Abstract: A system and method for enabling the capture of visible and hidden information about files and data on a computer and rendering collected data accessible as a data file. The system and method provides an interface adapted to invoke computing platform API's to expose and capture useful information about computer resources without the need for specialized software. The interface is manifested as a graphic element or icon that can be dragged to a target object or area on the user's display screen where it collects information contained in or about a target object or area. The specification of the target and the information that should be collected from the target are configured for each instance of the icon. The system and method provides the ability for the icon to selectively connect with an object and perform a capture data from the target object without interacting with or influencing the target or the objects in the target.