P: "Some save metadata operations were not performed" error occurs when merging to HDR

[excorp11]

This is a recent, intermittent issue (I've used LR for years, and only seen this recently).  I'm running Lightroom Classic CC release 7.5.  When merging photos to HDR, Lightroom will process the images and at the moment it creates the DNG it sometimes outputs an error "Some save metadata operations were not performed".  It then states "Photos have read only access (1)", and lists the new dng file that was just created.  This also happens occasionally when merging to Panorama.

To try to debug this, I made sure that the folder containing all my raw files had no read-only files in it (I did this in the properties pop-up for the folder, clearing the "read-only" attribute box and applying that setting to all files in the folder).  This was done BEFORE any HDR merges were performed.  If there's a read-only file involved, its something LR is creating temporarily during the merge.

I also checked the files in question after the error (both the raw images and the new dng):  none of them are read-only.

I can also state that this doesn't happen consistently.  I had 30 sets of bracketed images that I set to processing all at once in the background (using ctrl-shift-H on each set of 3).  The error popped up for only 2 of the 30 sets.

One other unfortunate side-effect of the problem is that it halts all background tasks until its acknowledged.  That's the big reason I'm logging it and not just ignoring it:  I routinely turn a large queue of background tasks loose, then leave and enjoy life elsewhere.  Coming back several hours later to find out nothing has happened is a drag.

[SatishT]

Hi Mike,

Are you able to detect any pattern which can help us to debug this issue?
What is the version of the operating system you are using?

-Satish

[excorp11]

Hi Satish,

I'm running Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit, Version 1803.

All I can point to so far is:
- It only happens in merge to HDR or panorama, and the new DNG file is the one identified as 'read-only'.  It hasn't happened for files created by photoshop (e.g., start in LR, further edit the image in photoshop creating a new TIF, and return to LR).
- I've only noticed it when a bunch of merge's are occurring at the same time, so there's a queue of background processing occurring.
- Since its random, one suspicion I have is that it might be a file conflict occurring, where one thread is creating the DNG and another thread tries to access it for a metadata operation, and sees it locked by the first thread.  But that's just a wild guess.

The next time it happens, I'll see if it repeats for the same group of files.  I'll also look for other patterns.

[excorp11]

Hi Satish,

I believe I've got this narrowed down for you.  It appears its related to "face detection" and/or "address lookup".  When these are active (so they're processing new DNGs as soon as they're created), this error occurs.  When they're paused, I haven't managed to recreate it yet.

Here are some observations that led to this:  When a number of HDR merges are underway, clicking on the "xx operations in progress" message displays a list of all the operations, as well as their status messages.  For a "Creating HDR" operation, I observed the following status messages and timing:

• Performing merge
• Saving HDR
• Importing
• Applying Development Settings:  While this status is being displayed, face detection and address lookup both become active if they're enabled.  They can stay active throughout the remainder of the task.
  
• Copying Metadata
• Adding to Collections:  When this status message is displayed, a brand new task is added to the queue:  "Saving Metadata".  It is when this task is added that the error sometimes occurs, stating that the DNG in question is 'read-only'.  'Face detection' and 'address lookup' have still been active when this has occurred.
  
• Task Completed.

So I'm guessing that either 'Face detection' or 'Address lookup' is momentarily opening and locking the DNG file, and if the "Saving Metadata" task happens to access it during that window, problems ensue.

After observing all this, I paused both of them and ran another 30 HDR merges without any failures.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

- Mike

[SatishT]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for sharing your observations. We will try to reproduce this issue with the steps mentioned above and get back to you if need any other information.

-Satish

[excorp11]

Hi Satish,

Great.  If this does get fixed, it would be nice if you could post something here.  Sometimes LR updates just say "numerous bug fixes", so there's no way to know if this particular issue was corrected, or is still lurking.

