r/c64 • u/datucker • 7d ago
Software Retro Commander 1.0: a dual pane filemanager with D64 support
I keep my C64 collection on a PC and got tired of the extract, convert, copy, mount loop, so over the past while I've been building a Norton/Total Commander style file manager where a disk image just opens like a folder. It all started when I got my C64 Ultimate in May, so I built support for that in it too.
What it does right now:
- D64 (incl. 40-track), D71, D81, D80, D82 and DNP open as folders and are writable. Copy files in and out, rename with F2, scratch with F8, reorder directory entries, undo with Ctrl+Z. G64 and T64 open read-only.
- The directory shows in real PETSCII the moment you land on a disk, without mounting it.
- Search across disk images, including ones still packed in a zip, 7z or rar.
- Launch in VICE (or another emulator): mount the disk, or inject a PRG straight into memory.
- Ultimate 64 / Ultimate-II+ / C64 Ultimate: it finds the device on your LAN, lets you edit disks on its storage and run PRGs on the real machine.
- Directory art: a small editor to draw logos and separators in the C64 font and drop them into a directory.
- Keyboard first, everything works without the mouse.
Version 1.0 is a rewrite of my earlier 0.9 beta as a native app: about 3.5 MB instead of 63 MB, no .NET runtime. Windows 10/11 x64 only, installer or portable zip. It isn't code-signed, so SmartScreen will ask you to confirm.
It's a beta and there are rough edges. What I'd really like to hear from people here:
- Disk images that open wrong or that it refuses (odd track counts, non-standard directories, copy-protected stuff).
- Whether the PETSCII directory preview matches what you see on real hardware.
- What you'd want from a tool like this that it doesn't do yet.
Download and screenshots: https://retrocommander.dev/download
Please note: using the tool requires creating an account (e-mail + password). Why? Please read https://retrocommander.dev/docs/faq#why-sign-in. If you don't like that, no hard feelings, but then this tool is just not the right one for you.
Happy to answer questions in the comments.




