Add multiple filters and tags to files using ADS

Buttons/Scripts
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I spent hours and days upon just trying to get to the bottom of having a consistent means of storing metadata to every single file on windows C: and NTFS drives. In a manner that is open ended above all the metadata can be readily accessed by:

  • Powershell
  • Directory Opus
  • SearchEverything

and atleast manuplated in:

  • Powershell
  • Directory Opus

I went through a number of tools trying to figure this out:

  • Exiftool
  • MediaInfo
  • Nirsofts PropertySystemView
  • Directory Opus Metadata Panel and corresponding command set
  • Windows Pre Powershell era Tool called Wmic

Nirsofts tool PropertySystemView is broken for Windows 11, am certain of it. it does not get any of the System.[Property] nor cannot append any data to them. I spent allot hours on this as I have allot of confidence on his utilities but I just concluded its broken, maybe its Windows 11

Directory Opus threw me of and gave me a long goose chase. Its Metadata Panel CAN write data to the Tags, Comments and Rating "Properties" of any file but it does this in a (clever) discriminate way. for files that do not support these properties it will write them its NTFS ADS stream and for files that do, it writes it in a standard way.
This threw me of, no matter what external tool i used to read, say tag data I simply could not find what Opus supposedly wrote to the file. it was so paintfull. I can now only hope to heed future individuals from this pitfall.

All in all your tool is perfect. Does all that I needed done and more.I can acces the data in Powershell and in Search Everythings Custom columns. I am so happy and estatic over this :smiley:
As for this:

ADS files associated with directories cannot be deleted, even with third-party software, except by deleting the directory. THE USER IS THEREFORE WARNED THAT ONE SHOULD PROBABLY RESTRICT THE FILTERS AND TAGS TO FILES, AND NOT USE THEM WITH DIRECTORIES.

Its perfectly fine for me but for those that may want an alternative, consider this the Desktop.Ini soltution. With it I was essentially able to write metadata into any folders for virtually any properties there exists on windows using some registry hacks. This metadata can be accessed from anywhere (Powershell, Directory Opus, SearchEverything)
Here is an example of metadata being written to Tags, Rating and Comments columns:

1155×653 67.6 KB

The advantage to this method is, of course is your just dealing with a simple text file manupulation (of that Desktop.Ini file), as well as their not being risks of data being lost overt the cloud etc.

The registry hacks to hijack the System.Properties columns and others are over at SuperUser site:

I hope this helps the next person.
I saved your source code as well, it looks to be usefull just as a learning case.
Thanks allot for sorting all this out.

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