How to REPLACE Win 10 File Explorer

Hello all, my first post here, since it seems IMPOSSIBLE to google up anything useful about this question.
I'm not exactly sure whether I'm in the correct subforum, but it did say "tweaks" which seems to fit.

I can't help starting with a little rant, distasteful as it may be, though justified: The dreadfully revolting and disgusting default file manager that comes with win 10 apparently lives in a dirty little corner somewhere in the file "/Windows/explorer.exe", so one would think it would be an easy matter to plonk another .exe file in there to replace it.

The problem is that the same explorer.exe file also handles the desktop background, icons, taskbar and probably another handful of things, so just copying in another file manager and renaming it explorer.exe is likely to disable some system functionality that is actually useful, unlike the default file manager itself).

I can't believe I'm the only user around itching to do this. So please anyone? Any ideas, experience or advice on THIS QUESTION ?

PLEASE don't answer with suggestions regarding alternative file managers that can be run instead of the default, I know dozens of those. My question ONLY concerns HOW to go about the actual REPLACEMENT procedure, and get the system to use the alternative .exe in all situations where the MS-one was called up before.

Hello and welcome to TenForums.

My question ONLY concerns HOW to go about the actual REPLACEMENT procedure

suggest alternate shell or OS

My question ONLY concerns HOW to go about the actual REPLACEMENT procedure, and get the system to use the alternative .exe in all situations where the MS-one was called up before.

The underlying issue is that File Explorer [and the older Windows Explorer] is pretty much the core of Windows. As such it has to work with drives containing a large variety of file formats, reading, writing, etc. There's a procedure for setting a particular program to open only specific file formats is easy to do. Setting a different file management program such as FreeCommander, TotalCommander, etc., [there's a lot of others] as default will be quite daunting without having to rewrite Windows which according to the EULA would be illegal.

Berton said:

Setting a different file management program such as ... as default will be quite daunting without having to rewrite Windows

That certainly makes sense, but then Directory Opus claims to do just that in the Pro version.
I wonder how much rewriting of Windows they had to do.

nt62 said:

Hello and welcome to TenForums.
suggest alternate shell or OS

Thank you. That's interesting, but can you suggest any particular alternate shell to get started?
What are you using in that screenshot?

I tried googling around and found many alternative shells that were popular up to a few years ago,
but that market seems to have pretty much dried up with win10.

As far as I was able to find out a large majority of them have been discontinued, and the remaining so-called alternative shells are basically in two groups: some, despite the name, are merely start button replacements eg. "classic shell", and others a whole different OS such as ReactOS where it isn't even clear whether normal applications will run or not.

cereberus said:

Just for your information, this forum does not take kindly to rants, and regulars are less likely to help or advise. There really is no need for it - why not ask in a polite manner for ideas?

I recommend you edit your post accordingly.

And I think I did ask politely. The rant part was just background information to the question I was asking, and clearly announced as such.

I think I might give a replacement file manager try but first I'd open Task Manager, click Processes tab then scroll down to the bottom, right-click Windows Explorer [yeah, they can't get the name changed in all the places] and choose End Task to see what not having Windows/File Explorer running lets me do. I tested it on one of my IP computers, nice black screen. Can use the 3-finger salute to Sign Out and restart.

One other thing, that page for Directory Opus is in Australia so maybe their Copyright and Trademark laws aren't as stringent as USA.

As far as reactOS, it's just another Operating System. Looks like it may do more with programs for older versions of Windows but programs may be limited.
DistroWatch.com: ReactOS

Berton said:

As far as reactOS, it's just another Operating System...

Hmmm... 'Origin: Russia' apparently.

Let's take a couple steps back for a sec...

What is so dreadfully revolting and disgusting about Windows File Explorer?