Open File and Folder Faster in Windows XP with FileBox eXtender

Working with thousand files and hundred folders full of data can make somene confuse when it comes the time to manage them for quicker future access. Categorizing files with various kind of information is a pretty consuming time work for me. Often there is no other way than having two same files in two different categories. Sometimes even more.

File categorization is intended to make files easy to be found, but having too many categories in one drive sometimes gives me headache. It is even worse when I have to look for certain files through Open/Save As dialog box.

A possible solution for this is to place particular files and folders separate location that is easy to see. Then we can open file and folder faster without having to browse a long way and click several times. But how? In Open/Save As dialog, we can replace the default folder in the sidebar with our own folders, but not files. While in another application such as Windows explorer we can add files and folders in the Favorites menu, but they won't work in another application.

What if the files and folders are placed into one container and put it at the Windows title bar?

You don't have to modify registry for this. Just use FileBox eXtender, a free program offering you the access speed to your files and folders.

FileBox eXtender works by adding several buttons on the right side of the Windows title bar. By default they are shown up next to the minimize, maximize, restore, and close buttons, but you can move their positions altogether from FileBox eXtender's configuration window.

The main button is the one with a little heart on it. This button enables you to add file and folder shortcuts within. You can organize file and folder into a folder or subfolder to avoid it gets too crowded if you have plenty things to add.

The file and folder shortcuts can also be renamed so each can be identified easily and it's also helpful if you have a file that originally has a long name because you can make it shorter.

Every file and folder you add within the button can be accessed from anywhere no matter what application you use. This is because FileBox eXtender doesn't only attach the "heart" button to Windows title bar, but also put it in the system tray. However, you can hide it if you want to.

What even better is that you can associate personalized shortcuts to access both the favorites and recent folder menu. So you don't have to move your mouse to system tray or title bar all the time. Just make sure the shortucts you use aren't used by any other application to be able to use.

Other buttons allow you to open folders you recently accessed, make window stays on top, and roll up window.

Sometimes you may want to open a file or launch an application but you want it to stay in the background first for you are still working on something. Still, it always steal focus so that you have to minimize it all the time to go back to what you're working on. This "push-pin" button, which makes a window stays on top, allow you to prevent that stealing. It doesn't prevent focus stealing, but at least it won't let another window steal the present window you're working with.

FileBox eXtender is a freeware and works on Windows XP and previous versions (only Windows XP that is informed clearly).