Unable to clear Description

[stumpylog]

I'm finding myself unable to clear the Description field from an image, and I don't know what I have missed for something so simple.

I can read the description as:

Code Select Expand

λ exiftool -Description scansteward\tests\samples\images\sample1.jpg
Description                     : President Barack Obama throws a ball for Bo, the family dog, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Sept. 9, 2010.  (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)..This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.
I attempt to clear the description as:

Code Select Expand

λ exiftool.EXE -Description= -overwrite_original sample1.jpg
    1 image files updated

But executing the reading returns the same description as before.  I have tried added "-use MWG", since I think this tag is an MWG one, but that doesn't change the result

[stumpylog]

After adding -G1, I've figured out this appears to be reading from the XMP-dc:Description.  However, that seems to be unclearable?

Code Select Expand

λ exiftool -XMP-dc:Description= sample1.jpg
    1 image files updated

λ exiftool -G1  -Description sample1.jpg
[XMP-dc]        Description                     : President Barack Obama throws a ball for Bo, the family dog, ...


[StarGeek]

What is the output of this command
exiftool -g1 -a -s -warning -validate sample1.jpg

Are you able to share a sample file?

Either of those commands should work to clear the Description tag.

I have tried added "-use MWG", since I think this tag is an MWG one, but that doesn't change the result

The tag is an XMP one.  The MWG tags are basically shortcut tags that will write multiple tags at the same time with a few more rules than regular Shortcuts tags.  They are not tags that actually appear in the file.

[Phil Harvey]

It looks like the XMP may be hiding in a place that ExifTool can't write it.  Try StarGeek's command, and this one:

exiftool -a -G5 -description sample1.jpg

- Phil