Deleted IPTC reapears

[clpratt]

I have stripped IPTC from approx 22,000 files using the Exif Tool Command Processor, but I have 12 jpg files where the IPTC keeps reappearing.
I run the ETCP using argument
-overwrite_original_in_place
-IPTC=
{Files}
Testing the problem with just 1 file the ETCP output box says "1 image files updated". Then I close ETCP.
After a few seconds IMatch starts to update the Metadata panel, the Metadata panel's IPTC Application Record clears then a few seconds later all the IPTC data reappears.
I have the ExifTool Output panel open throughout. It is saying "Warning: Error converting value for ExifIFD:SubSecTimeDigitized (ValueConvInv)". Perhaps that is the clue to the problem.
I have attached one of the images to see if it helps diagnose the problem.
Many thanks

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Menace]

I am not an expert in this. Maybe it helps, if you try

Code Select Expand


-overwrite_original_in_place
-IPTC:All=
{Files}


[clpratt]

Thanks Menace, but still the same problem.

[Mario]

I downloaded the file. It contains standard IIM IPTC data.
I removed the data using the ECP, with

-overwrite_original_in_place
-iptc:all=
{Files}


IMatch re-imports the file and the pen icon reports that IPTC keywords and XMP subject needs to be written. In this case, maybe something got stuck. Using the Shift+Ctrl+F5 again to re-import the metadata fresh, correctly resets the IPTC data flags and only the XMP data will be written.

Without spending too much time on this, figuring out when and why this happens, I would say just refresh the metadata manually once, then write-back. If this solves the issue, we let it rest. Else, open a bug report so I can allocate a slot of time to analyze this in detail.

[clpratt]

Mario,
manually refreshing the metadata does not solve the problem.
I have opened a bug report.

[Mario]

Worked here always.

Shift+Ctrl+F5, Reload Metadata. The IPTC Keyword in the Pen icon goes away because IMatch detects that the file has no IPTC tags. Do you perhaps have the option to protect unwritten metadata enabled? E > P > Metadata 2. In that case your unwritten data will remain 'pending' even during the refresh.

[clpratt]

I do not have the option to protect unwritten metadata enabled (see attached Metadata 2 screenshot).

After I use ExifTool C P to strip out the IPTC, the Metadata panel IPTC Application Record shows data still remaining but at the same time ExifToolGUI shows no IPTC data (see screen2.jpg), Very strange!
And the pen is present on the thumbnail.
Then if I do Shift+Ctrl+F5, Reload Metadata nothing changes, but if I click on the pen icon the pen goes away and all the previous IPTC data reappears in the Metadata panel IPTC Record.

Looks like the problem is the discrepancy beween the apparently remaining IPTC Keywords as seen by IMatch and the fact that ExifToolGUI says there is no IPTC.

Did you do your testing on the file I sent you?

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Mario]

Did you try this with the file you had attached?
I cannot repro it with that file. I will look into this again at some later time, when I process your bug report.
If you want to provide additional info or a file, update your bug report so we have everything in one place.

Do you use the same arguments as I do:

-overwrite_original_in_place

-iptc:all=

{Files}

?

[clpratt]

Yes I used same argument except I had some upper case in it. I've changed argument to exact copy of yours, still same problem.

[Menace]

@clpratt:

• Can you download and install Exiftool Gui? http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/~bogdan/
• After this, install in the same directory exif tool
• Than you go to the menu "modify" -> "Remove Metadata" -> "IPTC: all"

If this doesn't work either maybe it's a problem of exiftool or your filesystem or admin-Rights of your files or searchindexer or Antivirus or.... 

[clpratt]

Done this as requested.
ExifTool shows no IPTC metadata, but IMatch Metadata panel shows IPTC Application Record/ Keywords is still there. (All other IPTC metadata deleted.) Same as in previous screenshot screen2.jpg

[Mario]

Tried again. Can't repro.

Ingest the file. Write-back. Delete the IPTC data via ECP.  This may produce a pending write-back because of the partial re-import (stripping IPTC data from a file in an external tool is uncommon and no special handling is available in IMatch for this special case). Force a reload of the metadata to strip pending updates after the re-ingest from the database.

No IPTC data reported in the DB, no pending write-back. Looks good to me.