types, including PowerPoint, Visio, DWG, Excel, PDF, AutoCad, and more. It works inside Windows Explorer and views files even when the user does not have the creating application installed.


Does it do what it promises?

Reviewer 1: Yes. Explorer View introduces a new pane in Windows Explorer, which displays a preview of a highlighted file. It has its own set of preview algorithms prepackaged so one does not have to have the appropriate program installed in order to preview the contents of the file. Over 100 file types are supported.

Reviewer 2: Yes for the most part and no for some of the things it says it can do.

Reviewer 3: Yes, it worked very well. The preview made for faster file searching when the file name was not as clear as one might wish. Being able to view a quick preview without opening the document or whatever in its “native” application was a nice feature to add to Windows Explorer. There are dozens of supported file types and these are listed at http://www.explorerview.com/support/preview-file-types.php.

Reviewer 4: Yes. The program integrates smoothly into Windows Explorer, adding the ability to see the contents of many kinds of textual, audio or visual files. Even without the actual "creator/editor/reader" program itself, one can still see the contents of the files.

Reviewer 5: Yes. Explorer View is essentially a file preview software program that integrates into Windows Explorer and allows instant preview of documents graphics, music, and movies directly in Windows Explorer. Whether or not it saves time as suggested by the Web site will depend on how organized a file system one may already have in place; however, I would suspect that for the average user it will save time.

Reviewer 6: Yes. With a few exceptions, Explorer View enables the user to preview a wide variety of files even if Windows doesn't recognize the file type or the application that created the file is not on the computer.


Was it easy to install?

Reviewer 1: Installation was fast and easy and is strictly limited to a single computer per license.

Reviewer 2: Yes, the 11.2 MB downloaded exe file installed without any problems or conflicts.

Reviewer 3: Yes, it was typical Windows install that hooks right into Windows Explorer the first time it is run. It is compatible with Windows 200X/XP/2003/Vista, and requires a minimum 128 MB RAM and 6 MB of free disk space.

Reviewer 4: Yes. It is a standard Windows installation process that allowed me to put the program and its icons in the locations of my choice. During the installation, I was asked it I wished to include it in my start-up programs, which is recommended. I appreciate the developers giving me that choice, a courtesy not often extended to people when installing new programs.

Registering the program is actually an "activation" process at the same time. Each separate computer on which the program is installed requires its own license. Updating the latest version requires installing it over the existing program, but all settings are retained and the process is smooth without the need for any user intervention.

Reviewer 5: Yes. It is, however, a rather sizeable 10.69MB download, which might prove prohibitive (or at least try the patience of) the dial-up user. The installation and registration was simple and straightforward using a standard installation wizard, and integrated seamlessly into the Window’s operating system generally and the Windows Explorer program specifically. The EULA (End User License Agreement) was easily understood, shorter than most and far less restrictive than many I have seen, but does have the now nearly standard paranoid disclaimers as to product liability. Overall, it was a smooth and simple installation. The program also uninstalled easily and cleanly, leaving very few left over files or fragments.

Reviewer 6: Yes. It downloaded and installed effortlessly. It gave me the option of including it in my StartUp Programs, and I agreed. It also gave me the option of having a desktop icon. I like the fact that these are options, rather than decisions made without consulting me. The EULA explains that the program can be used on a single computer, which is identified by its hardware signature. The Web site warns that because this is the case, if you change or update computers, your activation may no longer work. Please contact support to request additional activations.


Good points.

Reviewer 1: Photographs and text contained within files selected in Windows Explorer are previewed clearly in the Explorer View pane that opens up automatically as a part of Windows Explorer. Previews are not limited to only graphics and traditional word processing programs; information is displayed about the contents of temporary files, zip files, .dat file, batch files, Excel spreadsheets and more. Exe files have their version number, description, copyright info, company name, comments, language and other details displayed. I was impressed that Explorer View supports viewing of Nikon’s RAW (.nef) format, one which many dedicated photo programs do not handle.

Reviewer 2: As the name indicates, Explorer View adds the ability to view many file types while using Windows Explorer. The program is very easy to learn to use. A quick review of the help file explains the functions of the buttons.

