Total Commander has long been the gold standard for file management on Windows. For over two decades, it has offered a dual-pane interface, robust batch renaming, FTP capabilities, and a plugin ecosystem that puts the default Windows File Explorer to shame. However, for the power user, the real magic lies beneath the surface—in shortcuts, customization, and hidden configuration files.
| Key Combination | Command | What it Does (Exclusive Feature) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | cm_SrcThumbs | Instant thumbnail view toggle. Exclusive because Explorer requires menu diving. | | Alt + F7 | cm_Search | The most powerful file search on Windows. Searches inside archives, plugins, and even text strings. | | Ctrl + Shift + Enter | cm_EditPath | Copies the full path of the current folder or selected file to the command line. | | Shift + F4 | cm_EditNewFile | Creates a new text file directly in the current pane. No right-click > New > Text file required. | | NumPad + | cm_SelectAll | Selects all files. Exclusive because it works in both panes simultaneously. | | NumPad – | cm_ClearAll | Deselects all. | | **NumPad *** | cm_SelectCurrentExt | Inverts selection (exclusive toggle). | | Ctrl + B | cm_DirBranch | Branch View: Shows all files from subdirectories in a single list. A Total Commander signature feature. | | Ctrl + M | cm_MultiRenameFiles | Opens the Multi-Rename Tool. No other default Windows tool comes close. | | Alt + Shift + Enter | cm_CountDirContent | Calculates the size of all subfolders instantly and displays them in the file list. | total commander wincmdkey exclusive
Example logic: "If I am inside a Git repository, map F4 to open Notepad++ instead of default editor; otherwise, use default editor." That is exclusive logic no other file manager can achieve. You can chain exclusive keys to run DOS commands or PowerShell scripts. Map Ctrl+Shift+G to cm_ExecuteDOS to open a command prompt in the current directory. Total Commander has long been the gold standard
Add to usercmd.ini :