Abstract: A data management system and method is provided for creating, viewing, and interacting with object metadata directly from a computer system's operating system. In a preferred embodiment, an object profile is defined by selecting metadata fields, such that at least one metadata can be supplied to correspond with each metadata field. The metadata corresponding to each object can then be viewed by interfacing directly with the computer's operating system. The viewing of metadata can further be customized by selecting at least one metadata field within the operating system, such that metadata corresponding to an object and the at least one metadata field is displayed. The metadata fields and the metadata can further be used to search for objects stored on the computer system, either locally or remotely. The resulting objects can be retrieved and scaled to be displayed on the computer system's output device, regardless of whether the objects comprise single or multiple files.