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WLPG Creates Bad Exif Metadata - The Saga Continues...

Question Summary
I have general questions about Windows Live Photo Gallery
Which version of Windows Live Photo Gallery are you using ?
Version 2011 (15.4.3538.513)
Choose your Operating System version :
Windows 7

Additional Details
Just an update on the long-running saga concerning the fact that WLPG will corrupt Exif metadata.

I reported it here: http://windowslivehelp.com/thread.aspx?threadid=33d5ecf4-97bb-4476-a915-c66955342d78

To summarise, back in December 2010, I reported the issue that WLPG 2011 was corrupting Makernotes in the Exif metadata.

The bug got taken into a Customer Escalation thread. The first one died (no response from Microsoft). The second one ( opened in July 2011, has finally, after a couple of prods from me, got the following response:

"We apologize for the delay in terms of addressing your issue. The product experts that were working on your issue could not find the original case where the samples were attached too (this could have been due to inactivity on the said thread). They are still working on your case as we speak and for that matter they would like to ask for sample photos that has not yet been updated by Windows Live Photo Gallery and where you suspect that the issue can be reproduced. Please reupload them again via the private data area I've opened below."
 
So, the experts working on the case (opened over a year ago) had lost the files. Careless of them.

I've sent them more data, with a note:

"I have uploaded a ZIP file containing two photos. The original (20120113-2232-26.jpg) and a copy (20120113-2232-26(2).jpg) that has had a People tag added to it by WLPG.

Exiftool reports that the copy now has damaged Makernotes, caused by WLPG adding the people tag. The original file had 93 Camera data fields in the Exif, the copy now only has 37. In addition, Exiftool now reports that the copy has Invalid MyColors data, Invalid CanonAFInfo2 data, Invalide CanonShotInfo data, Invalid CanonCameraSettings data, and possibly incorrect Makernotes...

So, I have reproduced the fault for you. In order for your experts to confirm this, all they have to do is make another fresh copy of the original photo, and use WLPG to apply a people tag to the new copy. Then they will see that this copy has also been damaged by WLPG..."
 
We'll see what happens. I'm not holding my breath.

Hi Geoffc1,

We appreciate your effort for informing us about this. I've checked your escalation thread and verified that the ticket for this issue is still open in our end which means it is still in our queue. I've also informed our escalation team about the requested/uploaded data in your latest post. Please wait for our escalation team to address your concern.


Thanks,

Windows Live Christian C.
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Hi Geoffc1,

 

Your concern has been escalated to our product group and they did confirm that this is a known issue. Currently, they are investigating the cause of the said problem and will endeavour to address this issue in a future release.

 

We appreciate your patience regarding the matter.

 

 

Thanks!

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Well, I see that Microsoft has released a new version of Windows Photo Gallery.

And the Exif bug is still present.

Sigh.

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Well, I see that Microsoft has released a new version of Windows Photo Gallery.

And the Exif bug is still present.

Sigh.


I also reported this bug (corruption of makernotes) more than two years ago. I provided samples and got an acknowledgement from Microsoft that they could reproduce the bug. I guess it means that Microsoft does not care about this bug. Actually I am now getting the feeling that Photo Gallery is dead now, and will neither get updates nor bug fixes anymore.

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John,

 

I fear that you are right. Microsoft probably sees the Modern UI Photos App as the way forward.

 

And guess what? That also corrupts the Makernotes...  

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Geoff (et al.)

Today I downloaded and installed the latest version of Photo Gallery.  I made copies of several Canon geotagged photos and renamed their location (just enough for it to "stick") in Photo Gallery.  Comparing the originals to the renamed versions (using the tool ExamDiff) the only changes observed were the four added XMP LocationCreated tags.  No Canon Makernote metadata (or indeed any other metadata) was changed, corrupted, added or deleted.  This is very good performance, in that most software modify metadata they actually shouldn't.

Mike
(former Canon rep, Michigan, and supporter of the Embedded Metadata Manifesto)
GPStamper.co.nr


   

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Mike,

 

What version of Photo Gallery have you got installed?

 

I am using build 16.4.3508.205, which as far as I am aware is the latest.

 

And I have just retested the Makernotes corruption, and it's still there on my images. I am using a Canon 450D camera, and adding a Descriptive tag to an image that has been produced by the camera is still resulting in Makernotes corruption...

 

Here's a screenshot of part of the Exif contents (using Geosetter to display the metadata) before applying the descriptive tag using Photo Gallery:

 http://sdrv.ms/1hqcu9W

 

And here's the metadata content after using Photo Gallery to add a descriptive Tag:

http://sdrv.ms/15MHph1

 

 

Thanks.

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Prompted by Mike, I've done some further investigation of this Makernotes corruption issue, and documented it here:

 

http://gcoupe.wordpress.com/2013/10/05/photo-metadata-tools-the-saga-continues/

 

Bottom line: Windows Photo Gallery chokes on image files that already have metadata placed in them by another tool. The files themselves appear well structured - ExifTool reports no errors in them - but WPG can't deal with them without corrupting the metadata.

 

SkyDrive shows the same behaviour and will corrupt the metadata of these images when stored on its service.

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Last updated December 27, 2022 Views 1,069 Applies to: