Metadata status updates to "Metadata has been changed" right after selecting an image

[Bike Messenger]

Lightroom Classic version: 13.5.1 [ 202408271704-d15d09cd ]

Operating system: Windows 11 - Business Edition

Version: 11.0.22631

 Repro Steps

1. Open Lightroom in Library Module

2. Click on any image thumbnail

3. After a few seconds, image loses all Develop edits and Metatdata status says: "Metadata has been changed"; This is happening on ALL  images. Executing a "Read metadat from file" action recovers the data but this is crazy-making. 

This issue only started recently on the prior version of Lightroom AND persists on the most recent version; to the best of my knowlege I have made no Lightroom or other configuration changes recently.

[Bike Messenger]

p.s. Note that "Automatically write changes into XMP" has always been turned on in Catalog Settibngs

[JohanElzenga]

Could this be related to this bug? https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-bugs/p-constantly-quot-saving-xmp-for-xx-photos-quo...

[Bike Messenger]

Thanks for your reply..but I am not experiencing the performance issues nor
the apparent XMP file updates that are described in that bug so at least not
obviously related.

[JohanElzenga]

'Metadata have changed' means the XMP file has been rewritten, and that is also what this bug is all about. I would start by turning off "Automatically write changes into XMP" to see if that stops the problem. You do not really need to write metadata to XMP (unless you have specific reasons to do this, but most people don't) and there is clearly a bug in that function.

[Bike Messenger]

Thank you for the suggestion...Before I try it, I'm trying to understand then why the "Read Metadata From File"  function recovers the image editing info (and other metadata). That suggests to me that the catalog has somehow "lost" the info and the XMP has the latest data. Is that correct? Note that I am not using any other software on these images that would be updating the XMP.

[DdeGannes]

@Bike Messenger , you stated "That suggests to me that the catalog has somehow "lost" the info and the XMP has the latest data. Is that correct?"

It's unlikely that is what is happening, when you are working in Lightroom Classic by default the application is reading and writing to the Catalog file, that is its primary function.

There is an "Option" available to Automatically write metadata to XMP this is a secondary function and will not interfere with LrC primary function of writing to the Ciatalog.  Lightroom only reads info from XMP at import of images when there in XMP file present. To wit LrC will function without the XMP files.

If you have the option selected you may see a warning that there is a mismatch of info in the XMP and the Catalog presenting you with two options keep your Catalog info and edits or Replace with the info in XMP. Make your choice wisely on you may overwrite your LrC edits.

[DdeGannes]

 @Bike Messenger  Further to my earlier post my thoughts are, since you state you do not make changes using other applications, turn off "Automatically write Metadata to XMP". If you still believe you wish to save metadata to XMP use the option to manually save metadata to the file manually in the Library module. Select the images you have made changes to and select the manual option. Do not exit the application until that is completed.

[JohanElzenga]

Thank you for the suggestion...Before I try it, I'm trying to understand then why the "Read Metadata From File"  function recovers the image editing info (and other metadata). That suggests to me that the catalog has somehow "lost" the info and the XMP has the latest data. Is that correct? Note that I am not using any other software on these images that would be updating the XMP.

By @Bike Messenger

Yes, something is definitely wrong here. 'Read Metadata from File' should not do anything if you have just written metadata to the file. The metadata in the catalog and in the XMP file should be identical. That is why I would turn off writing to XMP until it is clearer what bugs there are and those bug have been fixed. And after that I would only turn it on again if you have a good reason to do that.