MEDIA KOLFAT Guide
Date-based folders are one of the simplest ways to make a large media collection understandable again. The key is to use the best available date, keep originals safe, and verify the result before deleting anything.
Before reorganizing irreplaceable media, make sure you have a backup on another disk or backup system. Organization is not a substitute for backup.
Photos may contain camera metadata such as the original capture date. Other files may only have filesystem timestamps. Prefer reliable capture metadata when it exists, and treat fallback dates carefully when it does not.
A structure such as Year / Month / Day is predictable and scales well. Avoid deeply nested structures that make browsing harder than the original library.
For a first organization pass, copying into a new structure is safer than moving originals. Compare file counts, inspect sample folders, and confirm that important media opens correctly.
Do not assume two files are duplicates just because their names match. Byte-for-byte hashes are a stronger signal for identical files. Keep duplicate review separate from date organization.
Review the destination, reports, and edge cases such as files with missing dates. Only after the result is understood should you decide what to archive or remove from the original location.
MEDIA KOLFAT is a Windows photo and video organizer built around guided and advanced workflows, local processing, duplicate finding, library browsing, activity history, and transparent organization results.