I found the viewing of photos with Explorer View extremely fast and efficient. The rotate function was a great benefit, especially viewing unedited photos that had been downloaded from my camera. This made the task of determining which photos to keep much easier and faster than other methods. It was also nice to see that Explorer View adopts the special functions of my default viewer that is associated with this file type. I like the ability to detach and expand Explorer View in order to have full screen viewing when desired. The zoom function is also an added plus in viewing photo files.

Using Explorer View to view different file types of text is a lot quicker and easier than opening each application in order to view the contents of the file. This is especially helpful when the document is Word files as Word takes a long time to open. I used Explorer View on numerous different text type files and was surprised to find it viewed inf, reg and bat files as well. The ability to copy from a viewed filed makes it easy to get what I want from the file without having to open the file. Explorer View can view the contents of an email without having to open my email program.

I used Explorer View to view some video files and the player is a neat feature. I found if I detach Explorer View and maximize it I could watch the video as well as some other players.

Reviewer 3: Obviously, it is a time saver but there are a few things I discovered that were very handy. One, for instance, is that when a driver is highlighted in a file directory, it provides a nice panel showing the manufacturer, date, version number etc. This feature works on .dll files as well as other obscure file types. The “explorer pane” is toggled using the F8 key so I could have it up and viewable or closed for more directory viewing space. It opened files for viewing the data contained that I had never heard of before.
Explorer View even has its own built-in media player to play a sound file or many types of video files. This was very handy for me because my video files are often broken up in to “clips” by my camera and each can be previewed with Explorer view very quickly.

Reviewer 4: Explorer View fills a large hole that exists in the standard Windows Explorer program -- the ability to see or view the contents of your files on one’s computer. Most of those files are user-created photos, documents, music, video or other information. To examine files within a directory in Windows Explorer, one must open each with the program that created and edited it and then view only the opened file. With Explorer View installed, one may scroll through the files in the directory, and in the Explorer View window, which appears inside the File-list window, see what each file contains. The Explorer View window nay be turned off or on by clicking on the toolbar icon or using the F8 hotkey.

The text viewer can read text files that are not specified in the list of File Types supported by Explorer View. For example, .log files, .bat files, .ini files, and other simple text files all appear in the Explorer View window. More importantly to me, the message files (and some of the others as well) produced by Pegasus, my e-mail client, are easily read by Explorer View.

When highlighting a file that is not one of the types that Explorer View can read -- an exe file for example -- considerable information about that file will appear in the Explorer View window. A .zip file with many files compressed within the one file will display all files within the compression but might not display the actual contents of any one file. In general, the files will display as if they were being displayed by its own creator/editor, with the fonts, styles, and other characteristics appearing correctly. There will be occasions, though, when a graphic inside an html file, for example, will not show up, as is sometimes the case with one’s default browser.

Although I was unable to test this out, Explorer View can function on all versions of Windows from Win 98 through to Vista. This range of supported operating systems is not often seen in the software currently offered by most developers.

Overall, I had little trouble using the program, and was easily able to toggle it on or off, depending on my needs at the time.

Reviewer 5: As mentioned above, Explorer View is essential a preview pane add on for Windows Explorer which allows one to examine, copy, cut and paste, and rotate documents; view videos and listen to music; and open and view specialized files such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel all without the need for installing the specific programs that created the file. Some of the most attractive features are:

• Opening files is very fast as there is no need to open a separate software program to view or listen to the items being previewed.
• The preview pane can be detached, resized, and moved to the user’s preference while still retaining all of its capabilities.
• Supports almost any file, even some very obscure file types.
• A fully functioning 30-day free trial as well as a 30-day money back guarantee.

Reviewer 6: Explorer View is a very useful tool for anyone who uses Windows Explorer to access and manage their computer's files. With its own preview technology, Explorer View enables users to view more than a hundred different file types, even if Windows claims not to recognize the file or the file's original software program is not on the computer. Instead of being told "Windows cannot open this file," the user simply highlights the filename. If Explorer View is turned on, the file's contents will immediately appear in the Explorer View window. If Explorer View is not turned on, one simply hits F8 or clicks on the Explorer View button that installs with the program.

