Ultracopier

Pros

• Fast file transfers
• More accurate details
• Customizable UI

Cons

• Default UI

Ultracopier replaces the standard Windows file copy dialog box with a more powerful version.

Whenever you copy or cut and paste a file, Windows presents a file copy dialog box. If the file is small, this dialog is only visible for a brief period. Many users perhaps barely notice it. If you perform many transfers, however, then you have noticed it, and it may leave a lot desired. The dialog is not really functional outside canceling transfers, and details like time remaining are usually not accurate.

Enter Ultracopier. Ultracopier is a free and open-source program that is made available to you via the GPL3 license. When you install it, it hooks into the Windows OS and effectively replaces the default file copy dialog box. The next time you copy or paste a file, the Ultracopier dialog will appear instead. You can also run the Ultracopier program as needed, and this opens up a lot of possibilities.

The standard Windows dialog only reacts to you copying or pasting a file. Ultracopier can do this as well but better, which we will touch on more in a moment. Ultracopier, however, also provides the tools to set up your transfers. You can even create batches with files being transferred to different destinations. As a batch is being processed, you can pause the operation, skip a file or quit the operation altogether.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Ultracopier is that it can make transfers faster. If you have ever transferred a large file in Windows, such as a movie, from one drive to another, then you know how slow it can be. Ultracopier can and often does make such transfers speedier. Better yet, if you are a power user, you can choose the copy engine as well as dial in the settings to maximize your transfers.

The default Windows dialog provides basic information, such as the source, destination, size and time remaining. Time remaining as well as the corresponding progress bar is often inaccurate. Ultracopier provides all of these details and more. You can also dictate which details you see, and metrics such as time remaining, items remaining and transfer speed are all highly accurate.

The default user interface for Ultracopier is not among its selling points, and the default layout may even turn off the average user. Not only is the UI a bit cluttered, but it looks more than a tad anachronistic too. Ultracopier was originally released during the days of Windows XP, and while it now has Windows 10 support, it does not look like it. Looks can, of course, be deceiving.

The good news is that Ultracopier is highly customizable. You can determine exactly what you see and what you do not. You can also determine when you see it. Some details can be made available only in certain scenarios, and you can set the app to handle common errors automatically.

Ultracopier features a theme engine. It is this theme engine that lets you make Ultracopier look as sleek and modern as you like. One of the reasons that the default UI looks as drab as it does is that the developers maintain their own theme: Supercopier. There are other themes as well. You can also make your own theme either from scratch or by using one of the available themes as a base.

Ultracopier also features a plugin engine. This is where the real power lies. Need a function that Ultracopier does not have out of the box? Script it. This lets you configure Ultracopier for your own very specific environment. There are also many plugins available. If the function you need is more general in nature, have a look around. There is a good chance someone else has already scripted it.

By default, Ultracopier logs everything it does. You can customize or disable the logging, including determining how far back the program keeps its data. If you process a lot of batches, the logging tool is invaluable. Ultracopier can be dialed in so that it rarely fails and can handle almost every contingency, and the log provides great information about when those events occurred and how they were handled.

Ultracopier supports Windows XP through Windows 10. Multiple languages are supported. The integrated help is a bit barebones, so this can make the initial learning curve steeper than it needs to be. Help is available online, but there is no consolidated resource, so you may have to hunt around a bit.

Pros

• Fast file transfers
• More accurate details
• Customizable UI

Cons

• Default UI