Customer Reviews

PowerDesk Pro 6.0 [Old Version]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

What a fantastic program. I bought it as a replacement for Windows Explorer really, but it does so much more.

First off, as far as a file managing tool (replacement for Explorer) it is really nice. It defaults to opening two windows for viewing different folders, but that can be configured as you wish. When you start the program, it will show you the same folder views that you'd used previously. A great help if you regularly manage files from the same locations.

It also has built-in zipping, file-sync (backup)and FTP connectivity features. The toolbars across the top give you access to many features, no need of digging thru the pull-down menus. Clicking on the drive letters displayed at the top will scroll the window down to view that location.

You can turn on a window to view files as you select them. It will show the contents of many different file types, even AutoCAD drawings. That will save me a lot of time in searching for a particular file.

It's easy to use and powerful, that's a great combination.

I have used this product for years (including and earlier version). Explore what it can do in the way of file management, searching, filtering, viewing, compressing and extracting and much more. This product has saved me from mountains of frustration and countless hours. For me it is must have software along with "GoBack" and internet security software.

PowerDesk Pro 6.0 boast some great features, of which the most appealing to me is the ability to view thumbnails of hundreds of different file types. Unfortunately, in my experience on three different computers, it takes so long to generate those views that it's not really worth the wait. Even clicking between different folders too quickly will cause PowerDesk to choke for a second or two. I also find it annoying to crash 1 out of every 5 times I use the program. PowerDesk has some great features, but it's too unstable and slow.

I used to own PowerDesk Pro years ago - i think it was version 4 or 5. I quite liked it back then. However, I now have a much more powerful computer (Intel i7, 12Gb Ram, Vista x64, Nvidia GTX 280 etc etc) but i find Powerdesk unacceptably slow. Just one example - when it comes to generating thumbnails of images - forget about it. Its ridiculous. My machine is running at 4GHhz rock solid stable (its used for intensive 3d work that requires 100% stability) and yet I have to wait around for Pdesk Pro to generate a few thumbnails. Any other app (whether it be windows explorer or irfan or adobe bridge etc etc) will generate the thumbnails fast). Also, i find it crashes a lot. I am uninstalling it as of today. I have installed it on an older XP x64 machine though and it seems to be OK on that machine. I am amazed also that the file viewer has not been improved - it doesnt read a lot of files (even image files). The interface is pretty much the same as it was back in version 5. Not impressed

I wanted to edit my earlier comment with the news that PowerDesk Pro 7 has been released. I have successfully loaded it on my computer, running Vista, and it appears to work great. As I noted, this really is quite a powerful application for the money, and I'm delighted that they've come out with a Vista version. Even if I'm tempted to roll back to Windows XP...

My earlier comments on version 6, below:

I've used PowerDesk Pro and its clone Explorer Plus for years and I agree they are exceptional. The single best feature is the ability to have multiple panes open to facilitate drag and drop and file comparisons, as opposed to having to start multiple instances of My Computer (or Computer in Vista). It has other good features that other similar apps have as well, but the dual pane feature makes it a stand-out. I suspect some of the comments in the negative reviews about performance are more machine-based than a problem with the application (such as memory or processor speed) as I find it very responsive. But it wouldn't hurt to check your computer's specifications against the published requirements.

However, be skeptical of the claim that while it is not Vista certified it will work with Vista. When I installed it, it highjacked Control Panel, Computer, Documents, and more, even from command line prompts. Almost every administrative function I attempted instead opened PowerDesk. I couldn't even uninstall it to make sure I had not set the option to replace Windows "Computer" with it, and couldn't uninstall it from within the app - it just kept opening new PowerDesk instances. So, I ended up having to reinstall the entire operating system.

So, if you haven't made the jump to Vista, this is a terrific product, but I recommend waiting it out if you're a Vista user, until they have a true Vista version. I'll go back to it when they do.

I previously used Powerdesk 3 and it was slow but usable.Now I have a much faster desktop with Win7 64bit and PowerDesk 6.0 takes forever to disply picture icons.It hijacked windows explorer and when you try to open it to view directories and files it open PowerDesk 6 instead. I tried to uninstall it via control panel and when i click it,it opens Powerdesk 6 instead.PD has a control panel open option in its menus and when you click it ,it opens another instance of Powerdesk.I looked for an uninstall opintion in the Powerdesk programs directory folder and there is non.I will have to uninstall it via a win restore. I installed it with the original Avanquest Cd ,not a download version.And the program acts like if it was a virus infection or malaware program. Beware .Stay away

Theoretically it would be a fine program (I had purchased all of its previous versions), however, this was the very last version I paid for. While it would seem a perfect file manager application for a newbie, you come across with many small but annoying bugs when trying to use some of its advanced features. Several of these have been inherited from version to version. It has some substantial problem with caching, it can cause serious drops in performance in certain situations.