Although Explorer View is a great resource for viewing old or obscure files, I find it even more useful for quickly viewing a wide variety of well-known, popular file types such as those used for PowerPoint presentations, photos, websites, PDF documents, audio and video, Excel spreadsheets, and more. Rather than having to open a dozen different programs to preview different sorts of files, I can preview all of them using just Explorer View, thereby saving both time and computer resources. I can view an entire PowerPoint presentation, listen to an audio file, watch a video, view a Web site I've created or saved, read email messages, move through a directory of photos one by one (and if need be, rotate a photo or zoom in or out), and more, using only Explorer View. Explorer View also permits me to view any file in Hex if I wish. I can even copy a file from Explorer View and paste it into another document. I can also detach the Explorer View window from Windows Explorer and position it anywhere on the screen, adjust its size, and even close down Windows Explorer while keeping the Explorer View window open.

In short, Explorer View extends Windows Explorer's capabilities in very valuable ways.


Weak points.

Reviewer 1: Other than taking up space on the Windows Explorer display, I don’t see any disadvantages to this program.

Reviewer 2: Although the help file identifies and explains the functions of the icon buttons, screen tips when one hovers the mouse over the icon button would be an added plus to this program.

Although the help file of Explorer View indicates that Explorer View will display a list of files of dbx (Outlook Express storage file), I could never get a list of files (emails) in a dbx file to display. I also could not get a list of files to display in the compressed formats listed such as rar or cab.

The video player Explorer View uses to view video files locked up several times while using it. Sometimes the lockup came following a pause. These lockups required a manual reboot because they would not clear even after shutting down Explorer View in task manager.

Reviewer 3: Explorer View will not open .MOV Quick Time movies. Those must be opened in an external application.

Reviewer 4: I have sometimes found files that will not open in Explorer View, particularly some of the .pdf files on my computer. This may be because I use several programs to create those files; sometimes they are within the program I am using (such as Open Office, for example) or they are created by a PDF creator program, such as Nuance PDF Convert, Nova PDF or PDF Factory. Oddly, this does not seem to be a consistent factor, as Explorer View will read some files created by one of these programs, but not some of the others.

Some PowerPoint programs) do not actually "play"; we can only view the slides, one by one. Many of the interesting presentation effects used by these Presentation Authors do not appear at all. On the other hand, since I have PowerPoint installed, using the PowerPoint option in Explorer View, some presentations were very much more understandable than they were with the default Power Point reader.

Explorer View does not support the native files produced by Open Office. This is quite surprising since Open Office is already used by millions, and is steadily increasing in market share as a viable alternative to the Microsoft suite. I understand that users of Explorer View can propose file types that they feel should also be added to the current list of over 100 file types.

I was very disappointed in the lack of support given by the developers of the program. I sent several messages to them by various means: online ticket, messages left in their chat (which was never on-line when I was) and email. The only response I received to any of these methods was an automated response to my online ticket, promising follow-up, which never happened. Although I find the program to be good, the support is severely deficient.

Reviewer 5: I could find no serious weaknesses in this program and only a very few concerns—one, however, of some potentially serious significance.

• The Web site file.net gives Explorer View a very high “64% dangerous” rating due to the fact that it installs an unidentified BHO (Browser Helper Object) as a .dll file which are not stopped by your firewall because they are recognized as your browser, and There is no description of the program. The program has no visible window. ExplorerView.dll is able to monitor Internet browser. The service has no detailed description. The file is not a Windows core file. The process can be uninstalled in the Control Panel. ExplorerView.dll is able to record inputs, hide itself, and manipulate other programs. Therefore the technical security rating is 64% dangerous. http://www.file.net/process/explorerview.dll.html

• Support was very lacking. There is a limited Knowledge Base, a Live Chat that always seemed to be off-line, and an email support ticket system that indicated no turn around time and that was never answered in my test attempt.

• Installs itself in one’s autorun file and it is recommended that the user leaves it running in background. While it only consumed around 11MB of RAM on my machine, the fact that it is still consuming resources all of the time just to have it available for the occasional moment I want to preview a file seems a waste of resources. Of course, if it is not left running, then most of the advantages of the speed in opening a file is lost as there is little difference in time savings in, for example, opening Word to view a document rather than view it in Explorer View.