- Mike

[excorp11]

This problem is still present after the latest update.  I don't know if there was an intention to fix it or not, but there's no improvement.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I have the same problem as Mike described.
In my case, it appears on almost every third DNG.
I'll try to use Mike's solution 🙂

[excorp11]

Just to confirm, this problem still exists despite several updates in the past 5 months.  Now running the latest release (8.1, build 1200465) and its impossible to run multiple HDR/Panorama jobs while face recognition / address lookup are also running.

[Venkatesh Penjuri]

Hi Mike, I tried the above-mentioned steps with 30 sets of pano images and I have not hit this issue. I am trying out on a catalog which has 30,000 images.  How many images do you have in your catalog?  Are both Face recognition and address lookup running and updating the image count actively?

And Yes, a single message is blocking the whole batch process to complete, this is an annoyance. We will look into this.

[excorp11]

Hi Venkatesh,

I'm not sure I understand your post.  The first paragraph says you didn't duplicate it, but the second implies that you did?

As to your questions, I have about 12,000 images in my library, but they have all already been indexed for both faces and addresses.  This conflict crops up when LR merges images (via HDR or Pano), creating a NEW image.  At the moment that LR brings that new image into the library, LR attempts to index it (both face and address) while also continuing its merge operations.  I noted the exact sequence a few posts above.

I can also add that I have "Auto Settings" checked when I do either a HDR or Pano merge. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Yes, I just came across this post with the same issues. Works great when you stop the face detection and address lookup. That's the issue for me. How to turn off permanently I wonder?

[tea_drinker]

Same thing here... turned off face detection and address lookup and works no problem.  Interestingly, even though it says it's read-only, the actual file (in File Explorer) shows that that's not the case. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I too have recently (last week or so) started to experience this issue.  seems to be unrelated to any specific update or to the read status of any file.  Time for Adobe to do something....anything....

[Kluchka]

This is STILL happening in January of 2020.   The least the LR product team could do is auto-pause the face detect etc until the HDR is done.  

[hansmast]

This is STILL a problem. Glad to find the bandaid, but this is a SIMPLE fix that needs to be fixed. A simple check to see if the newly added DNG is an HDR and if it is, wait 10 minutes to run face recognition and address lookup.

I think what the reps are missing in recreating the issue is they're not understanding that it's when you run an HDR batch, which is extremely poorly documented by Adobe. You run an HDR batch by grouping your bracketed photos into stacks and the beginning a regular HDR on multiple stacks at once. This skips the HDR settings dialog and goes straight into processing them all with the last used settings. That's when it hangs between every single HDR for me.

[hansmast]

Edit>Catalog Settings>Uncheck:
- Look up city, state and country of GPS coordinates to provide address suggestions
- Automatically detect faces in all photos

[hansmast]

Please read my latest post in this thread. This issue is still happening and I gave clear instructions on how to recreate. Please contact me if you need a video.

[hansmast]

This hasn't been fixed. Please see my latest post in the main thread for clear instructions on how to reproduce. If you're still not reproducing, please contact me for a video.

[Wolphin8]

I see this issue on my system too, randomly, but very annoyingly.  I am using Nikon NEF raw files from my D500, with 5-shot exposure bracketing to create the HDRs.  I have low deghosting set.  Today, it has been nearly continuously till I turned off the keyword and face recognition.

Running Windows 10 Pro and Lightroom CC Classic.  Both have recently been updated.  So the issue still has not been fixed.  I agree it just needs a delay from immediately running those 2 systems when pictures are added to adding in a delay for other jobs to finish first (if doing a batch, maybe wait till all are done, then having it run?)

[jonz75803620]

I just started having this issue, and I thought it was related to the latest Lightroom (Classic) update.  That was the only thing that had changed in my process...or so I thought.  But after reading your suspician that it might have to do with Face Detect, BINGO!  That's something I've been playing with for the past month.  I've never used it and only tagged my photos manually that had family/friends in them.  I started using Face Detect (more out of boredom than anything else).  It is fun, and to some extent useful (especially for someone who has not made the effort to tag people pictures).  But because it chokes on my Merge to HDRs (which I do a LOT as a real estate photographer), it forced me to sit next to my computer when processing so I could dismiss the dialog box to keep the processing moving...  I just turned Face Detect off!