Internet Explorer can open many websites in a single window using the tabs. You can now install a plug-in called QTTabBar that will provide similar functionality to Windows Explorer. QTTabBar is a free application that enables Windows Explorer to show different directory structures in tabs.
In this article, I will explain in step-by-step fashion how you can increase your efficiency by using this tool.
Installation and Set up
Download QTTabBar v 1.2.2.1 from the website http://qttabbar.wikidot.com/ and install the application on your system. To make the application work properly you need to install Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or above on your system (I had 1.1 version of .NET Framework and faced problems installing the QTTabBar). If you are using Windows Vista, right-click on the EXE file and select the command Run as Administrator or Run as, select an appropriate user account with administrator rights, and authorize the installation with your password. Now run the setup process and then restart your system. Open Windows Explorer and select the menu item View → Toolbars → QTTabBar to enable it.
Now un-select the option View → Toolbars → Lock the Toolbars and move the tabs below the address bar.
Using Tab Browsing in Windows Explorer
You can add a new tab by right-clicking on an existing one and selecting the context command Clone this.
This will open a new tab, which will display the same folder structure as the original one. However you can move them both independently through the folder structure. If you want a tab to display the contents of a folder each time it is opened, select the context command Lock. A small lock icon on the tab symbolizes the protection.
Similarly Unlock will remove the protection. Several commands are available for closing the tabs, Close Right Tab, Close Left Tab, Close and Close all but this. The last two commands are particularly useful since they close only the current tab or all except the current tab. In order to move or copy a file between two folders opened in different tabs, simply drag and drop its icon from the source tab into the target tab. A small window will inform you about the Move or Copy action. You can switch between tabs using the [Ctrl] key. Here is a tip: copy the entire path of the folder in the current tab to the clipboard using the Copy Path context command.
Using Additional Functions
You can define folder groups in order to display them simultaneously in different tabs for certain tasks. The easiest way to do this is to open all the required folders in different tabs, right click on any one tab, and then select Create New Group. Name the group in the subsequent dialog box and enable the Add all tabs option and confirm with OK. To use a group, right click next to the tab, select Groups and the desired entry in the subsequent submenu. With Add to Group, you can add other directories to the ones opened before. You will have to open the QTTabBar options dialog box to delete a group. Now select the entry and click on the minus sign on the Groups tab.
QTTabBar can also do a whole lot more. When you place your mouse cursor over a folder icon, a blue arrow icon will appear next to it.
Windows Explorer will show the subordinate folder structure in a menu when you click on this icon, and when you click on an entry in this menu, Explorer will jump to the selected folder. The QTTabBar Standard Buttons icon bar contains buttons for quick access to the program's standard commands. Select View → Toolbars → QTTabBar Standard Buttons to open the bar.