When you create a file on Windows 11, it embeds personal information in the file, which we call metadata. So when you share a file, such as a document, video, or photo, this metadata is manually shaken and sent to another device without you knowing what’s being shared. Don’t worry, though! Here’s how to remove personal information from file metadata on Windows 11.
You may be wondering, what is the use of metadata? Well, the metadata that is transferred with the file is used to label, classify, and understand the data. It also makes it easy to organize, locate or search files on your computer, especially when dealing with a lot of data.
Before moving on to deleting information, first understand what kind of personal information is stored in the files you share.
The type of personal information stored in Windows files
You may have found that the photo/image file contains information about the camera model used to take the photo, lens, aperture settings, color palette, etc. Similarly, depending on the file type, metadata, or The type of personal information will vary.
Metadata can contain author name, number of edits made, last saved user, creation date, last access, security settings, size, etc. So before sharing or upload files to the internet, delete the location and other information. Now, let’s understand how to remove metadata from files and folders.
How to remove personal metadata from files on Windows 11
Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Data management programthen press Enter.
Step 2: Navigate to the file you want to share.
Step 3: Right click on the file and select Properties option.
Step 4: In the properties window, go to the Details tab.
Step 5: Click on the ‘Delete Attributes and Personal Information’ option.
It will open a new window.
Step 6: In the Delete New Attribute window, select the option ‘Make a copy with all attributes that can be deleted’. And click OK.
Note: Instead of selecting all the attributes to remove, you can select the ‘Remove the following attributes from this file’ option and select the metadata items that you want to remove from the file.
Step 7: Finally, on the file properties window, click OK.
Your go. Following the steps above, you’ve removed the metadata from the file you want to share with others.
However, when you are sharing a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document, Microsoft may include other data such as add-ins, revisions, macros, etc. So if you want to remove the metadata, we recommend that you continue reading.
How to remove metadata from Office files
For this method, you will need the Microsoft Office applications. Once the application is installed on your computer, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open the document you want to edit from the file location before sharing.
Step 2: Go to File from the top menu.
Step 3: Click the Info tab in the left pane.
Step 4: On the right pane, click ‘Check for Issues’ and select Inspect Document from the drop-down menu.
Step 5: In the Document Inspector window, check the options you want to check, then click Inspect.
Note: Options may vary from app to app.
Step 6: Now click the Delete All button for the information you want to remove from the file.
Step 7: Then, click the Reinspect button.
Step 8: Click the Test button again.
Step 9: If the document is clean, click the Close button.
Note: If you want to delete more information data, you can repeat Step 6 and Step 7.
Your go. You have successfully removed personal information from file metadata on Windows. If you have any questions, check out the FAQ section below.
Frequently asked questions
Where is personal information stored on the computer?
Personal information can be stored on a computer in a variety of ways, depending on how it is used. Some of the common ways that personal information can be stored on a computer is in files or documents, email, cloud storage, and browser cookies.
Remove metadata from files
Now that you know how to remove personal information from file metadata on Windows 11. Make sure you remove all metadata before sharing files. The methods and methods mentioned in this article are enough for you to remove unwanted details from the files you share.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
