Windows File Manager

This article is about the default file management program for early versions of OS/2 and Windows. For the default file explorer in Windows 95 and onward, see File Explorer.
For the program suite with a similar name, see FileMan.
File Manager
Original author(s)Chris Guzak
Developer(s)Microsoft
Initial releaseNovember 1988; 36 years ago (1988-11) (OS/2; as File System)
May 22, 1990; 34 years ago (1990-05-22) (Windows)
Stable release
10.3.0.0[1] / March 24, 2024; 7 months ago (2024-03-24)
Repository
Written inC, C++
Operating systemOS/2, Microsoft Windows
PlatformIA-32, x86-64, and ARM64
PredecessorMS-DOS Executive
SuccessorWindows Explorer
TypeFile manager
LicenseMIT License

File Manager is a file manager program bundled with releases of OS/2 and Microsoft Windows[2] between 1988 and 2000.[3] It is a single-instance graphical interface, replacing the command-line interface of MS-DOS to manage files (copy, move, open, delete, search, etc.) and MS-DOS Executive file manager from previous Windows versions.

Although File Manager was included in Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 and some later versions, Windows Explorer was introduced and used as the primary file manager, with file management via a two-pane view different from that of File Manager, and a single-pane view obtained by clicking a "My Computer" icon.

File Manager was reintroduced as an optional download for all modern releases of Windows (including Windows 10 and later) on 6 April 2018.[4]

  1. ^ Wittenberg, Craig (1 April 2024). "Release March 2024: Cumulative Release · microsoft/winfile". GitHub. Microsoft. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  2. ^ Windows 3.0
  3. ^ "Windows Desktop Products History". Windows History. Microsoft. June 30, 2002. Archived from the original on April 12, 2006. Retrieved August 19, 2006.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference GHWF was invoked but never defined (see the help page).