How to install Double Commander Portable on Windows: Download, extract, and run this dual-pane file manager without installation. Perfect for USB drives and restricted PCs.
How to install Double Commander Portable on Windows: Looking for a file manager you can use without installing anything? Double Commander Portable is exactly what you need. It’s a powerful, free, and open-source dual-pane file manager that runs directly from a USB drive or folder — no setup required. In this guide, you’ll learn How to Install Double Commander Portable on Windows step by step.
To begin the process of installing Double Commander Portable, go to the official download page:
There, scroll down to the Windows section and:
Look for the version labeled portable or ZIP archive
Choose:
doublecmd-x86.zip for 32-bit systems
doublecmd-x86_64.zip for 64-bit systems
Click to download and save the ZIP file to your computer
Even though this is a portable version, you’ll need to extract the files before running it:
Right-click the downloaded .zip file
Select “Extract All”
Choose a folder (USB or local) where you’d like to keep the program
Once extraction is complete, you’ll have a folder with everything ready to go.
Now you’re ready to launch the file manager:
Open the folder where you extracted the files
Double-click on doublecmd.exe
That’s it — no installation, no admin permissions, and no Windows registry changes.
You are now running Double Commander Portable!
To make access even easier:
Right-click doublecmd.exe
Select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)
This adds a desktop icon to open Double Commander Portable quickly.
Even as a portable app, you can fully customize Double Commander:
Open the app, then go to Configuration > Options
Adjust the layout, interface colors, keyboard shortcuts, or language
All settings are saved in the same folder — perfect for using across multiple PCs
Double Commander Portable is ideal if:
You don’t want to install anything permanently
You work on shared or restricted PCs
You want your settings to follow you on a USB drive
Double Commander is a free and open-source project actively developed by the community.
To view the source code, report issues, or contribute, please visit the official GitHub repository.