Smart File Advisor

Smart File Advisor is a simple-to-use software application that helps users detect the appropriate programs to use for opening unknown file types, by supplying them with direct access to the Filefacts.net website.

It comes packed with a checksum verifier and automatic updates checker for third-party applications.

Once installed, the tool replaces the default Windows method for managing unknown file types when double-clicking such items, but it lets users switch to this option with ease.

It is capable of searching the Filefacts.net website by sending the first 20 bytes of the file at user's choice. Smart File Advisor integrates an entry in the Windows Explorer context menu for viewing information on known file types, along with another one for immediately calculating the CRC32, MD5 and SHA-1 checkcums.

If you run the executable file, the utility creates a system tray icon and activates the automatic updates checker for various programs. When old versions are discovered, Smart File Advisor pops up a notification from the bottom right part of the screen and shows direct links to getting the latest edition.

It is possible to specify the scanning period (ranging from 12 hours to 1 week), set the app to automatically run at system startup, as well as disable suggestions with suitable software for unknown file formats.

The simple-to-use program runs on a very low amount of CPU and RAM, so it does not affect the overall performance of the PC. It has a good response time and works well, without causing the OS to hang, crash or pop up error dialogs. We have not come across any issues throughout our evaluation. However, the website failed to provide information on unknown file types in several cases during our tests.