NeatShift

Organize your files without breaking anything

📚 Documentation • 📦 Download • 🐛 Report Bug • 💡 Request Feature

NeatShift is a modern Windows application that helps you organize files and folders while maintaining their accessibility through symbolic links.

NOTE : If you see some contradicting statement in readme or wiki , it is because I use LLMs as English is not my main language. So I request you to please dismiss such errors. Thank you!

Screenshots

Light Mode

Dark Mode

Features

• 🔗 Smart File Movement: Move files while maintaining access through symbolic links
• 🛡️ Safe Operations: Automatic system restore point creation for safety
• 🎨 Modern UI: Clean Windows 11 style interface with dark/light theme support
• ⚡ Drag and Drop: Easy file and folder selection
• 🔍 Link Management: View and manage existing symbolic links
• ⚠️ Error Prevention: Smart validation and error handling

Installation

For Users

1. Download the latest release from the Releases page
2. Choose either:
   • NeatShift.exe (single file, larger size)
   • NeatShift-Release.zip (compressed package)
3. Run NeatShift.exe
   • No installation needed
   • No .NET runtime required (included in the package)

For Developers

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/BytexGrid/NeatShift.git  

2. Open NeatShift.sln in Visual Studio 2022
3. Required tools:
   • Visual Studio 2022 (any edition)
   • .NET 6.0 SDK
   • Windows SDK 10.0.19041.0 or later
4. Build and run:
   • Set NeatShift as startup project
   • Build solution (F6)
   • Run with debugging (F5)

Documentation

Visit our Wiki for detailed documentation:

• Installation Guide
• Usage Guide
• Security & Verification
• FAQ

System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Windows 7 SP1 or later
• Administrator privileges
• 100 MB free disk space

Recommended

• Windows 10/11
• SSD for faster file operations
• System Restore enabled (for safety features)

Administrator Privileges

NeatShift requires administrator privileges for two essential functions:

1. Creating Symbolic Links: Windows security model requires elevated privileges to create symbolic links. This is a system-level security requirement to prevent potential misuse of links.
2. System Restore Points: Creating system restore points requires access to system protection settings, which is only available with administrator rights.

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

NeatShift is currently in testing phase. While we implement safety measures like automatic system restore points, please note:

1. Manual Backups: We strongly recommend creating manual system restore points or file backups before using the application
2. Testing Phase: The application is under active development and testing
3. No Warranty: The software is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind
4. User Responsibility: Always verify symbolic links are working as expected after moving files

Support

Need help or want to request a feature?

• Check our Wiki
• Create an Issue

License

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.