MetaLight++

Windows allows you to explore the basic metadata information stored with graphic files from the file’s “Properties”, in the “Details” tab. But you might not be satisfied with the amount of information provided and, therefore, might be on the lookout for a dedicated application. MetaLight++ is a rather good choice, offering a quick and easy method to read the metadata information embedded in any media file.

MetaLight++ is easily installed in Windows, but keep in mind that there is an additional step you need to take in order to use it. To be more specific, the dynamic link library (DLL) file inside the installation folder must be registered in the operating system. To do so, you have to navigate to the installation folder of MetaLight++ in a command line window (opened with administrative privileges) and type in “regsvr32 MetaLight++.dll”. If the operation is successful, you get a notification message.

Once the DLL is registered, the context menu of Windows Explorer should have a new item available, am item bearing the name of MetaLight++. While this operation might seem a bit tedious to you, there is no need to restart the computer and the changes can be reverted at any time using the following command: “regsvr32 /u MetaLight++.dll".

MetaLight++ allows you to view the EXIF information of any file. Taking advantage of the power of ExifTool, this application streamlines the integration of a metadata viewer in Windows. To put it another way, it is like a version of Metadata++ that is installed as a sort of addon for Windows Explorer. It displays a plethora of information and it allows you to save it all in various formats, including CSV, HTML, text, and more.

Once MetaLight++ is installed properly, you should be able to access it from the context menu in Windows Explorer. On the other hand, the utility can also be called when in need using a command line from any other software tool.

MetaLight++ provides a convenient method to integrate a metadata viewer in the context menu of Windows. While the setup process is not just about hitting a few “Next” buttons, the application is easy to use and the displayed information can be quickly saved to disk.