Whatever happened to… Xtree?
QAround the middle of the 1980s I used a program called Xtree. It was easy to use and each Friday I asked it to show all files that had changed in the previous week days so that a backup could take place (on to 5.25-inch floppies). Whatever happened to Xtree? Is there anything simple like this nowadays, or am I just getting too old now that I am 78? Michael Harrison
AFor the benefit of other readers, Xtree was an early file-management program. The modern equivalent that’s perhaps most familiar is Windows 10’s File Explorer (previously known as Windows Explorer) — just press Windows key+e to launch it. However, unlike these graphical tools, Xtree’s interface was entirely text-based, in common with DOS, the most popular operating system of the day.
While text-based interfaces certainly did and to some extent still do have their advantages and proponents, by the early 1990s more and more people were shifting to graphical operating systems — and on PCS that meant Windows 3.0/3.1. In 1992 Xtree Software introduced a Windows version but, faced with competition from new, prettier, faster and more flexible alternatives, it failed in the market. By 1993, the game was up for Xtree Software. The company’s assets were bought and sold a couple of times but, by 1995, both it and its eponymous product were no more.
We mentioned that File Explorer is a modern equivalent. You can actually use this to search for files changed only in the last seven days. First, click in the folder search box on the right-hand side and then, in the Search tab at the top, click ‘Date modified’ and choose ‘Last week’ from the dropdown menu.
Alternatively, if you really crave the Xtree experience, then try Far Manager. It’s a modern file manager but with a decidedly retro text-based interface. Download for free from www.farmanager.com. Want to know what happened to your favourite program, website or technology? Email noproblem@computeractive.co.uk