Something seriously wrong with what I am doing here!

[eyemack]

I am back to square one. None of the above made any difference.
I can hardly face more time looking into this. Most of my waking hours over the last few days have been spent trying to make IMatch work with my photos, and despite the help of Mario and others, I am no closer to feeling happy about my purchase.
I'm sure we can get to the bottom of this, but at the moment, I am completely jaded.
However, here is a simple step by step guide to what is happening but just using 1 image to make things simple.
1) Writeback on the image required for XMP::subject - see attched P1.jpg
2) Writeback executed. Onedrive uploads file OK - see attached P2.jpg
3) IMatch database happy.
4) A few minutes later, OneDrive downloads the file – see attached P3.jpg – Imatch refreshes, then repeat loop from 1) above.
I'm going mad with this!

[Mario]

1. After IMatch has written back, run the "List Metadata" preset in the ECP.
Copy & Paste into Windows clipboard, paste into Windows Notepad, save as "before.txt".

Use the {File.Modified} variable in IMatch VarToy to make a note of the "last modified" timestamp.

2. After OneDrive has "synched" your file, open it in the ECP, run "List Metadata", Copy .... save as "after.txt".

Use the {File.Modified} variable in IMatch VarToy to make a note of the "last modified" timestamp. 

Compare the two sets of metadata manually to find differences or with a "diff" tool to see if and what OneDrive has changed.

The only reason for IMatch to rescan a file is what the last modified timestamp on disk has changed. But when the file was not modified, this is virtually instantaneous since IMatch uses a checksum to tell if a file was actually changed.
In your case, this seems to be what happens. Else IMatch would not rescan the file.


Just for the record and search engines:

Most of my waking hours over the last few days have been spent trying to make IMatch work with my photos, 

IMatch works fine with your photos, as long as you don't include OneDrive and, more important, OneDrive synching into the loop, I believe.

I have stock image files in OneDrive for testing (I would never upload real data to OneDrive unencrypted for privacy reasons) and I don't see the effects you have. IMatch writes back a file. OneDrive goes into "synching" for a second. That's all.
The files in the OneDrives folders are not rescanned, none requires write-back afterwards or anything. Just works. 

Maybe your OneDrive is different? I'm in the EU and we have strict rules for what Microsoft can do with our data.
What did Microsoft support tell you? They should know a lot more about OneDrive than we do?
I think my support options for this particular case are exhausted.

[thrinn]

1) Writeback on the image required for XMP::subject - see attched P1.jpg
2) Writeback executed. Onedrive uploads file OK - see attached P2.jpg
3) IMatch database happy.
4) A few minutes later, OneDrive downloads the file – see attached P3.jpg

But then the question is: After step 2) everything should be fine and stable. So why does step 4) even happen? If OneDrive downloads the file again than the file must have been changed (at least from OneDrive's point of view) not on your local PC, but somewhere else: Either on OneDrive cloud itself, or on one of the other devices attached to or synced with OneDrive. I know that this sounds unlikely, but somehow OneDrive seems to "think" that there was change that has to be synced back to your PC.

[eyemack]

Thanks. Why is 4) happening. That is exactly the question that needs to be resolved. If it wasn't for that, everything would be fine.
No, I'm not doing anything at all to the file.  I sit and watch 2) happening, and then sit back, do nothing for a minute or so to see 4) happening!

[eyemack]

Just to add to this, OneDrive is reverting the file to its pre-writeback state, hence the loop. It's like it's downloading the previously stored version.

[eyemack]

Just to demonstrate what happens above, here is the ECP keyword result for:
X1 before writeback
X2 after writeback
X3 after OneDrive syncs and IM auto refreshes, i.e. back to pre-writeback state.

[Mario]

Looks like OneDrive has changed XMP::subject.
IMatch has both tags synched during write-back has it should be.
OneDrive then Removed the hierarchy from the flat subject.

Ask Microsoft about this or change the flattening settings in IMatch (Edit > Preferences > Metadata 1) to write only the leaf level - which is apparently all that OneDrive handles.

I find it more than disturbing that you let OneDrive modify the metadata in your files. There should be an option to disable this.
Ask Microsoft support about this.

[eyemack]

Thanks Mario.
Until the last few days, I have never had an issue with OneDrive and DAM software, so was not aware that it modifies the metadata. Lightroom has always worked perfectly OK for me for many years. 
As I am sure you know, asking MS about this kind of thing is a total waste of time. I have tried many times over the last 30 years!
I am giving up on getting IMatch to work with OneDrive, so I am faced with using it and not being able to see my photos on other devices, or give up using it and find an alternative. As I really like the look of its facilities and the fact that I don't want to waste spending £120, I am probably going to go with the former option.
I have noticed a few other threads on the same topic, even in this forum, and people with the same XMP::subject problem which you have responded to in the past.
So, I am going to move all my photos to a non-OneDrive folder and hpoefully, all will be well.

[rolandgifford]

So, I am going to move all my photos to a non-OneDrive folder and hpoefully, all will be well.

Did you check the Onedrive settings in a browser as described by thrinn? I haven't noticed a comment from you about what you found.

[eyemack]

Thanks, yes I did check the settings. I think I said I would switch that off in post #48.
Made no difference though, sadly.

[Mario]

This must be a setting in your OneDrive. Since I cannot reproduce this here.
Just made a check with a JPG file stored in OneDrive.
Keywords written are

Code Select Expand

[IPTC]          Keywords                       : WHERE|Frankreich|75001 Paris|Unnamed Road, IMatch|Test
[XMP-dc]        Subject                        : WHERE|Frankreich|75001 Paris|Unnamed Road, IMatch|Test
[XMP-lr]        Hierarchical Subject           : WHERE|Frankreich|75001 Paris|Unnamed Road, IMatch|Test
No change after OneDrive as completed synching. No keywords removed. Last modified timestamp is not changed.

[eyemack]

Thanks. All settings are default except the one @rolandgifford is talking about above - see attached.
Never had any reason to change any settings which, tbh, are very limited anyway.  But any suggestions are welcome, of course.

[Mario]

That's a support case for Microsoft. You pay for OneDrive, I think?
My options are exhausted and this thread is now at rest.