Details in the Windows Explorer details pane

[snowshed]

In the details pane, you have the option of displaying columnar info about a particular file.

There happens to be 289 of them.

Many of the names of those columns are cryptic, if you've never heard of them.

Where can I find a lost of definitions for those phrases?

 

[Brink]

Hello snowshed, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The link below from Microsoft can help give you more details about these file properties.

:ar: Windows Properties (Windows)

If you would like to customize which file property details you see in the Details pane, then the tutorial below can help show you how to.

:ar: Customize Preview Details in Details Pane of File Explorer in Windows Windows 10 Tutorials

 

[snowshed]

Hi, Brink.

Hello snowshed, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Thank you for the welcome.

The link below from Microsoft can help give you more details about these file properties.

:ar: Windows Properties (Windows)

If you would like to customize which file property details you see in the Details pane, then the tutorial below can help show you how to.

:ar: Customize Preview Details in Details Pane of File Explorer in Windows Windows 10 Tutorials

Well, due to my choice of words, the information you provided isn't what I'm looking for. But it's a happy misunderstanding for me, I find the link for customizing the details pane may prove to be invaluable to me. Thanks for it. In fact, this could be very helpful to my brother-in-law who is currently sorting through thousands of photos he has on his system.

Does this work the same way in Windows 7?

Windows Properties is not what I'm looking for.

So, I'll start over. <G>

I'm going to refer to the second graphic in the Customize link you referenced, so opening it might be of assistance.

In my original post, when I said "details pane" (obviously the wrong word, perhaps view would have been better), I was referring to the area of Windows Explorer with the Name, Date modified, Type, and Size columns shown in the 2nd graphic.

I'm looking for exact definitions of the column titles. The titles of some columns can certainly be misleading.

Case in point in that graphic, look at the data shown for partition_wizard_6.exe. In particular, the data for Date created and Date modified. For most users, if this information is shown in the columnar view, the average/normal user will think Date created means when the file was created. Especially if it's a photo. They think that is the date the photo was taken. They do not know that is the date that copy of the file was created. And they will get all upset when they move that photo to another destination, and that information is updated.

What I'm looking for is a list of the 289 possible pieces of information with definitions of what each piece of information actually means.

 

[Brink]

Hmm, I can't seem to find any official reference material giving a full description of these file property details.

 

[iko22]

Hello Snowshed,

It is going to be a never ending question. The information you want is about the windows explorer customised details. Yet, these details are not part of explorer they are part of the file format. And not all file formats support the same "extra details". The extra details you see are part of a files metadata, and the metadata definition depends on the file format as not all file formats contain the same metadata. For example documents, pictures, audio files contain different metadatas, or "details" as you see in explorer.
Some of the most popular metadatas are defined here and here:
MS Office Metadata Extractor Document Properties Finder
Pictures File Properties Extractor
and here:
Check files for metadata info
However, to find a definition of all the file properties and metadatas on your computer, I suspect you would have to get to know the tools that created the original files in the first place. So, the most thorough thing to do is to launch every program you have, and check the file properties menu and programs' help screens for definitions of the file tags associated with that file type. And you still might have to deal with files and file types imported from another computer.

 

[snowshed]

Hi, Brink,

Thanks for checking.

I've received the same answer from a programmer on the Usenet who has been trying to find this out since the XP era. He is the one who gave me the number of 39 for XP. I just counted 41, and I have no idea why the discrepancy. My first guess would be that after the programmer counted them, MS added 2 more.

 

[snowshed]

Hi, iko22.

I have always assumed this information was part of a files metadata. I've had one knowledgable person tell me that some of the data was unique to MS. I'm not sure this is true, as the information is the same if I look at the file on my Mac. The Finder on the Mac does not offer as many pieces of info, but haven't pursued the Mac end any further... Yet. <G>

For metadata in a photo, there is also EXIF tool, but haven't looked at it yet.

Given the differences of those items displayed when you right click on the top of a column varies by OS, doesn't that indicated that MS has consciously made the determination as to which pieces of data should be displayed? You would think there would be documentation for that.

That being said, all of that is more technical than what I'm trying to learn about this list of metadata.

How can you use this data competently if you cannot locate definitions for these terms. Related to that, which metadata terms are associated with which file type? Surely each and every user should not have to ferret out that information. No wonder people don't want to learn how to use their computer.

I can see where erroneous conclusions can be made using the data because the definitions are misunderstood.

 

[MetadataDA]

Were definitions for the Detail Pane metadata received?

Looking at the last reply, I could not tell whether or not this issue hase a solution.


As for the program execution to determine which detail metadata items are created, this seems unproductive.


The specific column definition that Im searching for is for field tagged as "#"!


It would seem resonable to get MS to define these SINCE they are provide on a FIXED dropdown menu!