Cleaning up XMP files

[meglmt]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom Classic. 13.0.1

Operating System

1. macOS 10.13 High Sierra

I have a bit of a mess (actually a big mess) with my pictures and while i am trying to clean up and delete duplicates etc. , I find that I have some XMP files that are not associated with an existing image. It may be that the file name was changed or that it was deleted.

Is there a way to find .xmp files that are not associated to any image and delete them?

Thank you.

 

[clee01l]

I have a bit of a mess (actually a big mess) with my pictures and while i am trying to clean up and delete duplicates etc. , I find that I have some XMP files that are not associated with an existing image. It may be that the file name was changed or that it was deleted.

Is there a way to find .xmp files that are not associated to any image and delete them?

Thank you.

There is nothing special about XMP files to MacOS. They are just a structured text file. You can open the folder in Finder and sort the Finder dialog by file name. The XMP file and the image file will sort out in the file name order showing different extensions. You can delete the orphan XMP files.

Alternately, you can delete ALL of the XMP files, Lightroom Classic does not need them, does not need to create them. Occasionally an export to PhotoShop will require the Lightroom Adjustments be sent as XMP. Once that XMP data has been shared with Photoshop it is not longer needed by either Lightroom or Photoshop. As long as you are making frequent LrC catalog backups, you will never need any XMP file.


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[meglmt]

There is nothing special about XMP files to MacOS. They are just a structured text file. You can open the folder in Finder and sort the Finder dialog by file name. The XMP file and the image file will sort out in the file name order showing different extensions. You can delete the orphan XMP files.

Alternately, you can delete ALL of the XMP files, Lightroom Classic does not need them, does not need to create them. Occasionally an export to PhotoShop will require the Lightroom Adjustments be sent as XMP. Once that XMP data has been shared with Photoshop it is not longer needed by either Lightroom or Photoshop. As long as you are making frequent LrC catalog backups, you will never need any XMP file.


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Thank you, but aren't the xmp files the edits?

 

[clee01l]

Thank you, but aren't the xmp files the edits?

XMP files are copies of PART of the metadata contained in your Lightroom Catalog, not just the last develop edit. As long as you maintain current backups catalogs, XMP files are irrelevant and unnecessary. Lightroom for the Desktop does not even offer an option to create an XMP file.

In a nonproprietary file type (JPEG, DNG, TIFF) the XMP can be stored in the file itself. In Proprietary RAW files, you are not permitted to store XMP data in the file header. So, Lightroom will write out a separate file called a “Sidecar” file when ever you request it.


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[Woodbutcher]

@clee01l Are you sure about LR Desktop? When I edit a .cr3 raw in it, it creates a xmp file for every file I edit in a session. It doesn't create the file until I quit, but it does it everytime. For a jpg, Lr Desktop seems to update the jpg file directly.

Your comments about LR Classic and xmp are true though.

 

[Califdan]

Is there a way to find .xmp files that are not associated to any image and delete them?

Before starting you may want to "Import" from the folder to assure that LrC knows about all the actual images in that folder.

Then

1. In LrC folder panel, select the folder.
2. drag all the images in that folder to an empty temp folder. This will move all the image files known to LrC as well as the XMP files associated with those image files
3. What's left in the original folder will be images not known to LrC and orphan files such as un-associated XMP's
4. In Finder the XMP's in that folder will be the orphans and can be deleted
5. In LrC folders panel, drag the images back from the Temp folder to their original folder

 

[johnbeardy]

@clee01l Are you sure about LR Desktop? When I edit a .cr3 raw in it, it creates a xmp file for every file I edit in a session. It doesn't create the file until I quit, but it does it everytime. For a jpg, Lr Desktop seems to update the jpg file directly.

It might be less confusing to ignore LR Desktop - the OP isn't using it - but both you and Cletus are partially right. Its new Local feature does create xmp files, but otherwise it doesn't.

 

[clee01l]

@clee01l Are you sure about LR Desktop? When I edit a .cr3 raw in it, it creates a xmp file for every file I edit in a session. It doesn't create the file until I quit, but it does it everytime. For a jpg, Lr Desktop seems to update the jpg file directly.

Your comments about LR Classic and xmp are true though.

My comment about Lr Desktop was in reference to ALL of the images being stored in the Adobe Cloud and not as a file. I have not found much use for Lightroom Desktop "Local" And I have not looked at Lr Desktop since the new Local feature was introduced. You may be correct about using Lightroom Local.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

Thank you, but aren't the xmp files the edits?

Just to be clear about what “the edits” means …

Lightroom Classic: The primary storage for image edit data is the catalog, which also includes catalog-level data such as virtual copies, collections, saved prints or slide shows, and sort orders, that cannot be stored in XMP. XMP files are optional, and store only individual image edits; they cannot store catalog-level data or data about how multiple images are used together. That’s why we’re thinking that if the XMP files you found are old, they are probably out of date and expendable, because if those images are cataloged and you’ve edited them more recently, the most current edits are in the catalog, not in XMP.

Lightroom cloud system (Lightroom desktop in cloud mode, Lightroom mobile apps, and Lightroom web app): The only storage for image edit data is the cloud server. XMP files are not used. (Although XMP files might be read in, if present, but only on import, and never after that?)

Lightroom desktop local mode: Edits are stored and read from XMP files only. No catalog is involved, and no cloud server. In this way, it works like Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw always have. The local mode cannot take advantage of any features (such as versioning and AI search) provided by the Lightroom cloud server, and without a catalog, cannot store any information about groups of files, other than showing how the file system folders are already organized.