Use Windows Explorer to make notes on files
Contributed by butercup 
Tagged: Windows Be a power user of Windows Explorer with Comments on files.
I have loads of files that people send me that all have similar names like abcd004.rar abcd005.rar defg004.rar and while they are all related, I need to classify them at more fine-grained level than just at folder level, otherwise I will get into a deep nest of folders when all I really want to do is somehow tag the file without changing its name, location, or other properties.
In Windows Explorer you can customise the view with different detail columns, and there is actually a column called “Comments”. To use it:
- open windows explorer
- click on View-> Details to show the detailed columns
- right click on the column headers and click on Comments in the popup list. This will instantly load the Comments column.
To add comments to files,
- right-click on the file name and choose “Properties”.
- click on the “Summary” tab
- Add your comments in the big comments field and click Ok.
It’s that simple!
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dan said on August 7, 2009
I don’t have a SUMMARY tab when I right-click on Properties. This is the case on both my XP & Vista PCs. So apparently it’s not “that simple”.
Siarning said on June 29, 2010
This works for regular files. How can I do the same for a directory?
If the solution requires Windows PowerShell, that would be welcome either.
Thanks, Andy
doooodles said on July 1, 2010
What SUMMARY tab? I tried this on a few PCs and none have a SUMMARY tab under PROPERTIES.
Malvink1 said on July 1, 2010
right click -> properties -> details -> comments
:)
I wish I could put comments on email in outlook in simmilar way
Gunslingor said on December 8, 2010
These feastures are far to slow to be of use. When I add the same comment to 100 files, go in to that folder, the 100 comments takes about 30 seconds to load. It’s not a performance issue. The issue is stupid Microsoft. The only data that the OS is designed to handle quickly is the default columns. All others like Artist, subject, comments are an affectation of MS Word file properties, applied to all file types, to hold the OS together like spit and glue.
Or… Tell me how to speed up this comments column popullating.