XMP files don't get written

[JML]

Lightroom Version Number

13.1 CR 16.1

Operating System

1. Windows 10

Lightroom stopped creating xmp files on December 23 (about two weeks after the last update), even though I do have the "Always write xmp files to disc" option checked. I unchecked the option, quit LR, restarted, checked it again and it still does not write them automatically. I can force to write them to disc from the Metafiles menu, but it doesn't happen automatically and LR does not add changes if I make edits to a photo after forcing to write the xmp.

Any suggestions?

 

[Paul_DS256]

1. Check to make sure XMP writing is not paused.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. You need to make an edit to a photo for an XMP file to be created. When I imported, I enable lens correction and that forces the XMP file to be written.

 

[clee01l]

Why are you writing XMP files? You don’t need them.

I would suggest that you force LrC to build a new Preference file by deleting or renaming the current Preferences file. This often solves a lot of quirky LrC issues.


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[Paul_DS256]

Why are you writing XMP files? You don’t need them

Personally, I use them to determine which 'rated' photos to backup to the cloud. Easier programmatically to read the XMP file from Python.

 

[JML]

1. Check to make sure XMP writing is not paused.
2. You need to make an edit to a photo for an XMP file to be created. When I imported, I enable lens correction and that forces the XMP file to be written.

Thank you Paul. I also have an import script for lens corrections and chromatic aberrations, plus copyright metadata.
XMP saving was, indeed, paused! I have no idea why, but LR seems to keep track and started saving 2000 xmps when I enabled it again.

 

[JML]

Why are you writing XMP files? You don’t need them.

Not the answer somebody with a problem wants to hear! But it is a good backup strategy, in case your catalog croaks. Any backup won't have the latest edits in it.

 

[Paul_DS256]

Not the answer somebody with a problem wants to hear!

In fairness to @clee01l, sometimes asking that question reveals that the OP is not solving the correct problem. It's one thing to state a problem and another to state what you are trying to achieve. Questions can add clarity.

 

[clee01l]

Not the answer somebody with a problem wants to hear! But it is a good backup strategy, in case your catalog croaks. Any backup won't have the latest edits in it.

This was not the answer that I gave the OP. My answer was to reset Preferences.

It was a recommendation based upon my experience and many others in this forum. XMP is not IMO a valid backup strategy. Every time XMP is written into a non proprietary file, that file is subjected to being sent as a full file to the system backup location (over and over again) A good System backup app like TimeMachine or Acronis can make iterative backups every 30 minutes of the catalog and the latest catalog backups, the Use would never be more than 30 min away from a full restore.