1. In a networked computer system, a method of responding locally to requests for file metadata without downloading the file from a remote location, the method comprising: (a) receiving, from a remote machine, (i) a directory structure representing an application program stored by the remote machine, and (ii) metadata associated with each file comprising the stored application program; (b) storing the directory structure and the metadata; (c) receiving at least one request to access metadata associated with a specific file in the directory structure; and (d) responding to the at least one request using the stored metadata.