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gegjr
Inspiring
September 1, 2017
Question

Why does Lightproom keep flagging files I haven't changed with an exclamation point?

  • September 1, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 1567 views

My files are on an external drive that is usually connected to my NAS drive. What happens is every time I open my catalog there are always several files that have the exclamation point.  In most cases these are files that I have not touched in years. Sometimes I try selecting all of them and doing a mass save metadata. I get the message that the files have been changed externally but I KNOW I have not done this.

What the heck is going on? I am using Lightroom CC.

On a related note. I am really not happy camper since I reluctantly moved to the subscription model under the expectation having better Adobe support. This promise is being fulfilled! I really need some answers. Photoshop Lightroom

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3 replies

Just Shoot Me
Legend
November 6, 2017

Also the ! mark can come from LR not seeing the file, like it is missing.

gegjr
gegjrAuthor
Inspiring
September 12, 2017

I backup my files of course but LR catalog doesn't read my backups they are totally on a separate system. That is not why.

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 12, 2017

Hi,

In my post above I was not referring to the backups of the Lightroom catalog created by Lightroom.

I was referring to some other software that I used to backup my original camera files (and disk-drives).  (?Acronis?)

Something (not you!) is changing the exif metadata of your files, and that could be related to the NAS system you have.

I can only suggest you search for answers that include your NAS and operating system.

My experience does not go there, sorry.

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
gegjr
gegjrAuthor
Inspiring
November 1, 2017

I see. Yes, of course I backup my images. I use the same backup software as Tim Grey, heard of him, and he has not experienced this problem. The backup program we use does not write to the files. In fact, the files are read only at point so there is now way for anything to written to them. As for my NAS writing to files, that is a non-issue, too as the NAS is nothing more than an extension of my router since it is directly connected to the router. The files are NOT on the NAS, they are on a drive connected to the NAS.

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 3, 2017

I experienced the same some time ago-  every photo in my catalog was marked "metadata changed".

I think it was a commercial 'Backup' program that altered metadata in my case.

It has never happened again since not using that program.

Are you using backup programs?

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .