MetadataEditor (Professional Edition)

The ultimate command-center for Windows Metadata and Alternative Data Streams (ADS).
Surgical precision for NTFS file properties and hidden system data.

MetadataEditor is a high-performance system utility designed for power users and developers who need to view, edit, and manage the underlying metadata structures of the Windows file system. It provides a unified interface for the native Windows Property System and hidden NTFS Alternative Data Streams.

🚀 Key Features

📄 System-Wide Metadata Editing

• 800+ Field Deep Scan: Automatically discovers and maps hundreds of native Windows property fields.
• Asynchronous "Fill-In" Loading: The UI loads instantly and populates discovered fields in the background for zero-lag performance.
• Native Integration: Uses the official Windows IPropertyStore API to ensure changes are recognized globally by Windows Search and Explorer.
• Property Grid Interface: A professional, categorized view with White-on-Teal headers and DimGray grid lines.

🕵️ Alternative Data Stream (ADS) Management

• Hidden Stream Discovery: Automatically enumerates hidden NTFS streams that are invisible to standard file managers.
• Custom Data Injection: Add your own custom ADS fields to any file to store sidecar data, audit logs, or project-specific tags without altering the main file content.
• Full ADS Editor: Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations for any alternate stream.

🔗 Windows Shell Integration

• Surgical Property Sheet: A custom "Metadata" tab injected directly into the Windows File Properties dialog for instant access.
• Global Context Menu: Right-click any file or folder to "Open in Metadata Editor" for deep inspection.
• Smart Pickers: Specialized CLI flags (-pick and -pick_advanced) allow other scripts to use MetadataEditor as a visual property selector.

🎨 Modern Performance & UI

• Persistent Schema Cache: Discovered property indices are cached at %AppData%\MetadataEditor\property_cache.txt for instant subsequent loads.
• Thread-Safe Engine: High-performance, non-blocking metadata extraction ensures the UI stays responsive even when parsing massive system directories.
• OS-Native Design: Reverted custom window painting to respect system themes while preserving specialized PropertyGrid accents.

🏗️ Architectural Overview

1. The Application (MetadataEditor.App.exe)

The main WinForms interface for property editing, ADS management, and standalone file inspection.

2. The Engine (MetadataEditor.Engine.dll)

The heart of the project. It handles low-level COM Interop with propsys.dll and P/Invoke calls to the Windows Kernel for NTFS stream manipulation.

3. The Shell Extension (MetadataEditor.ShellExtension.dll)

A SharpShell-powered extension that handles the deep integration with explorer.exe, providing the property sheet and context menu handlers.

⚙️ Technical Deep-Dive

NTFS Alternative Data Streams

MetadataEditor leverages the FindFirstStreamW and GetFileInformationByHandleEx APIs to peer into the NTFS Master File Table (MFT) and extract data stored in the :streamname format. This allows for persistent, hidden data storage that travels with the file across NTFS drives.

The Windows Property System

By using the SHGetPropertyStoreFromParsingName API, the application accesses the unified property system used by Windows 10 and 11, ensuring that metadata edits are compliant with modern shell standards and indexing services.

📥 Installation

1. Download MetadataEditor_Setup_vX.X.X.exe.
2. Run the installer as Administrator.
3. The installer will register the COM servers and restart Explorer to activate the "Metadata" tab.

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Author: Zachary Whiteman