Files App gets support for password-protected archives and more in latest preview update

Files App, a popular third-party file manager for Windows and a winner of the Microsoft Store App Awards 2022, has received a new preview update with several notable changes and improvements. As described by the developers, the app is moving from UWP to WinAppSdk, which provides better access to APIs, snappier performance, faster build times, and other benefits. You can now preview some under-the-hood improvements alongside several neat new features, such as support for password-protected archives, better file selection, new layout customization options, and more.

Here are the changes you can test in the latest preview version of Files:

• Added an option to double click to open folders in the column layout
• Reorganized the options in the settings dialog to make them easier to find
• Added support for extracting multiple archives at same time
• Added support for extracting password encrypted archives
• Added an option to compress items
• Added an extract button to the toolbar thats displayed when archives are open in the current tab
• Hovering over a drive in the sidebar displays a rich tooltip with information about the drive and storage details
• Added an option to automatically select files and folders when hovering over them
• Fixed an issue where right clicking an item would sometimes open the wrong context menu
• Added an option to set the default layout mode
• Added a menu option when right clicking the details layout header to set the default column sizes
• Further reduced the height of items when using compact spacing

The developers say users can expect more optimizations and improvements to arrive in the future as they work on improving startup time and reducing the amount of system resources the app consumes when running. Meanwhile, you can download File Preview from the official website, and it can run side-by-side with the stable version from the Microsoft Store. The project is open-source, so those with the necessary skills can contribute to the project on GitHub.

Files App gets support for password-protected archives and more in latest preview update