Your daily tasks require you to reference numerous important documents. However, it can be challenging to locate the files containing the necessary materials among the clutter of disorganized data on your computer.
The file management utility PowerDesk Pro ($50, find.pcworld.com/49510) and many other programs allow you to add metadata to multimedia files, but tagging these keywords can become ineffective as you may find it difficult or impossible to access keywords from five years ago.
Figure 1: Add, modify, save, and review metadata for various file types in the Properties of Windows. |
You can easily create annotations for your files in Windows Me, 2000, and XP without needing any software assistance. For various types of files, Windows allows you to add keywords as well as personal annotations. This information is saved directly within the file content, enabling you to identify where the file is stored by using the search function available in Windows. The types of files that can have annotations added depend entirely on the version of Windows you are using and the software installed on your computer. In Windows XP, file types that can have annotations include JPEG and TIFF files, MP3 and WMA files; WMV as well as Word, Excel files; Office applications, and many other file formats.
Figure 2: Text boxes may not appear in Windows Me or 2000 unless you click on the right side of an item name. |
First, open the Windows Explorer utility, right-click on the file you want to add keywords or other information to, and select Properties. If this Properties dialog does not have a Summary tab, you are out of luck. If it does, select the Summary tab (if you see the > button. These text boxes may not appear until you click on the right side below the Value field corresponding to a specific item (Figure 2). Then, enter the keywords, click OK, and repeat these steps for each file you want to quickly search in the future. You can only perform these steps for one file at a time. If you try to open the Properties dialog for multiple files, the Summary boxes will be disabled.
START MENU OR FOLDER WINDOW? | |||
If you are using Windows 2000/Me or Windows XP, you can switch the Start menu to display the Control Panel window (as well as the My Computer, My Documents, My Music, and My Pictures windows). To do this, right-click the Start button, select Properties, and click Customize on the Start Menu tab. Then select the Advanced tab and choose Display as a menu under Control Panel. What if you sometimes want to view the Control Panel window in the traditional format? It’s simple; just right-click the Control Panel item (or any submenu in the Start menu) and select Open or Explore. In versions prior to Windows XP, you can double-click the name of a submenu to open its folder. |
In a few rare cases, you can add and edit the metadata of a file directly through the program you use to handle that file. For example, in Microsoft Word and Excel, simply select File.Properties to adjust the metadata for the open file. Make sure the Summary tab is visible and fill in these text boxes with your keywords.
From now on, whenever you need to find one of the annotated files, just select Start.Search.For Files and Folders or Start.Search.All files and folders depending on the version of Windows you are using. Then, enter one or more keywords in the dialog box labeled “Containing text” or “A word or phrase in the file.” After that, continue to specify other search criteria and click Search or Find Now to proceed. Windows will search for your keywords and return the results as the files you requested.
Minh Xuân
PC World US December 2005
