Folder Tabs
Tabs allow to switch quickly between multiple directories, separately for the left and right panel. Settings like the sort order, brief/full details, and the selections are preserved.
Opening a new tab
There are many ways to open a new tab:
- Ctrl+T opens a new tab, keeping the current directory.
- Ctrl+Up arrow opens the folder or archive under the cursor in a new tab.
- Shift +Drive selection opens the drive in a new tab.
- Shift pressed when using the function "
Directory Hotlist" (Ctrl+D) also opens the directory in a new tab.
- In the right click menu of a tab, you can duplicate the tab, or copy it to the opposite file panel.
- Doubleclick or Middle Click on the free space in the tab header opens a new tab.
- Drag multiple folders with the mouse to an empty space in the tab header. When you see a mouse cursor with a little arrow in the file symbol, the folders will be added as additional tabs! This way you can also copy or move to these tabs.
Switching between tabs
To switch between tabs, you can either click them with the mouse, or press Ctrl+Tab. Ctrl+Shift+Tab switches to the previous tab.
Use Ctrl+Shift+A to show the list of all open tabs as a menu (as in the Chrome browser).
Icons on tabs
Total Commander can show directory-specific icons on folder tabs. This can be configured via Configuration - Options - Folder tabs. By default, it will show icons for local drives, configured via folder properties (desktop.ini), virtual folders like the Desktop, file system plugins, ftp connections and from custom view modes.
Tabs context menu
Right clicking on the tabs will open a context menu with the following commands:
- Duplicate this tab Creates a new tab with the same directory as the current tab.
- Rename/lock tab Allows you to rename the current tab, and lock it if necessary.
- Lock this tab Locks a tab. You cannot change dirs on locked tabs.
- Locked, but directory changes allowed Locks a tab. Reverts to the saved dir when switching to a different tab and back, or when clicking the root button, or when clicking on the tab header when the tab is already active. Useful e.g. to save the root of a project.
- Copy tab to other panel Create new tab in other panel with current dir.
- Save tabs to file Save tab locations, names etc. of current panel to a file.
- Save tabs on both sides to file Same command, but for both panels.
- Load tabs from file, keep current Load tabs (saved earlier) and append the tabs to the existing.
- Load tabs from file, replace tabs Load tabs, but replace all current tabs with the saved tabs.
- Close this tab Closes tab on which you right-clicked.
- Close all tabs Closes all tabs except for locked tabs. The current dir will be kept.
- Close duplicate tabs Closes all tabs pointing to identical dirs. Only one tab for each dir is kept.
- Recently closed tabs Only displayed if tabs have been closed since Total Commander was started. Allows reopening of these tabs via a submenu.
- Configure view modes Opens the main settings dialog with the page "View Mode"
- list of view modes View modes defined by the user with the above command are listed here to quickly switch to them
Other operations
The following operations are also supported:
- Close a tab: Ctrl+W, Click with the middle mouse button (or the wheel) on the tab, double click, ctrl+click, right click menu
- Rearrange tabs: Simply by drag&drop to the desired position, even on the other panel.
- Save tabs to file or load from file: via the right click menu. Useful e.g. for project-oriented working.
appendtabs tabfile.tab in the
button bar appends the tabs saved in tabfile.tab.
opentabs tabfile.tab in the button bar replaces the current tabs with the tabs saved in tabfile.tab.
Note: To change the tabs in both windows, you need to combine two tab files by hand, and then rename one of the sections from [activetabs] to [inactivetabs] . Or directly use the right click menu option "Save tabs on both sides to file".
- Rename and/or lock tabs (via right click menu): Allows you to create fixed tabs, which cannot be deleted so easily, e.g. for often used directories. When you try to change the directory in such a tab, a new tab will be created automatically!