Installation and Getting Started - KevinK56/MetadataEditor GitHub Wiki
This guide covers how to download, install, and start using Metadata Editor on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Operating System: Windows 10 (version 1809 or newer) or Windows 11 (64-bit / x64).
-
Runtime:
- Installer & Standalone Single-File Editions: None required — the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime is embedded directly inside the executable.
- Portable Framework-Dependent Edition: Requires the .NET 8.0 Desktop Runtime (x64).
-
Permissions: Runs cleanly as a standard user (
asInvokermanifest) — no Administrator / UAC elevation prompts required.
All official builds are published on the GitHub Releases page:
| Edition | File Name | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Windows Setup Installer (Recommended) | MetadataEditor-Setup-v<Version>.exe |
Desktop users who want Start Menu shortcuts, optional .nfo file association, right-click "Edit with Metadata Editor" Windows Explorer integration, and one-click in-app updates. |
| 2. Portable ZIP Archive | MetadataEditor-Portable-v<Version>.zip |
Running from a USB flash drive, network share, or portable apps directory without touching the Windows Registry. |
| 3. Standalone Single-File Binary | MetadataEditor.exe |
Zero-install single executable containing the entire runtime and application in one file. |
Because Metadata Editor is a free, open-source project distributed without a commercial Extended Validation (EV) code-signing certificate, your browser or Windows SmartScreen may display an unfamiliar-app prompt on newly published releases:
- Message: "MetadataEditor-Setup... is not commonly downloaded"
-
Action: Click the
...menu next to the file in your downloads bar → select Keep → click Keep anyway.
- Message: "Windows protected your PC — Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting."
- Action: Click More info → click the Run anyway button.
Tip
If you prefer to bypass installer checks entirely, download the MetadataEditor-Portable-v<Version>.zip archive, extract it to any folder, and run MetadataEditor.exe directly.
There are four ways to load metadata into Metadata Editor:
-
Drag an
.nfoor.xmlfile from Windows Explorer directly into the Metadata Editor window. It will load the file AND automatically scan its parent folder so all sibling NFO files and artwork appear in the sidebar. -
Drag an entire Media Folder (e.g.,
D:\Media\Moviesor a specific movie/series folder) into the window to recursively scan and list all.nfofiles in the left sidebar.
- Press
Ctrl + O(or File → Open File...) to open a single.nfo,.xml, or.txtfile. - Click File → Open Folder... to select a root media folder and browse all discovered NFO files in the left sidebar.
- If you enabled Associate with
.nfofiles during installation, double-clicking any.nfofile in Windows Explorer or right-clicking and choosing Edit with Metadata Editor launches the app directly into that file.
Pass any file path as an argument to MetadataEditor.exe:
MetadataEditor.exe "D:\Media\Movies\Inception (2010)\movie.nfo"