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ReadFolder — Folder Browsing Tool

中文

ReadFolder Logo

A folder browsing tool:
quickly preview all files in a folder and every subdirectory within it

Download · Features · Screenshots · Usage · Keyboard Shortcuts

Features

  • Recursive Scan — Automatically traverses the selected directory and all its subdirectories
  • Tree-to-Content Linking — The left-hand directory tree syncs with the right-hand content area; click a tree node to jump to the corresponding group
  • Grouped Overview — Content is displayed in groups by directory, each independently expandable / collapsible
  • Four View Modes — Extra Large Icons / Large Icons / Medium Icons / List, adaptable to different browsing scenarios
  • Multi-Field Sorting — Sort by name, date modified, size, type, or path, with ascending / descending toggle
  • Type Filtering — Filter by category: folders, images, videos, audio, documents, PDFs, text/code, archives, executables, and more
  • Real-Time Search — Search by filename, extension, or full path; text/code files also match against preview snippets
  • Thumbnail Preview & Caching — Automatically generates thumbnails for images, videos, and other supported formats; cached to local disk for faster subsequent loads
  • Text Content Preview — Displays the first few lines of text and code files as a summary on mouse hover
  • Drag & Drop In — Drag a folder directly from Explorer into the window to start scanning
  • Drag & Drop Out — Drag file cards from the window to the desktop or other applications to copy files
  • Right-Click File Operations — Open, show in Explorer, copy, copy path, paste, rename, move, copy to, delete, and properties
  • Multi-Select Batch Operations — Ctrl+click to toggle individual items, Shift+click for range selection; batch copy, move, and delete on selected items within the current scan root
  • System Clipboard Integration — Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V interoperate with Explorer for copy, cut, and paste; external clipboard sources can be pasted into the current workspace
  • Enter to Open — Hover over a file and press Enter to open it with the default system program
  • State Memory — Remembers window position/size, view mode, sort criteria, filter, and last opened folder path across sessions; restores on next launch
  • Command-Line Launch — Accepts a directory path as a command-line argument; starts scanning immediately on launch
  • Bilingual UI — Switch between Chinese and English in real time, no restart required

Interaction Guide

Action Result
Click a tree node in the left panel Selects the node; content area jumps to the corresponding group
Click + / - on a group header Expand / collapse the group
Double-click a group header title Open the folder in Explorer
Double-click a file card Open the file with the default system program
Right-click a file card Show the file operations context menu
Ctrl + click a file card Add / remove the file from the current selection
Shift + click a file card Select visible items from the anchor point to the clicked item
Right-click an already-selected file card (multi-select) Perform batch operations (copy / move / delete) on all selected items
Hover over a file + press Enter Open the file with the default system program
Drag a folder into the window Start scanning that folder
Drag a file card outside the window Copy the file to the target location (desktop / other application)
Resize window / switch view / change sort Automatically memorized; restored on next launch

Screenshots

Main Window

Main Window

Left directory tree + right recursive grouped overview

Search & Filter

Search & Type Filter

Search bar with real-time filtering; type dropdown for category-based filtering

Right-Click Menu & File Operations

Right-Click Menu & File Operations

Right-click menu supports open, locate, copy, copy path, paste, rename, move, copy to, delete, and properties

Four View Modes

Four view buttons on the right side of the toolbar; switch freely to match your browsing needs:

View Best For
Extra Large Icons (default) Image / video folders, previewing fine details
Large Icons General browsing, balancing info density with preview size
Medium Icons Quick overview of many files
List Comparing by name / size / date in columns
Extra Large Icons Large Icons
Extra Large Icons Large Icons
Medium Icons List
Medium Icons List

Download

Get the latest release from GitHub Releases:

GitHub Releases

Each release typically provides two packages:

  • ReadFolder.exe — Portable edition; download and double-click to run
  • ReadFolder-Setup-x.y.z.exe — Installer edition; supports custom install location, Explorer right-click integration, and system uninstall