Reviewer 6: Although I am very impressed with Explorer View, I did encounter a number of problems with it. It claims, for example, to be able to preview .avi video files, but I could not get it to do so. I tried several .avi files; in each case, it reported "Video not available. Cannot find 'vids:mjpg' decompressor." I had no problem playing these .avi files in Windows Media Player, in Quick Time, and even in the preview feature of Directory Opus, the file manager I usually use (though I returned to Windows Explorer to test Explorer View). Tech support advised that they were not sure why I was experiencing this problem and that they hoped it would be cured by updating to the most recent version of Explorer View. I updated, but the problem persisted. Also, while Explorer View was able to play most of my .mp3 audio files, on one occasion it reported "Preview Not Available – File May Be Corrupted?" I then double-clicked on the file and had no problem playing it with my computer's default audio player.

At times, Explorer View claimed that a preview was not available but it nonetheless previewed the file. For example, I asked it to read my email, which is stored in files with .mbx extensions. I highlighted one such file, and Explorer View reported "Preview Not Available – File Type Unknown?" However, although it first tried to show the file in Hex, when I switched to Text, it showed the file very clearly and accurately. I had this experience with other files as well, even a .txt file that Explorer View thought might be corrupted but which it previewed with no difficulty.

I found that the Updates feature on Explorer View did not work as it was supposed to. I right-clicked on the Explorer View icon in the system tray and asked to check for Updates. I was told I had the most recent version. However, I knew that was not true, since the Web site listed a more recent version that had been released several weeks earlier. Tech support simply told me to download the most recent version manually, which I did. When I installed it, I found to my surprise that it wiped out an Options change that I had made in the previous version.

Explorer View instructs that, that once the program is installed, it can be started with F8. My F8 key launches a different program. Tech support advised me that the Explorer View shortcut key could not be changed to avoid this conflict.

At times, Explorer View also had a problem with character encoding. I have many documents in Spanish. Most appear accurately in Explorer View, but occasionally the program seemed to use the wrong character encoding and produced garbled text such as "¡Qué emoción!" All my other programs showed this correctly as "¡Qué emoción!" Tech support did not reply to my inquiry about this.

Tech support’s responsiveness is a mixed bag. Some questions received moderately prompt responses, while others did not. The Web site support page includes a feature called Live Support. I tried three times to use this when the graphic indicated that help was currently online and that I should "click here to talk." Each time, I was told to supply my name, email address, and the product I was asking about, and then to type a question. I did so and was told to wait for an operator, but then a short while later I was told that no operators were available at that moment but I could leave a message if I wished. The first time, I did leave a message, but I never received a response; the other times I didn't bother to leave a message.

Explorer View is integrated into Windows Explorer. That is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Although it immensely improves the capabilities of Windows Explorer, it does not work well with other file managers such as Directory Opus or Total Commander, nor with other applications outside Windows Explorer. For example, I frequently use the Everything search engine to help locate and open files on my computer. Sometimes, of course, Windows does not know what program to use. This is where Explorer View should be most useful. However, if I right-click on the file and tell Windows to open it with Explorer View, Explorer View does not immediately open the file. Instead, Windows Explorer opens in Explorer View's default position, normally My Documents. In order to look at a file that the search engine found in a program called Scrapbook, I had to move first to C:\ and then navigate from there to > Documents and Settings > username > Application Data > Mozilla  > Firefox  > Profiles > MyProfile >  Scrapbook > scrapbook.rdf, a total of ten mouse clicks before Explorer View was able to show me the file. By contrast, if I right-click on the filename in the search engine and tell Windows to open it with my old copy of Quick View Plus, that program opens the file immediately without further navigation.


Developer's Web Site

Reviewer 1: The Web site gives a good description of the product. I could find no forums or FAQ’s but this program is simple enough that these features are not really necessary. There is a basic FAQ contained within Explorer View’s help file.

Reviewer 2: The developer’s Web site is easy to navigate and use. Support is by email from the Web site. The knowledge base of commonly asked questions is small, but a simple program such as Explorer View might not generate that many user questions.

Reviewer 3: The Web site contains little usable information, mostly sales-driven material for the many programs that developer Get Data offers.

