MetaClean v1.0.1 — ALMARFELD

Inspect and remove supported file metadata locally on Windows. MetaClean is free and open source (MIT); processing does not require an account, uploads or telemetry.

Download and verify

• Product: https://almarfeld.com/software/metaclean/
• Source: https://github.com/AlinTibi/MetaClean
• Official release: https://github.com/AlinTibi/MetaClean/releases/tag/v1.0.1
• Support: https://almarfeld.com/support/

The SourceForge ZIP is an unchanged mirror of the official GitHub release:

MetaClean-v1.0.1-win-x64.zip

SHA-256:

5e0bb88b342eb1316a43b24558709e75b735010e6eb0967561a16bea7147d504

Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\MetaClean-v1.0.1-win-x64.zip

Compare the result with the hash above and the accompanying .sha256 file. A matching hash confirms the published bytes; it is not a malware scan or an Authenticode signature.

Install and first run

1. Use Windows 10 or Windows 11, x64.
2. Extract the complete portable ZIP to a folder.
3. Keep the bundled exiftool/ directory and all support files beside MetaClean.exe.
4. Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is required separately. If missing, obtain it from Microsoft: https://developer.microsoft.com/microsoft-edge/webview2/
5. Run MetaClean.exe. The app does not automatically download or install the runtime or ExifTool.

The executable is not Authenticode signed. Windows may show a reputation/security warning. Download only from the official ALMARFELD/GitHub links or this verified mirror; do not disable Windows security.

Workflow and features

• Add files or folders, including drag and drop, to a batch queue.
• Inspect and search metadata grouped by category, including GPS, author, camera, software, comments and timestamps.
• Choose Privacy Clean, Remove All Metadata or Custom category selection.
• By default, save cleaned copies in a selected output folder; originals remain unchanged.
• Optional original replacement requires an explicit warning/confirmation and creates a backup first.
• Inspect metadata again from the actual cleaned output. Review per-file success, partial failures and remaining metadata.
• Export a CSV metadata report or JSON privacy report. Review reports before sharing; metadata can itself contain personal information.

Supported formats and limitations

JPEG, PNG, TIFF and WebP support metadata inspection/removal. HEIC/HEIF depends on the bundled ExifTool build. PDF metadata inspection/removal is available with the important limitation below. DOCX, XLSX and PPTX are inspection-only: metadata removal is not supported for these formats.

PDF safety: ExifTool writes PDF metadata incrementally. Earlier metadata may remain recoverable. A clean metadata scan is not proof of secure PDF sanitization, anonymization or redaction. MetaClean does not remove confidential document text, images or prior revisions. Inspect document contents separately.

Supported metadata removal is not a guarantee that every identifying detail is removed. Results depend on file format, selected policy, file condition and engine support. The app reports unsupported operations and per-file errors rather than claiming a failed clean succeeded.

v1.0.1

• Refreshes inspector, queue counts/status and reports from the actual cleaned file.
• Preserves per-file failure details and post-clean verification results.
• Finds packaged ExifTool relative to the executable, including launches from shortcuts or a different working directory.
• Adds the distinct MetaClean shield/eraser icon.
• Preserves the PDF incremental-write/reversibility warning.

License and distribution

MetaClean is MIT licensed. The portable package includes ExifTool 13.59 and its required support files; third-party components retain their own notices and licenses included in the package. This mirror does not alter the official archive.