Use this command to install KillerShell with WinGet:
winget install --id=SteveTheKiller.KillerShell -e
KillerShell puts a file browser, a PowerShell or CMD terminal, a text editor and an admin toolkit in one window, on one tab strip and one set of keys. Search any folder by filename wildcard or by file content, streamed live with no index to build. Processes, services, performance and the registry are one key away. Runs portable or installs for you or every user - no runtime, no agent, no account. Open source under GPLv3.
README
Free and open-source Windows shell for power users. A file browser, PowerShell or CMD terminal, text editor, search engine, and administration toolkit share one window, one tab strip, and one set of keys.
KillerShell is one portable EXE with no agent, account, telemetry, or separate runtime installer. Run it from anywhere, install it for your account, or install it machine-wide for every user.
Full how-tos live on the help page; architecture, formats, security decisions, and implementation details are on the technical page.
Features
Browse folders in list, icon, or details view with tabs, favorites, a folder tree, live filesystem updates, and two panes arranged side by side or stacked
Search names with wildcards or stream file contents line by line across every CPU core, with multiple ANY/ALL terms, filters, chained searches, and HTML or CSV export
Open PowerShell, Windows PowerShell, or CMD in the current folder; track its working directory live and edit the included prompt or your real PowerShell profile
Edit text with syntax highlighting, find, go to line, undo/redo, encoding and line-ending preservation, indentation controls, and a dedicated font setting
Copy, move, rename, recycle, permanently delete, and drag files to or from Explorer, with asynchronous progress and Replace, Skip, or Keep both collision handling
Work with ZIP archives, including empty folders and complete folder-tree drag-out, without changing the original when a rewrite is canceled
Inspect and manage processes and services, including live CPU and memory sorting, filtering, ownership, restart, and elevation where needed
Monitor CPU, RAM, disks, networks, and GPUs with live graphs and per-core CPU history
Use the built-in Event Viewer, Registry Editor, and Storage Analyzer without leaving the tab strip
Keyboard-first operation using familiar Explorer keys plus F4 storage, F7 edit, F8 shell, F9 processes, F10 split, F11 performance, and F1 for the complete shortcut overlay
Thirteen themes, including a full 98SE recreation; Dark, Light, Black, and 98SE each have six accent colors for 33 looks in all
Localized in 12 languages, with live switching and English fallback for incomplete translations
Runs portable or self-installs per-user without UAC or machine-wide with UAC; /silent supports WinGet and managed deployment
Local-only: no indexing service, cloud account, advertisements, or telemetry
Storage Analyzer turns a drive into a color-coded treemap with filtering, zoom, export, and file operations built in.
Performance graphs and the searchable process manager stay live while app, terminal, and editor fonts are adjusted.
Browse files beside a live PowerShell tab; search, terminals, storage analysis, hashing, and admin actions stay one click away.
Syntax-highlighted editing, a persistent folder tree, and live switching among eleven localized interfaces.
Requirements
Windows 10 or 11 (x64)
.NET Framework 4.8, included with every supported Windows release
Download
WinGet:
winget install SteveTheKiller.KillerShell
Prebuilt binary:
Source (GPL3 corresponding source for this release):
Build from source
Open KillerShell.sln in Visual Studio 2022 and build, or run:
dotnet publish KillerShell.csproj -c Release
The app targets .NET Framework 4.8. AvalonEdit is vendored under third_party/AvalonEdit and compiled directly into KillerShell, so the published app remains one portable executable. release.ps1 also produces the versioned GPL3 source archive shipped with each release.
Translations
UI strings live in Strings/, one XAML ResourceDictionary per locale. To add or improve a language, see TRANSLATING.md. Missing keys fall back to English, so a partial translation is welcome.
Storage Analyzer turns a drive into a color-coded treemap with filtering, zoom, export, and file operations built in.
Performance graphs and the searchable process manager stay live while app, terminal, and editor fonts are adjusted.
Browse files beside a live PowerShell tab; search, terminals, storage analysis, hashing, and admin actions stay one click away.
Syntax-highlighted editing, a persistent folder tree, and live switching among eleven localized interfaces.