Summary
With every new update, Microsoft adds a new feature to its Windows operating system. While Windows has been getting better in a few ways, Microsoft doesn’t seem interested in making its core features any better. Easier ways to search for apps and files, quick access to them, better process management: these have been distant dreams at this point.
So, I’ve stopped waiting for Microsoft to fix them and did it myself using third-party open-source apps.
Listary
A smarter way to search files without replacing File Explorer
File Explorer has received some decent updates in the past, but one area it has failed to fix is providing an easier and faster way to find files. Imagine a file management tool being slow at file searching. I’ve tried dozens of Windows file managers, and still come back to File Explorer because of how tightly it is integrated with Windows. Instead of replacing File Explorer, I only fixed what it was lacking with Listary.
Listary works as a quick launcher that you can trigger by double-tapping Ctrl. An instant search bar appears on screen where you can type to find files, launch apps, do basic math, or run system commands. Results show up almost as you type. It also understands abbreviated queries, so typing something like “atcls” will still find a folder named “Articles.”
For pure file search, Listary reads NTFS’s Master File Table directly, so it matches the speed of tools like Everything by Void Tools but wraps everything in a more polished interface. You get sidebar filters for documents, pictures, videos, and a Recently modified section that I find myself using more than I expected.
Its standout feature, though, is deep File Explorer integration. It adds a toolbar with bookmarked and recent folders, a folder-hierarchy dropdown, and quick-typing to jump to folders inside Save/Open dialogs. It also extends to third-party file managers like Directory Opus and archive tools like WinRAR. The free version covers the launcher, file search, Quick Switch, Explorer integration, and basic commands, which is more than enough for most users.
System Informer
A deeper look at what’s running on your PC
Windows Task Manager is a handy app to see system resource usage and quickly kill any process that’s causing high usage. However, lately, the Task Manager has been making my system crawl whenever I try to access it. Even when it does load, the information it gives you is surface-level at best. That’s where System Informer comes in.
System Informer is a free, open-source tool that grew out of the Process Hacker project, which has been around since 2008. Where Task Manager shows you a process name and a number, System Informer shows you the parent process, the folder it launched from, the command line that started it, and even its digital signature.
Another handy feature in the app is handle search. If you’ve ever tried to delete a file and Windows told you it’s in use by another program without telling you which one, you know the frustration. System Informer lets you search for the exact process holding that file open, so you can close it without restarting your PC. Before this, my workaround was closing apps blindly until the lock cleared, which usually ended in a reboot anyway.
It also color-codes processes by type: blue for core system tasks, cyan for background services, pink for UWP apps, and yellow for .NET processes. After a few days, you start scanning the process list the way you’d read a heat map, and anything out of place jumps out immediately. The interface looks a bit dated compared to Task Manager’s new-age UI, but for real troubleshooting, it gives you answers that Microsoft’s tool simply doesn’t.
Flow Launcher
Quick app access without touching the mouse
You don’t need Flow Launcher if you already use Listary like I do, since Listary can also double as an app launcher. But if you prefer a dedicated launcher with a plugin ecosystem, Flow Launcher is worth trying. It lets you find files, launch apps, run system commands, and more, all directly from your keyboard, and it’s fast.
You can trigger it with Alt + Space, and it opens instantly. Type a few letters, and you get results for apps, files, bookmarks, web searches, even math calculations. It integrates with the Everything search utility for file lookups, which means it can find buried documents, config files, and even System32 files that Windows Search would never surface.
The plugin system is where Flow Launcher makes a case against other similar launchers. It comes pre-loaded with plugins for browser bookmarks, a calculator, an explorer, and a process killer. But the Plugin Store has dozens more: currency converters, Todoist integration, and even a Spotify plugin for controlling music playback from the search bar.
I set up the YouTube plugin so I can search channels using a “YT” prefix without opening a browser first. An “S” prefix searches system settings. Each plugin has its own configurable shortcut and settings, so you can shape the launcher around how you work.
If you want to go further, you can replace the Windows key itself to open Flow Launcher instead of the Start menu. I’ve replaced the Windows Start menu with this open-source launcher before, and it worked well. But since Listary already handles my launching needs, it’s been my primary launcher.
Microsoft won’t fix these, so you might as well
These apps fill in the gaps that Microsoft has ignored for years. File Explorer still works fine for browsing folders, Task Manager still opens with Ctrl + Shift + Esc for quick kills, and the Start menu is still there if you want it. But the moment you need to search for something buried in your drive, figure out why a process is eating your CPU, or launch an app without clicking through menus, these tools do a noticeably better job. They’re all free, they’re all lightweight, and they’ve quietly become the parts of Windows I rely on the most.