Usage

Quick Start

  1. Launch ReadFolder.exe, or install and double-click to open
  2. Click "Select Folder", or drag a folder directly into the window
  3. Wait for the scan to complete
  4. The right panel shows a recursive overview of the directory and all its subdirectories; select a directory in the left tree to view it in isolation
  5. Double-click a file to open it with the default system program; double-click a folder to open it in Explorer

Search & Filter

  • Type a keyword in the top search bar to filter in real time by filename, extension, path, and text preview content
  • The type dropdown filters by common categories: folders, images, videos, audio, documents, PDFs, text/code, archives, executables
  • Click "Clear Filter" to reset to the default view

View Switching

Four view buttons on the right side of the toolbar:

View Preview Size Card Size Best For
Extra Large Icons 250×250 275×415 Image / video folders, previewing fine details
Large Icons 144×144 225×315 General browsing
Medium Icons 86×86 165×215 Quick overview of many files
List 54×54 Full-width row Comparing by name, path, date, size in columns

Sorting

Sort by any of the following fields; click the arrow button to toggle ascending / descending:

  • Name
  • Date Modified
  • Size
  • Type
  • Path

Folders always appear before files.

Multi-Select & Batch Operations

Multi-Select & Batch Operations

Multi-select mode shows blue numbered badges on the top-left corner of each selected card, making it easy to confirm the batch operation scope

  • Clicking a file card selects that item and clears any previous selection
  • Hold Ctrl and click to add or remove a single item; hold Shift and click to select the visible range from the last anchor point to the clicked item
  • In multi-select mode, blue numbered badges appear on the top-left corner of file cards indicating selection order; the status bar at the bottom shows the count of selected items
  • Right-clicking an already-selected file card performs the operation on all currently selected items; right-clicking an unselected card switches the selection to just that item
  • Multi-select supports Copy, Copy Path, Move to..., Copy to..., Delete; Open, Show in Explorer, Rename, and Properties are only available for a single item
  • Batch move, copy, and delete only operate on items that still exist within the current scan root; operating on a parent folder and its children simultaneously is not allowed
  • Before batch copy / move, conflicts with identically named files at the destination are checked; conflicts are listed in a preview and the operation is cancelled, avoiding partial success and partial failure
  • When pasting from the system clipboard into the workspace, the source can be from Explorer or another location; the destination must be a directory within the current workspace

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Enter Open the file under the mouse cursor (except when the search box is focused)
F5 Rescan the current directory
Ctrl + F Focus the search box and select all existing text
Ctrl + C Copy the currently selected file(s)
Ctrl + X Cut the currently selected file(s)
Ctrl + V Paste files from the clipboard into the currently selected directory or the current browsing directory

Supported File Types

The program automatically classifies files by extension. Supported categories include:

Category Common Extensions
Images .jpg .png .gif .bmp .webp .svg .ico etc.
Videos .mp4 .mkv .avi .mov .wmv .webm etc.
Audio .mp3 .wav .flac .aac .ogg .m4a etc.
Documents .doc .docx .xls .xlsx .ppt .pptx etc.
PDF .pdf
Text .txt .md .log .csv .json .xml .ini etc.
Code .cs .py .js .ts .java .cpp .h .html .css .rs .go etc.
Archives .zip .rar .7z .tar .gz etc.
Executables .exe .dll .msi .bat .cmd .ps1 etc.

Files with unrecognized extensions are grouped under "Unknown" and can still be browsed normally.

System Requirements

  • Windows 10 / 11 (x64)

Notes

  • The portable edition may start slightly slower on first launch — this is normal for self-contained single-file applications; subsequent launches are faster
  • Scanning extremely large directories (100,000+ files) will take considerable time; directories with millions of files are not recommended
  • Some file formats cannot have thumbnails generated; a type icon will be displayed instead
  • When a file is locked by another program, preview or thumbnail operations may fail
  • Text preview and thumbnail generation may be affected by file permissions and format support

License

This project is open-sourced under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Made by BlackCoder0