Total Commander’s button bar can launch programs, run scripts, open folders, and automate repetitive file‑management tasks with a single click. You can also pass the currently selected file(s) as parameters, which makes custom buttons ideal for conversion tools, batch renaming helpers, backup scripts, and “open in …” workflows.
Custom buttons are stored in button bars (toolbars). The default bar is visible at the top, but you can create multiple bars and switch between them.
- Right‑click an empty area of the button bar → Change… (or Edit bar…, depending on version)
- Or use: Configuration → Button bar…
- Right‑click the button bar → Change…
- Click Add (or Append) to create a new button.
- Fill in the essentials:
- Command: the program, internal command, or script to run
- Parameters: optional command‑line arguments
- Start path: optional working directory
- Icon: pick an icon file or extract an icon from an EXE/DLL
- Click OK, then Save the button bar.
Example 1 — Open a terminal in the current folder
- Command:
cmd.exe - Parameters:
/k cd /d "%P" - Icon: an icon from
cmd.exe
%P expands to the active panel’s current path.
Example 2 — Open the selected file with a specific app
- Command:
"C:\\Program Files\\Notepad++\\notepad++.exe" - Parameters:
"%1" - Icon: custom icon, if possible from the specified app (see below).
%1 expands to the full path of the first selected file.
Example 3 — Creating notes for files
- Command:
cmd.exe - Parameters:
/c type nul > "%O.txt" & start notepad.exe "%O.txt" - Icon: choose any icon you like (e.g., from
wcmicons.dll). - Tooltip: Create a note for this file.
%O), pick an icon, and click OK to save the custom buttonUsage: This creates an empty .txt file using the selected file’s name, then opens it in Notepad. Select a single file (e.g., image1.jpg), click the button, and Total Commander will create image1.txt and open it immediately so you can start editing.
.txt note (e.g., Havanese.txt) and opens it in Notepad for immediate editing.The power feature: parameter placeholders
Total Commander can insert paths and names into your command line. The most commonly used placeholders:
%P— current path in the active panel%T— current path in the target (inactive) panel%1— first selected file (full path)%N— selected file name(s) without path%O— selected file name(s) with full path (multi‑select)%S— source path (active panel)
Tip: for multi‑select operations, prefer placeholders that expand to all selected items (e.g., %O). Some tools require quoting/escaping rules—test with filenames that contain spaces.
Add a custom icon (and make it look good)
In the button editor:
- Click the icon field.
- Choose:
- an
.icofile, or - an icon embedded in an
.exe/.dll.
- an
If you want a coherent style, keep icons:
- the same size (typically 16×16 or 32×32 depending on UI scaling),
- high contrast,
- and recognizable at a glance.
Organize: separators and multiple bars
As your toolbar grows, add structure:
- Separators: insert them between button groups (e.g., “Archive”, “Convert”, “Dev tools”).
- Multiple bars: create a second bar for special tasks and switch when needed.
If you have a converter that accepts input and output paths:
- Command:
"C:\\Tools\\imgconv.exe" - Parameters:
"%O" "D:\\Converted\\"
This sends all selected files (%O) to the converter and places output in a fixed folder.
Troubleshooting checklist
- Nothing happens: check the command path; quote paths with spaces.
- Wrong folder opens: verify
%Pvs.%T. - Multi‑select fails: your program might not accept multiple filenames; try a script wrapper.
- Weird quoting issues: test filenames with spaces, accents, and parentheses.
Takeaway
Custom buttons are Total Commander’s “micro‑automation” layer: a one‑click launcher with smart context (selected files, current folder, target folder). The possibilities are essentially endless—what you build next is limited mostly by your workflow and imagination.