Immersive Explorer

Immersive Explorer: Browse files on your PC in a Windows 8 style explorer featuring Metro tiles

The default file explorer in Windows has a decent set of options, but third-party applications such as Immersive Explorer offer different looks and added functionality to make exploring your computer’s contents easier and more pleasant.

This application offers a file explorer inspired by Windows 8’s Metro tiles, in a modern and intuitive manager offering both essential and advanced options. The app’s download package contains both an installer and a portable version so you can choose whichever you prefer.

The clean, attractive UI offers a full screen mode and quick access to libraries (such as My Pictures, My Documents, My Downloads and so on), favorites (Public Folders and Personal Folders) and all types of connected drives. The tool supports local, removable, optical and network drives.

Various basic functions are bundled in the app, like the option to skip to the next/previous folder or go up by one level. Users can also switch to a different viewing mode, create and run image slideshows, sort listed items and view hidden files and folder sizes among others. You can switch to the classic Windows Explorer mode at any time, zoom in/out of images, change the UI’s language and load audio tracks in the program’s player.

Immersive Explorer also provides a number of advanced options, destined for experienced users. Among them you’ll find the ability to view a file’s MD5 and SHA1 signatures and the option to open Command Prompt dialogs using administrative privileges.

Furthermore, you can switch to a different language for the interface, assign default third-party applications for opening image, audio and video files, and changing the background color (or use an image instead) among others.