I need help with either a database or a data-management system I'm not sure which?
 

I have roughly 175 gigs of files from research. File types include but are not limited to: .flv, mpeg4,
mp3,.pdf (this is the largest group), .doc, .odt,.
I would like to have a database or data-management system that would allow me to search the system for: title, subject, other information that can be put into the document properties, and could hopefully search the content of .pdf, .doc, .odt, and .txt files.
I don't want a separate machine at this time. I have seen some software for setting up a server-based database or an online database. For my purposes, I would like to start this in my current machine.

The challenges are: I'm a full time (and then some) student i.e. no money and very little time,
I have no knowledge of anything database related at all:confused:, I will be setting this up on a windows xp home machine and moving it to Linux later. When I move it, I think?, I would like to put in on a home server on a home network, but it will not be going online. And I am not in a position to wait until I can build a better machine.

Any help you can provide would be appreciated, but I guess the first thing I need to know is the simplest software I can get to work on both windows and Linux.

Thanks again.

I was under the impression Windows can search for documents by their MS Office metadata? And that it uses an index? And therefore all you need to do is convert them all to Word format?

Dugan,
Please don't think me rude, but I can't convert videos and audios to MS Office files,(that I know of). Also when I move back to Linux this would be a problem, and I don't own MS Office. Lastly the conversion of over 25,000 pdf files alone would take until I'm very old.

Thank you for your reply.

Talk to the professors in the math department and science department of your school (you said you were a student) for solutions involving unstructured data. They might help. Also, if it's a school project and they have the programs already, they might let you use their resources to do your work.

Absolutely so. There are many web-sites out there which are purposed for managing collections of abstract, unstructured data for research purposes. Your professors will know where they are, or can help you find them. It will be a specialization of the concept of a content management system. Start with the assumption that, to achieve this goal, you will not have to create anything from scratch. You merely need to discover what the best practice is.

(Bear in mind also that your professors and mentors may intend for you to encounter this requirement first-hand . . .)