How to remove the meta data of all files within a folder and it's sub folders?

10

4

When a right click a file and hit details, it shows me Date created, date modified, owner, and computer.

I have a folder that I want to send to someone.

Basically I want to remove the Date created, date modified, owner, and computer info (and other meta info) for all the files within that folder and its subfolders (and their subfolders etc etc)

My priority is simply to remove Date created, date modified (if I can also remove the other meta data I'll treat it as a bonus).

Does anyone know of a way to do this? I'm using 32-bit Windows Vista SP2 Home Premium.

Pacerier

Posted 2011-07-07T11:19:51.727

Reputation: 22 232

Answers

7

I'm not sure how to remove subfolders worth of information, but you can select all the files in a folder, or a single folder, and if you right click and choose "properties" on the file, then choose the "details" tab there is an option to "Remove Properties and Personal Information". You can choose what to remove, either some or all of the properties.

enter image description here

If you're on Windows 7 you could also try and use some PowerShell trickery to remove the info.


EDIT: I'm not 100% sure if the "Date Created" "Date Modified" "Owner" and "Computer" are transferred, that is, I think it is the date/time, owner of the file and computer that is transferred to. I think if you sent the files to me it would show my details there, not yours. Could you create a single non-critical file and send it to someone? or just transfer it to a different computer?

What happens if you click on the "Remove the following properties" in your options? enter image description here


EDIT 2: After unzipping the files, these are how they appear to me: enter image description here so make of that what you will.

tombull89

Posted 2011-07-07T11:19:51.727

Reputation: 6 533

I'm on windows vista. in the second picture, i do not have the checkboxes.. http://screenshoot.me/kftkhR. when i click OK, or when i create "create a copy without personal info", nothing is done..

– Pacerier – 2011-07-07T17:12:32.213

@Pacerier, post updated. – tombull89 – 2011-07-07T17:39:48.570

nothing happens when i clicked "remove the following properties". http://screenshoot.me/EAZVfh. in that screen shot, when i click "Select All" button, nothing happens too.

– Pacerier – 2011-07-07T18:13:23.970

i opened notepad, typed "asdasd" and saved it to desktop as "test.txt". I right click the file >> details >> remove props and personal-info >> create a copy.. >> OK. in my desktop there is now "test.txt" and "text - Copy.txt". Now i right click "test.txt" >> details >> remove props and personal-info >> remove the following properties from this file >> select all >> OK. After that, i zipped up those 2 files as Desktop.zip using winrar. You can download the zip file at http://qweop.com/Desktop.zip to see if the personal info has been deleted.

– Pacerier – 2011-07-07T18:13:34.250

heys thanks for the help. (btw next time if you edit the answer give me a notification thx!) – Pacerier – 2011-07-12T06:06:55.600

Is there a way to disable the addition of this metadata permanently in windows ? – Steam – 2014-03-08T01:20:26.593