QTTabBar
QTTabBar is an extension for Windows Explorer that brings tabbed browsing to Microsoft's file browser. It comes with a number of nifty features including a favorites...
What is QTTabBar?
QTTabBar is an extension for Windows Explorer that brings tabbed browsing to Microsoft's file browser. It comes with a number of nifty features including a favorites function for launching folders and applications, groupings of folders that can be opened together, tooltip preview functions for a number of file types, and others. It is also highly customizable and hotkey-enabled.
QTTabBar was written by a Japanese developer known as “Quizo” (hence the name QTTabBar) but because of lack of time, he gave the project over to Paul Accisano. Actually "Quizo" was resumed development. Open source branch of QTTabBar: http://qttabbar.sourceforge.net/
QTTabBar Screenshots
QTTabBar Features
QTTabBar information
- Developed byQuizo
- LicensingOpen Source (GPL-3.0) and Free product.
- Written in
- RatingAverage rating of 4.5
- Alternatives49 alternatives listed
Supported Languages
- English
GitHub repository
- 3,189 Stars
- 251 Forks
- 69 Open Issues
- Updated
Comments and Reviews
Tags
- Tabs
- File Manager
- Tabbed File Managers
Category
File ManagementLists containing QTTabBar
My Setup - All Apps and Software • File Explorers for PC • My favorite and absolutely essential Windows apps • Trying OutRecent user activities on QTTabBar
anti_canada_ranger doesn't think File Explorer is an alternative to QTTabBar- jdakfkj333 replied to a comment / review on QTTabBarjd
It's annoying to set up. You can't just install and go on Windows 10. You have to mess with the registry.
Dom P replied to a comment / review on QTTabBarIt's annoying to set up. You can't just install and go on Windows 10. You have to mess with the registry.
In 2018 it is still the best way to get tabs on Windows Explorer. Fully customizable, clean, integrates nicely with Windows 10.
Discontinued, yes - but still the best with the most options by far!
The last update was in 2020 so it definitely isn't Discontinued yet.
Reply written
And actually there is a new 2021 release which supports Win11 preview.
Reply written
Shoddy software. This is a Sorry Rabbithole. I have apparently installed this 3x on Windows 10 without getting tabs. I must have given up quickly the first time, and so I saw apparent fragments that didn't get removed, and I did the update/repair install.. that didn't work. So I did a total uninstall and reinstall again. Nope.. not working. So I checked for consensus and see that others have a similar problem...many do. Then they tell you all the contortions to do get it to work. Not going down this worthless RabbitHole any furter. I prefer tabs on my NotePad anyways because I think it is safer than messing with folders.
Likely didn't enable it correctly. You need to right-click the taskbar and enable "QT Tab deskbar tool" under toolbars.
Reply written
It's annoying to set up. You can't just install and go on Windows 10. You have to mess with the registry.
I just installed-and-go'd on Windows 10 no problem using the Github releases. Looks like the git linked on this page might be a fork of the original that's linked as a website on this page. Try that one out
Reply written
I tried an intall from the Github with plugins and no plugins option, as well as from the website. None worked. I could see a setting on my file explorer, but it didn't do anything, just made a thin white line appear.
It could be because I have privacy settings on, such as disabling Windows Store and the like. But I'm not going to spend hours messing with the registry to try to get this to work when there are many alternative file browsers.
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No new release in 2 years and some features are broken but it's still the best tabbed file manager for Windows. You can configure it like a web browser with bookmarks and folders of tabs. Favorite feature is displaying media on cursor hover, very useful for images and even music files.
The settings menu is massive, setup will take at least an hour. Drag-and-dropping files between drives is hit-or-miss. Not the quickest to load very large folders. Doesn't touch Window's file indexing which can be self-mutilation worthy sometimes.
Overall a flawed but worthy choice if you don't want to stare at explorers that look like something out of an Apple II or TempleOS.
After trying DoubleCommander, Explorer++, TotalCommander, XYplorer and more I can't remember, I've stuck with QT because of its simplicity as an extension.
All I want is tabbed browsing, dual panes, and a dark theme. This has that.
QTTabBar is unlimited... they're some much features and settings, that it would be not for newbies. But if you know a little with files and servers, it's really crazy: create your own menu with icons and link to SMB servers or folders or even, programs (launcher).
A really good software, with dark mode, tabs, preview (do you know if you put your mouse over a MP3 file, it start to play in it internal player, and numpad help to forward, accelerate, etc)
For real geeks