The jpgs were just provided as Before+After samples for the sake of comparing metadata, as you had requested - I wouldn't expect it to happen with yours, because as discussed, the problem isn't consistent or always replicatable.  That particular "before" image has been in my catalog since it was taken, years ago.  It wasn't until just now that Lightroom decideed to write changes to it (when no changes have been made).  Next time, it may not write to any images.  It may not do it all week.  Next week, it may write over a hundred of them.  It's random.  So even if I create a new test catalog and add a few test photos, if it doesn't exhibit the bug, that doesn't really tell us anything.   Again, I was just providing those for the purpose of diffing the metadata, as you requested. ... View more

Just upgraded to 9.2.1, still happens.  I've added another pair of Before & After photos to the same link (copied below), this time where changes were written by 9.2.1.  Again, all I did was open LR and leave it opened for a few minutes, then quit, then run a diff between my originals & their backups.  As usual, it wrote changes to a bunch of jpgs that I did not modify.   https://metal450.tk:9988/filerun/wl/?id=4wKMhHKOwur0viXT5xCdDQD1wHz5QvPr ... View more

> So you store you images on a NAS (networked device of some type), is that correct? No, I don't store them on a NAS. > making changes to the XMP files? Making changes to jpgs, not XMP, as described. > Just how do you know it is LR that is making changes Also clearly described in multiple posts - i.e.: I've had it happen literally by doing nothing other than launching & quitting Lightroom. I opened it, gotten a phone call, quit (not having done anything at all), then some random files had changed. Because I've observed it happening so unpredictably, I've made a habit of *always* running a backup task - which presents a summary of diffs before copying - every time immediately after using LR. And even the case above I've ound it modifying some random photos. ... View more

Here you go: https://metal450.tk:9988/filerun/wl/?id=4wKMhHKOwur0viXT5xCdDQD1wHz5QvPr ... View more

> I discovered there were innocent explanations: I had accidentally changed the caption of a batch of photos instead of just one photo, I had renamed a parent keyword whose child keywords were assigned to the phots, that sort of thing.   I'm certain that's not the case here - I've had it happen literally by doing nothing other than launching & quitting Lightroom.  I opened it, gotten a phone call, quit (not having done anything at all), then some random files had changed.  Because I've observed it happening so unpredictably, I've made a habit of *always* running a backup task - which presents a summary of diffs before copying - every time immediately after using LR.  And even the case above I've ound it modifying some random photos.   >>upload both versions to Dropbox or similar and post the sharing link here   You mean just post the jpg file from before & after the LR unnecessary write?   >>immediately go to your backups and see if you have a previous version   I absolutely do. Every time LR does this, I go back & restore the correct backed-up versions, since I'm not especially interested in LR overwriting images with unknown/unrequested changes. ... View more

>> Exactly what file gets updated? A JPEG you did not touch?   Many JPEGs I did not touch.  It applies to images shot exclusively as jpeg, so there is no raw and no sidecar xmp. ... View more

>> What??? The Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop App, is hardly hard or cumbersome to use. You do not use it to keep your LRC up to date? Heck, it can be set to do that automatically. Manually, just bring it up and click on the LRC icon, boom, done.   Apparently you didn't check the other thread, but in (very brief): it's because my LR PC is airgapped. It used to be simple to download an updater & install, which I did regularly.  But Adobe suddenly stopped posting proper update installers, instead forcing everyone to use Creative Cloud - thus, the only way to update is to have a (fast+unmetered) connection directly on the PC on which you want to run LR.  There are other specific reasons & scenarios described in that thread, but that's the crux of it.  I tried multiple times to contact them & understand why they suddenly started refusing to post proper standalone update installers, but when it became clear that was the case, I stopped updating as regularly.   >> Heck, v8 was buggy, and you wonder why a bug still exists?   Does that mean the bug is no longer there in v9? 🙂 ... View more

>>This seems to be a long standing bug.   So it's a known bug? Do you have some reference of that - i.e. an issue on a bug tracker that I can subscribe to & be notified if/when it's finally properly addressed?   >>By the way; Lightroom Classic 8.0 is pretty old. Why don't you update regularly? The current version is 9.2.1.   I used to keep up to date, but gave up on doing so specifically because Adobe (for some reason) decided to start making it overly cumbersome to do so - as I documented here, two years ago: https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-classic-cc-offline-updater. ... View more

Yes. As I myself had already included in my very first post/question. ... View more

