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ACEkin
ACEkin
Participating Frequently
October 25, 2023
Answered

Lightroom cannot save metadata to files although I could 15 minutes ago

  • October 25, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 3543 views

I start my import and initial edits on my laptop then save metadata to files. After that, I copy the RAW files and the accompanying XMP files to my desktop and synchronize that folder. This morning, I did the same thing, but no matter what I did, I could not create the XMP sidecar files. Hoping to remedy the situation, I did the following with no change in this behavior:

  1. I restarted Lightroom
  2. Tried using Ctrl-S and the dropdown menu to save metadata to files
  3. Optimized the catalog which restarted the program
  4. Restarted the computer
  5. Now, I am writing this on the support forum to report the issue.

The strange thing is that I was able to create the XMP files earlier this morning, and this problem started out of the blue as I wanted to save metadata to files and copy them all to the desktop.

 

As a temporary solution, I exported the selected images as a catalog and copied them to the desktop. There have been no changes to the computer, Windows 11, or Lightroom. All the updates are applied.

 

This may be a bug or an abnormal behavior.

 

Cemal

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer daleducatte

    Thanks for writing a reply, which made me realize that the file I used to test with was taken today. I can save the metadata for those files I photographed today but not the older ones. The problem, in essence, persists


    Hello.

     

    Regarding the photos you're having trouble with: if you make any changes to the photos, can you then save the metadata? I ask because you mentioned deleting some .xmps with Windows Explorer. I was trying to replicate your scenarios and saw that if I manually delete an .xmp using Finder (I'm on a Mac), then saving metadata does not create a new .xmp unless I make a change to the photo. 

     

    I also saw another behavior that may be relevant, with three photos I experimented with:

     

    In the Library module, if I select these three newly imported photos and use CMD-S to save the metadata, Lightroom creates three .xmps. This is fine. 

     

    However, if I reimport the three photos then go to the Develop module, select them and use CMD-S to save metadata, Lightroom creates an .xmp for only one of the three -- the first one in my test, which was the "active" photo. To get all three created, I have to right-click on the filmstrip and choose Metadata/Save Metadata to Files. So  in the Develop module, CMD-S doesn't work the same as it does in the Library module, nor does it work the same as Save Metadata to Files from the right-click menu. 

     

    2 replies

    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    October 25, 2023

    Where are the photos located?

    ACEkin
    ACEkinAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 25, 2023

    Photos are located on the local C drive, not synchronized to the cloud. And this feature stopped working within minutes. I saved some, no problems. I was ready to save a few more, and it stopped saving them.

    D
    dj_paige
    Legend
    October 25, 2023

    Lightroom or Lightroom Classic? What version NUMBER?

     

    When you do Ctrl-S, do you get an error message? If so, what is the error message, exactly, word-for-word, verbatim?

     

    Are you syncing these photos with the Adobe cloud? Please check and double-check the settings, do not simply say "I never do that". I want you to check.

     

    Are other programs accessing these photos or the XMP files?

    ACEkin
    ACEkinAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 25, 2023

    Lightroom Classic, 13.0.1 release. I do not get any error messages, the progress bar moves from left to right, but very rapidly. I do not use Adobe Cloud storage. No other program accesses or uses XMP files. As I said, I was saving metadata to files, and fifteen minutes later while still in Lightroom, I cannot save it anymore.

    D
    dj_paige
    Legend
    October 25, 2023

    I press Ctrl-S or select Save Metadata to Files from the menu and look at the folder contents. There are no XMP files. I consider that evidence that the function is not working.


    Is it possible that the folder in your operating system is sorted by file type or file size, and so the XMP files would not be adjacent to the actual photo files?

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