Windows 8.1 Bible

Chapter 23: Metadata and Power Searches

IN THIS CHAPTER

Working with file properties

Adding and changing properties

Adding locations to your search index

Customizing the search index

Implementing power searches

Chapter 22 covers different ways you can search your computer. When you search for files, you actually search an index of filenames and properties. The index isn't something you see on the screen. Nor do you have to do anything to create or update the index. Windows 8.1 takes care of all the details automatically and behind the scenes. The beauty of the index is that it allows Windows 8.1 to find things much more quickly than it could without the index.

The information about files that's in the index comes from each file's properties. Those properties are sometimes referred to as metadata because they're different from the file's content. The file's content is what you see on the screen when you open the file. The file's properties are stored in the file and are visible from the file's properties sheet.

Properties provide a way of organizing files that goes beyond their physical location in folders. This is a great help to people who have many files to manage — sometimes a simple folder name and filename just aren't enough. Sometimes you want to see all files based on authorship, date created, tags, subject, or even comments you've jotted down about the file. In other words, you want to pull together and work with files in a way that transcends their physical locations ...