Explore Better v0.2.1

Explore Better v0.2.1 gives the application a sharper identity that matches the website and makes the Windows app recognizable even at taskbar and favicon scale.

What's new

• Replaced the detailed legacy icon with a geometric EB dual-pane monogram in Explore Better's ink, paper, acid, and teal palette.
• Applied one generated brand system across the website, desktop header, executable, installer, favicons, README, and MCPB.
• Added the official MCP Registry distribution, standalone Windows MCPB, and Cursor setup alongside Codex, Claude Desktop, and VS Code.
• Repositioned the website around a shared human-and-AI file workspace with measured MCP comparison evidence.
• Preserved timestamps for identical native sidecar builds so release freshness checks do not report false failures.

Verification

• Windows CI, security boundary, transactional operations, native helper, terminal, MCP value, MCPB, SEO, and responsive layout checks passed.
• Release integrity: 7 pass, 0 warnings, 0 failures.
• The installer and checksum set were built and attested by GitHub Actions.

Windows notice

This public preview is not yet Authenticode-signed, so Windows may show an Unknown publisher warning. Verify SHA256SUMS.txt before installation.

Full changelog: v0.2.0...v0.2.1

Explore Better v0.2.0

Explore Better v0.2.0 brings a real shell and structured AI automation into the same fast dual-pane file workspace.

Two major features

• Per-tab integrated terminals: lazy Windows ConPTY sessions rendered with xterm.js, one persistent session per file tab, independently resizable left/right drawers, folder-aware idle following, search, themes, and optional narrow UAC elevation without elevating the main app.
• Local MCP AI Bridge: a bundled Go stdio sidecar for Codex/ChatGPT, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and generic MCP clients. Profiles are revocable, folder-scoped, read-first, individually permissioned, and connected to Explore Better through an authenticated same-user named pipe.

MCP clients receive typed pane context, bounded listing and indexed search, checksums, disk analysis, duplicate and folder comparison jobs, collections, labels, and recoverable operation state. Write-enabled profiles must plan first and apply with a short-lived one-use token bound to current filesystem signatures. The bridge does not expose arbitrary shell execution, terminal control, registry access, or elevation.

Verification

• Final verify:all: 42 pass, 0 fail
• Release readiness: 31 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail
• Speed health: 175 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail
• Packaged terminal: 11 pass, 0 fail
• MCP Inspector: 17 profile-permitted read-only tools
• 100,000-entry folder: bounded at 45 rendered rows
• Landing page: 40 pass, 0 fail across desktop and mobile
• Dependency audit: 0 high or critical vulnerabilities

Install and verify

Download ExploreBetter-0.2.0-x64-setup.exe and SHA256SUMS.txt from this release. The per-user installer includes both native helpers and does not require Explore Better itself to run as administrator for normal use.

Installer SHA-256:

13d1b4870a134a4b9e5bce3c972b22d058d3d328ad4a76e28501c9573a28abd7

This public preview is not yet Authenticode-signed with a publicly trusted certificate. Windows SmartScreen may show Unknown publisher; verify the checksum before choosing More info and Run anyway. Do not disable SmartScreen globally.

The release assets were built from tag v0.2.0 by GitHub Actions and include GitHub build-provenance attestation.

Explore Better v0.1.3

Explore Better v0.1.3

Explore Better now includes a real integrated terminal for every file tab. Terminal sessions are lazy, remain alive while tabs are switched, start in the tab's current folder, and can be shown independently beneath both file panes.

Highlights

• Per-tab xterm.js terminals backed by Windows ConPTY through node-pty.
• Independently resizable terminal drawers for the left and right panes.
• PowerShell 7, Windows PowerShell, and Command Prompt profile discovery.
• Idle-only folder following with safely quoted paths and queued navigation.
• Search, clear, restart, external launch, open-folder, drag-and-drop quoting, themes, cursor, font, and scrollback controls.
• Optional one-session administrator terminals through UAC while the main app remains non-elevated.
• Full terminal cleanup on tab close, window close, renderer failure, and app exit.
• Fixed the Electron Object has been destroyed shutdown crash.
• Fixed the folder double-click race caused by inspector expansion and auto-refresh.
• Faster initial rendering and cache-aware large-folder startup.

Install

1. Download ExploreBetter-0.1.3-x64-setup.exe below.

2. Download SHA256SUMS.txt from this release.

3. Verify the installer in PowerShell:

   Get-FileHash .\ExploreBetter-0.1.3-x64-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

4. Confirm that the result is:

   0e1b07597edf420e6b8c9a05e9af579d10dfdcf5ef4c1eeb040f3a9be6b5234f

5. Run the per-user installer. Normal browsing and terminals do not require the main application to run as administrator.

Verification

• Full local acceptance: 33 pass, 0 fail.
• Speed health: 173 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Terminal UI: 14 pass, 0 fail.
• Packaged terminal: 11 pass, 0 fail.
• Landing page: 38 pass, 0 fail.
• Release readiness: 31 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Fresh Windows CI: pass.
• Tagged attested release workflow: pass.

Signing Notice

This public preview is not Authenticode-signed because a trusted production certificate is not yet available. Windows SmartScreen may show an unknown-publisher warning. Verify the SHA-256 value above before deciding whether to continue. The tagged build has GitHub build-provenance attestation, and production-signing-latest.md records the current signing status.

Trusted production signing and physical MTP phone/camera certification remain external release proofs.

Explore Better v0.1.2

Explore Better v0.1.2

Explore Better is a fast dual-pane Windows file manager and an optional, reversible Explorer replacement. This release makes becoming the default file manager a clear first-run choice and extends normal Windows shell entry points without requiring the main app to run as administrator.

