P: Save Metadata To File doesn't change metadata status, Read Metadata From File doesn't always work

"it used to slow down processing in Develop Mode."

Since LR 3 was released, I haven't seen any reports on these forums that Automatically Write Changes Into XMP slows down LR in any noticeable way. I've always had it enabled and I've recommended to others to enable it.

Interestingly - I just turned on Auto Write to XMP - and the icon disappears.....

Most of us have this turned off, as it used to slow down processing in Develop Mode. I wonder if it still does?

As someone else mentioned - this appears to be an issue that only affects BW images. 

I'm on 10.1 on a Mac running OS 10.15.7  - colour images I can save the metadata with Cmd + S, but BW images, it won't save (or at least the metadata status icon will not change to show it's been saved). 

On 10.1 here - have same issue. Metadata status icon does not change regardless of saving it. OS 10.15.7

Why conversations get merged: 

https://feedback.photoshop.com/conversations/lightroom-classic/lightroom-auto-import-to-folders-organized-by-date/5f5f44f14b561a3d422ab0ba?commentId=5f5f48984b561a3d422bdf45 

After editing a picture in Lightroom Classic 10.1 (on Windows 10), I clicked on the button next to "Metadata Status" to save the metadata. However, the status immediately changed back to "Has been changed" and the icon with the text and down arrow that indicates unsaved metadata continued to appear in the upper right corner of the thumbnail, even after repeated clicking on it.

This seems to happen only with pictures that are treated as black and white. I am seeing this with raw files (Nikon .NEF) and with TIFF files but not with JPG files from an iPhone. It probably started happening when I upgraded to Lightroom Classic 10.1.

When I change the treatment of the picture from "Black and white" to "Color" and save the metadata, the save is successful and the "Metadata file needs to be updated" icon disappears.

have you check the time recorded in the catalog and the time of the xmp ? 

@Andyptak 

Bump. Anyone else have an idea?

Thanks. I was pretty excited when I read your answer because I have also just migrated my work to a NAS from a DAS based unit and your answer made sense. Alas, this isn't the issue because I just created a catalog on my local hard drive with a few thousand images to test this out and I still have the same problems. Hmmmm.

It was a good thought you had but unfortunately I'm still at square one here. It is so frustrating.

I have see type of conflict several time with the XMP writing on because of a small difference between the time stored in the lightroom Catalog and the xmp file time. This can happen with some NAS because of writing cache processes. If you have one photo with the exclamation mark check the last modified time in Lightroom and then open the  explorer (finder) and check the time of the xmp file to see if there is a difference