Reviewer 4: The Get Data site is clean and professional, without any annoying flash banners and other distractions. From the main screen for this program, as for all the other programs offered by Get Data, there are three main buttons: Download, Learn More and Purchase. Learn More navigates to another page for more detailed information about the program and links to more specific features of the program.

Reviewer 5: The Web site was attractive but the information as to the programs’ features were scattered throughout the site rather in one single location. I also strongly object to placing quoted recommendations or snippets of praise on the Web site without also listing the source. Anyone can make up random sentences promoting the product. There was just very little documentation. There was a EULA (End user License Agreement) for this developer’s product generally but no on-site EULA for the individual products. Discerning consumers like to read the licensing agreement before downloading the software. Otherwise, there seemed to be no exaggerated claims about the software. In fact, the site may have suffered from being a bit understated in promoting the program.

Reviewer 6: The GetData Web site provides information about all 15 of the company's products. Coverage of Explorer View is adequate but not extensive. The Web site briefly describes some of the program's major features, provides a few useful screenshots and an opportunity to download or buy the program, and offers some combination deals at special prices. The Support page is the most substantive. It provides links to a number of issues from the Knowledge Base and an opportunity to search the Knowledge Base. It also offers an opportunity to submit an email support ticket and to use interactive online "Live Support." Parts of the Web site are also available in German.


Other comments.

Reviewer 1: This program nearly qualifies for what has become my favorite software category: one which is devoted to a single, useful purpose, does it well, and does not bog my system down with unrelated extra features. The exception to this is that Explorer View also serves as a very basic .mp3 and video player. The price is $29.95 for a single copy and this price declines with increased numbers of licenses purchased. A free 30-day trial is available.

Reviewer 2: None.

Reviewer 3: Explorer View is a very handy application and a great time saver when looking for a particular file that may not have been saved without a “user friendly” file name.

Reviewer 4: There are Windows Explorer replacement programs that offer file viewers, but they are actual programs used instead of the one that comes with Windows itself. Explorer View, on the other hand, integrates into Windows Explorer; so learning to use it is more like expanding one’s ability to use an already well-known program instead of learning a new program from scratch. Explorer View adds additional features that are normally not included in a simple file-viewer, such as the capability to print directly from the Explorer View window. With some types of files (such as .doc, .rtf or .txt files) one can copy from the Explorer View window and paste to other files or programs. There is a 30-day trial period for a good chance to try out the program. The $29.95 US price tag is reasonable for the convenience offered by this program.

Reviewer 5: Explorer View seems to be a very solid program that does exactly what it says it will do with little effort. I am just not certain of its advantages to justify its cost. There are already many free graphics viewers on the market, which will also allow previewing of documents such as Word—Picasa to name, but one—and most good printers also have Image Viewing software programs. As for the advantage of opening documents for which one does not have the software installed, Microsoft offers free viewers for programs such as Word, Excel, and Power Point. For those with a small number of files on their system or who do not use files regularly, this program seems superfluous. On the other hand, users with thousands of files, e.g., as in a legal or medical office, will need something much more powerful and with much more granularity and search capabilities than Explorer View offers. I was also quite concerned regarding the installation of a hidden Browser Helper Object, as I am not sure why Explorer View needs this control over my browser and that inherent functionality. For all of these reasons as well as those stated above, and considering a price of $29.95 which I think is too high for what is offered here, I would not recommend the program at this time.

Reviewer 6: The GetData Web site says that Explorer View can preview more than 100 file types; however, the Knowledge Base claims that the figure is "more than 300."


Will you continue to use it?

Reviewer 1: Yes, definitely.

Reviewer 2: Yes, this is a great way to preview photo files.

Reviewer 3: Yes, this very useful application has a small footprint and resource consumption profile.

Reviewer 4: Yes, it is a very useful addition to Windows Explorer.

Reviewer 5: No.

Reviewer 6: No. Years ago, I replaced Windows Explorer with a much more versatile and powerful file manager, Directory Opus, that includes a preview feature. Although I'm very impressed with the previews possible with Explorer View, I found it very cumbersome to use Explorer View with programs other than Windows Explorer. I'll thus stay with Directory Opus and use Quick View Plus to preview unknown file types.

OPERATING SYSTEMS USED IN THIS REVIEW
Windows XP Pro, XP Home XP Media Center

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