Windows 10: How does Win10 handle digital image IPTC metadata?

In Windows 10 Pro (Version 1909 OS Build 18363.720) Explorer, when I select an image file, in the details pane on the right, Explorer displays a group of available metadata fields (several are directly editable). Among these is "Tags".

Whenever I start typing in the Tags field, Explorer takes whatever first couple of keystroke I type, and (perhaps through some 'artificial intelligence algorithm?) presents me with a dropdown checkbox picklist of previously-applied tags.

That's nice, but after years of tagging images on the fly without a consistent plan, I've accumulated a lot of inconsistent tags, which causes problems with search results. For example, if I search for "Sue", it doesn't find any of the pictures of Sue that I tagged on the fly as "Susan" or "Susie". Hence, the served-up list that Explorer provides, is inadequate.

Recently I re-thought my whole approach to image tagging, and created a new, comprehensive, uniformly spelled, reference list of tags to replace the old tags already applied to my images. But how do I make the old, inconsistent tags in the dropdown, go away, so I can start reapplying tags from my new, coordinated pick list?

One way might be to:
(1) Delete all personal information from my entire image collection (which I believe can be done in one step.) This would presumably zero out Explorer's dropdown checkbox list, for a 'fresh start'.
(2) Clone one image, rename it "test", and tag it with ALL the tags in my new list. Explorer would presumabely make all my new tags potentially available in all future dropdowns (depending on the first one or two keystrokes I type in their Tags fields.)

But how, exactly, does Explorer build that pick list? I suspect it builds a database of applied metadata as it indexes my files.

If there is such an index database of user-defined tags (and other metadata), is there any way for a user to manage/edit the database directly?

:)

 

Creator and Credit metadata added to images on Google Images

Source: Image rights metadata in Google Images

 

Creator and Credit metadata added to images on Google Images

Source: Image rights metadata in Google Images

 

MCE and Metadata

WMC and Metadata

I just got my HTPC setup and I just added images for all my movies and I'm working on TV shows. But I now want to add metadata, I tried Yammm, but it did nothing. I would almost liek to just add my own. I want to have synopsis's even for my TV shows which I think all the programs out there only fetch info off IMBD. Any suggestions?