I've been using PowerDesk for at least nine years. I received a free Utilities CD from PC Magazine, I recall, and on it was a free copy of PowerDesk, then published by On Track. I forget what tempted me to try this "desktop replacement" program, and I messed around with it for a few days before being really captivated by its simple interface, yet very powerful feature set. Today, several upgrade versions later, (I'm on V8, now) it is, by far, the most used software on my computer. When I rebuild a computer or buy a new one, it is the FIRST program I install after the operating system. It allows me to accomplish things with a couple of keystrokes that would take many menu dives using MicroSoft's built-in utilities.

Writing about PowerDesk is harder than using it. There are so many features and functions within PowerDesk that I don't even use, that it gets daunting to describe this gem to people who have never used it. The way that I use it may be very different from the way you will..... it all depends on how you utilize your computer every day.

At its core, PowerDesk gives you a picture of your computer's disk drives. Along the top is a menu bar, fairly customizable, icons for simple processes, and a display of all the hard drives and networked drives connected to your system. Along the left side panel is a folder view of all these same drives, with plus signs next to unopened drives and directories. In the larger right panel is a file display of whatever drive or folder is selected in the left panel. I say instantly with some reservation. I have more music files than most humans should, and sometimes opening a folder with hundreds of items and slow the display down. For example, if you select the My Documents folder in the right panel, you'll see a display of all the files and folder in My Documents in the right panel. You can customize this display to see the full file attributes, like extension, size, date, and whether the file is write protected or not.

Now, you're thinking, so what? Windows Explorer does the same thing! Yes, and Windows Explorer has gotten better and better over the years, but does it remember how you like to view things? Does it remember that you always want to see your directories and file details, sorted into date order, with the most recent items at the top? Does it remember the last several places you copied or moved files to? Can it move them there with one key click? Do you prefer to always view the contents of two different drive or folder windows at one time? No, I didn't think so. PowerDesk does all these things.

PowerDesk allows you to customize folders with either colored folder icons or change their look altogether with an icon directory. I find that this helps me get right to the most often used file locations instinctively.

PowerDesk can easily be a shell for loading programs. It comes pre-built with icons along the top for accessing Internet Explorer, WordPad, Paint, and some other programs, but you can add icons for Excel, Word, or virtually any other executable. You can also just doubleclick on an Excel file, for example, when you locate it in your folders, to open that file in Excel. Another very well used option is to synchronize folder contents. I work in two different offices on two different computers every week. I use the Sync tool to keep all my work files on flash drives that I carry back and forth everyday. The sync tool allows me several options for keeping my work files up-to-date and works quickly between network, hard drives, external hard drives and flash drives.

Last, the File Finder function is quite an improvement over the built-in Windows Search function. It opens a multi-tabbed search window that lets you specify partial file names, contents, file types and attributes for your file search. It is lightning fast, even though it doesn't seem to waste system resources by maintaining a running index.

I maintain a lot of music files on my external drives, and PowerDesk even allows me to update the MP3 file tags on those files, or view picture files simply by clicking on them.

I've tried other file manager programs, including File Commander, Total Commander and xplorer2. All have their attributes and all are more powerful than Windows Explorer. But all require a learning curve that seemed steeper and with fewer rewards for me than PowerDesk.

I like the option of moving files between the two windows open on power desk. Directory size is also a handy feature. Synching worked ok but didn't seem very fast with directories with hundred of files.

I had some issues with this program when I first installed it, but once I located and installed the patch for it, it ran great. This program is leaps and bounds ahead of Windows Explorer when it comes to managing and organizing your computer files. Lots of customizable options, dual pane views, and 'correct' file viewing (including directories that Windows Explorer and My Computer do not display, even after you've unchecked all the appropriate boxes in Folder Options/View). Example: under Documents and Settings/(your name)/Local Settings/Temporary Internet Files, you should see 4 or 5 subdirectories, including Content.IE5. In Windows Explorer you will not see subdirectories...only a long list of temporary files. With PD Explorer you will not only be able to view the subdirectories, you will also be able to view and delete the subdirectories under Content.IE5, which Internet Explorer does NOT fully clear when you delete your browsing history under Tools/Internet Options. That awesome ability alone makes the price of PD Explorer more than worth it. (If you have trouble locating the patch, here is the link I used to get it: http://kbts.novadevelopment.com/utility/getfile.aspx?rid=242) PD Explorer also 'remembers' where you were when you closed, and will take you back there when you reopen; a great advantage if you're constantly having to drill down to find frequently used files or directories. I highly recommend it.