Netsupport Manager 1.3 Apr 2026
Introduction In the contemporary IT landscape, remote desktop tools are ubiquitous, with solutions like TeamViewer, AnyDesk, and built-in RDP dominating the market. However, in the mid-1990s, the concept of reliably controlling a PC across a network or even a modem was revolutionary. NetSupport Manager 1.3 emerged during this formative period as a robust, lightweight, and efficient solution for remote system administration and support. Historical Context NetSupport Manager was first developed by NetSupport Ltd, a UK-based software company founded in 1989. Version 1.3 likely dates back to the Windows 3.1 or early Windows 95 era (circa 1994–1995). This was a time when TCP/IP was not yet the universal standard; IPX/SPX (Novell NetWare) and direct serial/modem connections were common.
NetSupport Manager 1.3 is no longer supported, and its security model is dangerously weak by modern standards. It should not be used on any network connected to the internet. netsupport manager 1.3
Over subsequent versions (2.x, 3.x, 4.x... and into the modern 14.x and 15.x releases), NetSupport Manager evolved dramatically, adding AES encryption, WAN support, mobile clients, and cloud connectivity. However, version 1.3 remains a snapshot of a time when remote support meant being a wizard of modem strings and network protocols. While obsolete by today’s standards, NetSupport Manager 1.3 was a workhorse of early remote administration. It demonstrated that with clever engineering, even a 386 PC with 4 MB of RAM could be controlled from across a building—or across a country via a telephone line. For collectors of vintage software or IT historians, it represents a foundational step toward the seamless remote connectivity we take for granted today. Historical Context NetSupport Manager was first developed by
Total Commander 11.56, file manager for Windows® 3.1 through 11.
What's new highlights:
- March 4, 2026: Total Commander 11.57 beta 2 (32+64 bit) for Windows available
- August 19, 2025: Total Commander 11.56 (32+64 bit) for Windows available
- October 13, 2019: Secure FTP client (FTP over SSL/TLS) broken by recent Windows update
Features in Total Commander include:
- Two file windows side by side
- Multiple language and Unicode support
- Enhanced search function
- Compare files (now with editor) / synchronize directories
- Quick View panel with image and video display
- ZIP, 7ZIP, ARJ, LZH, RAR, UC2, TAR, GZ, CAB, ACE archive handling + plugins
- Built-in FTP client with FTPS (encrypted FTP) and HTTP proxy support
- Multi-rename tool
- Tabbed interface, regular expressions, history+favorites buttons
- Thumbnails view, custom columns
- Compare editor, cursor in lister, separate trees, logging, enhanced overwrite dialog etc.
- Unicode names almost everywhere, long names (>259 characters), password manager for ftp and plugins, synchronize empty dirs, 64 bit context menu, quick file filter (Ctrl+S)
- USB port connection via special direct transfer cable, partial branch view (Ctrl+Shift+B), and many improvements to ftp, synchronizing and other functions
- And many more!
Explore more:
You can find our e-mail address on the Support page, but please read our FAQ first.