Bug: command "remove all the tags" doesn't work (PDF)

[Schnulli227]

I used a this command: "exiftool -all:all=" to remove the XMP tags in a PDF-file => doesn't work.

Results:
- the file size increases
- the XMP tags are still inside

How could I fix this? What did I do wrong?

1) My OS:
Windows 7

2) The ExifTool version you are using:
10.22

3) The specific command line you are using:
exiftool -all:all= filename.pdf

4) The console output from the command:
Warning: [minor] ExifTool PDF edits are reversible. Deleted tags may be recovered! - filename.pdf
    1 image files updated
-- press RETURN --

[Phil Harvey]

Read the text at the top of the PDF tags documentation for an explanation.  The minor warning you got is supposed to be a hint.

- Phil

Edit:  Also see this post for a way to make these changes permanent.

[Schnulli227]

This means a lot of XMP tags are still inside .

These XMP tags contain a lot of sensible data.
Is there a possibility to extend ExifTool to remove all XMP tags?
Or can you suggest another tool which is able to remove all XMP tags?

[Hayo Baan]

If it is just one file you need to clean of its metadata, you could edit the file with a hex editor and overwrite the info with e.g., spaces. If you're on a Mac, you could perhaps create a Quartz filter that removes the metadata and apply that to the file (haven't tried this, but I think there is a Quartz filter step that allows you to do this). Otherwise there is, of course, Adobe Acrobat.

[Phil Harvey]

Is there a possibility to extend ExifTool to remove all XMP tags?
Or can you suggest another tool which is able to remove all XMP tags?

Check the link my edit above.

- Phil

[Schnulli227]

Is there a possibility to extend ExifTool to remove all XMP tags?
Or can you suggest another tool which is able to remove all XMP tags?

Check the link my edit above.

- Phil

Thanks Phil, with the link you provided all worked.