"Error writing metadata to" message and extended attributes

Report · Jan 21, 2012

After being frustrated by this error message in Bridge while trying to apply keywords to various image files I finally took the time to investigate, and I think I found the cause of the issue. In a nutshell, if the extend attribute "com.apple.FinderInfo" has not yet been created for a given file, then this message appears.

The start of the puzzle was that some files would take the keyword and others would not. After observing identical permissions on files that worked and files that did not, I noticed that in a terminal listing of the files in question, some files had extended attributes and some did not (extended attributes are identified by an @ symbol when running ls -la in a terminal window. For example:

-rw-rw-rw-@ 1 mike staff 26131946 21 Jan 23:56 120114-133059-4612.cr2

-rw-rw-rw- 1 mike staff 5710 21 Jan 22:42 120114-133059-4612.xmp

-rw-rw-rw-@ 1 mike staff 27200794 17 Jan 17:52 120114-133145-4613.cr2

-rw-rw-rw- 1 mike staff 5702 21 Jan 22:42 120114-133145-4613.xmp

-rw-rw-rw-@ 1 mike staff 26973498 21 Jan 23:07 120114-133149-4614.cr2

-rw-rw-rw-@ 1 mike staff 6648 21 Jan 23:19 120114-133149-4614.xmp

As you can see, the file called 120114-133145-4613.xmp has not extended attribute, but the file 120114-133149-4614.xmp does. The former throws an error when applying a keyword, the latter does not.

So I dug a bit further and it appears that when the file attribute called com.apple.FileInfo is missing from an xmp file, metadata cannot be witten. The contents of this extended attribute for a working XMP file look like this

$ xattr -l 120114-133058-4611.xmp

com.apple.FinderInfo:

00000000 54 45 58 54 43 52 61 77 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |TEXTCRaw........|

00000010 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|

00000020

According to specs I found googling, the first 4 bits identify the file type (TEXT), and the next four identify the file creator (CRaw). IOW no file-specific info seems to be present.

So as a test, I simply copied the contents of com.apple.FinderInfo from a file that had it to a file that didn't. Once the file that didn't received the new attribute, metadata writes worked. The command I used for the copy was

xattr -wx com.apple.FinderInfo "`xattr -px com.apple.FinderInfo 120114-133534-4633.xmp`" 120114-133041-4602.xmp

It also appears that this metadata is written by Bridge based on some unknown trigger, because occasionally during my investigation a file that previously would not take metadata suddenly did, and once I knew to look for extended attributes, in every case the file in question suddenly had com.apple.FinderInfo extended attribute.

So...I'm not sure if this is a bug in finder or in bridge, but it is definitely a bug and needs to be addressed.

...Mike

Report · Feb 08, 2012

I just noticed that there may be some interaction between Photomechanic and Bridge. Try this:

Put about 20 RAW files in a folder.
Make sure all of them have at least one keyword applied that is nested in another (so, Places -> Canada, and Canada is selected)
Close bridge
Open that folder in PhotoMechanic
Pick the first ten images and rename them using the rename function (left click the selection)
Close PM and open bridge
Try to apply a new keyword to the renamed files

My result is that the renamed files throw the error, and the other files do not.

Try this #2.

Put about 20 RAW files in a folder.
Make sure all of them have at least one keyword applied that is nested in another (so, Places -> Canada, and Canada is selected)
Close bridge
Open that folder in photomechanic
Pick the first ten images and adjust the time of the RAW file (Tools, Adjust capture dates and times...). Doesn't matter by home much.
Rename them using the rename function and this rename code: {year2}{month0}{day0}-{hour24}{min}{sec}
Close PM and open bridge
Try to apply a new keyword to the adjusted and renamed files

My result is that the adjusted and renamed files throw the error, and the other files do not.

Using BR 4.0.5.11 and PM 4.6.8

Report · Feb 08, 2012

I just noticed that there may be some interaction between Photomechanic and Bridge. Try this:

Mike, will try it when having some spare time. Don't have Photomechanic and will try to get a demo version to test.

Meanwhile be aware that this forum is soon to die and set to read only, you have to move the discussion to the new Bridge General Forum, links for this are on top of this Mac Forum page.

or send me a private message

Report · Feb 21, 2012

Mike,

I have similar problems. Selected and renamed CR2 files in Photomechanic 4.6.8. Opened in Bridge/ Camera Raw, edits saved to xmp. Then tried to ad keywords or append metadata gives "Error writing metadata" . Cancel ( x1000) or quiting bridge gives teh same result: all cr2 files are changed and the xmp is no longer recognized in Bridge. After removing the 'old' xmp's Bridge has no problem writing metadata in new xmp's.

The problem persist for all files tagged or renamed in PM even when not using the xmp created by PM.

Found no way yet to add metadata without losing my edits.

Report · Feb 21, 2012

In the Bridge Forum there is a parallel thread. http://forums.adobe.com/thread/960444?tstart=0 In post #6 user writes:

I just found a (better be temporary) work-around for this problem. I keep a browser (Chrome) window open (on another monitor) while applying keywords in Bridge CS5 v 4.0.5.11. Every time I get this error "Could not write metadata to", I simply click in the browser, scroll around abit, go back to Bridge and re-apply the keyword(s) and, VOILA!

Adobe, please get this fixed. What a pain in the arse. Plus a different, separate error popup for each image? Come on, at least when applying a keyword(s) to multiple image,s just give me one error window so I don't have to keep closing each one!

Have no idea why this would work, or it if would work for you, but might be worth a try.

Report · Feb 21, 2012

Curt,

After unchecking "Allow raw files to be modified... " in Photomechanic's preferences , Bridge has no issues writing keywords to the xmp files. What I am still looking for is a way to preserve the settings I made to some large batches of photos while being able to write some keywords to the cr2 files.