.mta

Extension: Samsung AllShare Metadata File

Developer: Samsung

The .mta file, or Samsung AllShare Metadata file, is a crucial component of the Samsung AllShare platform’s media sharing functionality. It’s essentially a detailed index, written in XML format, that holds descriptive information about media files (pictures, videos, music) shared within that ecosystem. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes catalog. Instead of the AllShare software having to repeatedly scan each media file for basic details, it references the .mta file for quick access to data like file names, sizes, durations, resolutions, and importantly, thumbnail previews. This speeds up browsing and selection of shared media significantly. The presence of a corresponding .mta file is therefore vital for the smooth operation of the AllShare system. Deleting it can lead to issues with displaying thumbnails or accessing shared media correctly.

While you generally won’t need to directly interact with .mta files, understanding their function helps in troubleshooting AllShare. Opening an .mta file requires a text editor capable of handling XML files, such as Notepad++ (Windows), TextEdit (Mac, with XML view enabled), or any code editor like Sublime Text or Atom. These editors will display the file’s contents as raw XML code. However, attempting to modify this file directly is strongly discouraged, as incorrect edits can corrupt the metadata and render your AllShare library unusable. If you encounter problems with AllShare, it’s best to focus on resolving issues within the AllShare application itself rather than trying to manually edit the .mta file.