Highlights

• New first-run Use Explore Better choice in the packaged Electron app.
• New Integrate > Make Default and Restore Previous controls with visible status.
• Current-user handlers for normal folder opens, drives, folder backgrounds, and Open file location in Explore Better.
• File-location launches open the parent folder and select the requested file.
• Exact backup and restoration of previous registry values, including third-party handlers.
• Optional Win+E sign-in helper remains separate and unchecked by default.
• More reliable dynamic loopback port selection and packaged-app installation on busy Windows/OneDrive systems.
• Updated README and user manual with install, integration, rollback, and Windows limitations.

Install And Make Default

1. Download ExploreBetter-0.1.2-x64-setup.exe below.
2. Verify its SHA-256 against SHA256SUMS.txt.
3. Run the per-user installer; normal browsing and integration do not require administrator rights.
4. On first launch choose Use Explore Better, or later open Integrate and choose Make Default.
5. Optionally enable the Win+E helper. Choose Restore Previous at any time to undo the shell changes exactly.

Applications that ask the Windows shell to open a folder normally can be redirected. Programs that explicitly execute explorer.exe are hard-coded to Windows Explorer and cannot be redirected safely; Windows Explorer remains installed.

Important Signing Notice

This public preview is not Authenticode-signed because no trusted production certificate is available. Windows SmartScreen may report an unrecognized app. Only continue through More info and Run anyway after verifying the SHA-256 checksum.

Verification

• Real current-user install, folder open, file reveal, legacy-backup migration, and exact registry rollback: 12 pass, 0 fail.
• Security boundary: 10 pass, 0 fail.
• Default Explorer UI: 13 pass, 0 fail.
• Shell integration rehearsal: 13 pass, 0 fail.
• Packaged native helper: 8 pass, 0 fail.
• Release readiness: 31 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Release bundle: 18 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Public Windows CI: pass.
• Installer SHA-256: 2851cc5ab923a9a1bae9f5ee860c2be07d54b3fcd21812b50e99cc6d6d27d0a0.

Physical MTP phone/camera certification and trusted production signing remain outstanding external release proofs.

Explore Better v0.1.1

Explore Better v0.1.1

Current public Windows x64 patch release of Explore Better, a fast dual-pane file manager and reversible Explorer replacement.

Highlights

• Independent dual panes, tabs, history, filtering, layouts, previews, and keyboard workflows.
• Transactional copy, move, overwrite, sync, trash, undo, and crash recovery.
• Hierarchical Disk Map with logical/allocated sizing and nested treemap navigation.
• Bundled normal-user Go filesystem helper for fast Win32 browsing and exact allocation data.
• Explorer integration center with reversible current-user context-menu and folder handlers.
• Virtualized 100,000-entry folders with a verified 403.3 ms median first paint.

v0.1.1 Release Fixes

• Stabilized clean Windows CI execution and added current Node 24-compatible GitHub Actions.
• Isolated a Node/Windows fs.watch runner crash from server-owning CI smoke tests without changing normal app watcher behavior.
• Made the update-feed smoke derive a newer test version automatically.
• Rebuilt the installer and bundled native helper from the exact green-CI source revision.

Install

1. Download ExploreBetter-0.1.1-x64-setup.exe below.
2. Verify its SHA-256 against SHA256SUMS.txt.
3. Run the per-user installer. Administrator rights are not required for normal browsing.

Important Signing Notice

This public preview is not Authenticode-signed because no trusted production certificate is available. Windows SmartScreen may report an unrecognized app. Only continue through More info and Run anyway after verifying the SHA-256 checksum.

Verification

• Consolidated acceptance: 31 pass, 0 fail.
• Release readiness: 31 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Speed health: 173 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Public Windows CI: pass.
• Installer SHA-256: d30b6801a63bb1ce0c3609528a6e4e945f31bba307f69e78c6e8aa2d8e77a237.

Physical MTP phone/camera certification and trusted production signing remain outstanding external release proofs. Explorer integration is optional and reversible from the Integration Center.

Explore Better v0.1.0

Explore Better v0.1.0

Initial public Windows x64 release of Explore Better, a fast dual-pane file manager and reversible Explorer replacement.

Highlights

• Independent dual panes, tabs, history, filtering, layouts, previews, and keyboard workflows.
• Transactional copy, move, overwrite, sync, trash, undo, and crash recovery.
• Hierarchical Disk Map with logical/allocated sizing and nested treemap navigation.
• Bundled normal-user Go filesystem helper for fast Win32 browsing and exact allocation data.
• Explorer integration center with reversible current-user context-menu and folder handlers.
• Persistent command center, trusted scripts, tools, hotkeys, indexes, collections, and workspace presets.
• Virtualized 100,000-entry folders with a verified 403.3 ms median first paint in the release acceptance run.
• GitHub Releases update feed configured for packaged builds.

Install

1. Download ExploreBetter-0.1.0-x64-setup.exe below.
2. Verify its SHA-256 against SHA256SUMS.txt.
3. Run the per-user installer. Administrator rights are not required for normal browsing.

Important Signing Notice

This initial public build is not Authenticode-signed because no trusted production certificate is available. Windows SmartScreen may report an unrecognized app. Only continue through More info and Run anyway after verifying the SHA-256 checksum.

Verification

• Consolidated acceptance: 31 pass, 0 fail.
• Release readiness: 31 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• Speed health: 173 pass, 0 warn, 0 fail.
• 100k UI: 403.3 ms median first paint, 1,097.9 ms median hydration, 45 rendered rows.
• Installer SHA-256: 7c956339d4a48fa37361af1aad48a3929a92d889915c98601960dccf80ba91fe.

Physical MTP phone/camera certification and trusted production signing remain outstanding external release proofs. Explorer integration is optional and reversible from the Integration Center.