>>I have already answered your question as to what is currently available regarding downloadable installation files for Lightroom Classic CC, Lightroom CC, and Creative Cloud. Nowhere did I ever ask "what is currently available regarding downloadable installation files?".  At the time of my very first post, I already knew what was currently available.  You could've saved a lot of time by just saying "We offer no solution for this situation, and I will not disclose any rationale as to why." Analogy: Q: "Why is it that you like photography?" A: "I like photography." Q: "But what is it about photography that you like?" A: "Yup, photography is what I like." Q: "Yes, I already knew you like photography.  If you won't answer what I'm asking, why not just say so?" A: "As mentioned, I like photography." Q: "No, I didn't ask whether or not you like photography! Is there a reason you keep dodging the actual question?" A: "I already told you. I like photography." ... View more

My question was not "Do you recommend using Creative Cloud to download updates?".  It's abundantly clear that that's what you recommend. For some reason you continue to answer completely different questions than those that I'm asking, and reiterating what I posted myself in the original question. It would be just as effective for you to simply reply "I will not answer this question" I will attempt to rephrase, 4th time I'm asking: "What is the rationale behind requiring the full updater to be downloaded within the Creative Cloud app each time an update needs to be applied, rather than simply providing separately downloadable updaters and then perhaps verifying the license at install-time (which would save lots of bandwidth & solve all the problems mentioned above, while still allowing you to do license validation as necessary)?" Once again: the very first sentence of my very first post was "Why are there no (apparent) direct download links for updates to Lightroom Classic CC?". It was not "How do you suggest we update," or "what products are available with offline updaters," or "how do I purchase enterprise licensing" or "how do I downgrade to an out-of-date version of Lightroom."  It was "Why are there no (apparent) direct download links for updates to Lightroom Classic CC?". ... View more

Even if the subscription needs to be verified, that is not the same thing as forcing a full re-download of the updater through the Creative Cloud app every time it's installed.  For instance, in the field you might be able to install/update offline (aka like normal software), then tether to a cellular connection & do the quick license validation.  But downloading the whole installer on-site would be impossible. While my 1st question has now been implicitly answered, this one has still been ignored, so I'll try again a 3rd time so that myself & others can hopefully understand the rationale: "2) Why is Adobe so insistent on being the only software distributor that doesn't provide real, normal, actual installers for all their versions? (<-I'm especially interested in the answer to this specific question, because it just seems odd that you try so hard to push everyone to this cloud installer situation, seemingly to the point of ignoring situations like these)" ... View more

Jeff, Once again, please see my original post. I specifically mentioned LR 6.14, and even supplied a link to its updater myself. This response again completely sidesteps the issue - my question was "how can I stay up-to-date while offline," and your answer was "use an out-of-date version of the software." Unless you care to correct me, from your repeated avoidance of the questions it seems to me that the answer to #1: "1) What is the solution for those who need to update while not directly connected?" is: "There is no solution for those who need to update while not directly connected to the internet. If you choose to travel somewhere where Internet isn't accessible, is expensive, is throttled/censored, or if you simply prefer to keep your main work computer offline, Adobe does not feel that you should be entitled to receive the same current version as those who prefer to or are able to connect their computers to us directly." Again, if this is wrong, please do correct me.  Also, my second question seems to have been ignored: "2) Why is Adobe so insistent on being the only software distributor that doesn't provide real, normal, actual installers for all their versions? (<-I'm especially interested in the answer to this specific question, because it just seems odd that you try so hard to push everyone to this cloud installer situation, seemingly to the point of ignoring situations like these)" ... View more

>>What specific errors prevent you from installing Lightroom Classic CC, and the available updates, through the Adobe Creative Cloud desktop application? ...Umm, did you not read my original post? I thought it was pretty clear that I'm not looking for yet more instructions on how to install through Creative Cloud, nor did I mention anything about install errors - install errors aren't relevant if you can't connect to the Internet at all.  Although I did state all of this already, I'll repeat: *Some people may simply prefer to keep their main work computer offline, and use a second PC for internet. Are these users not entitled to receive the same updates as those who desire (or are allowed to) keep theirs connected directly? *I often go on long photography trips where issues sometimes arise that require me to reinstall, reformat, or even replace the system.  [...] If I need to reinstall during one of these trips (or any other time I don’t have direct access to fast/unmetered internet), I'm stuck having to rollback to older versions. The "Creative Cloud desktop application" requires direct internet, which is simply not available, convenient, fast, or affordable everywhere on this planet.  No matter how many times Adobe says "just install through Creative Cloud," this isn't going to change. My questions were: 1) What is the solution for those who need to update while NOT DIRECTLY CONNECTED situations? 2) Why is Adobe so insistent on being the only software distributor that doesn't provide real, normal, actual installers for all their versions? (<-I'm especially interested in the answer to this specific question, because it just seems odd that you try so hard to push everyone to this cloud installer situation, seemingly to the point of ignoring situations like these) ... View more

Posted: Lightroom Classic CC Offline Updater | Photoshop Family Customer Community ... View more