Copying metadata from a .jpg file to a .tif file that has no metadata

[robjasey]

I use focus stacking to create a composite photo from a series of .jpg files (macro photography). The resulting file is a .tif file.
The tool that creates the output file is Helicon Focus. The .jpg files (taken on a Canon DSLR) have the standard metadata that comes from the camera, but the .tif file has nothing.
I want to transfer all the data over to the .tif file , then selectively "fix" the fields that either don't make sense (like file format) and add data that the camera is not supplying (like when I use a manual lens or lens tube).
I tried the simple brute force way wit  exiftool -TagsFromFile <infile> <outfile>  but got the error
Error: Format error in file - 1L5A2211_001.tif
    0 image files updated
    1 files weren't updated due to errors
So the questions are
1. Is it failing because you can't bulk transfer from .jpg to .tif?
2. Is it failing because the .tif never had any metadata to start with?
3. Is it failing because the format of the .tif file being created by Helicon Focus is bad or incompatible?
4. Is it failing because any transfers between .tif and .jpg are not possible?
I haven't necessarily given enough information answer these questions, but what I was hoping for a reality check on what I should expect a bulk transfer can and cannot go, and maybe some hints on where to look to try and figure out a path forward.

Many thanks in advance to a new user of what looks like a very powerful tool!   

[StarGeek]

Exiftool would have no problem with 1, 2, or 4.  It would be failing because there is either a problem with the TIFF file structure or it might be a BigTIFF file of which exiftool only has read support for.

Run this command on the file and post the output
exiftool -a -warning -validate file.tiff

[Phil Harvey]

Error: Format error in file - 1L5A2211_001.tif

There is a problem with this file.

or it might be a BigTIFF file of which exiftool only has read support for.

In the case of BigTiff, you would get the message "Writing of BTF files is not yet supported".

- Phil

[robjasey]

 exiftool -a -warning -validate 1L5A2211_001.tif
Validate                        : 1 Error

Ok, confirmed there is something wrong with the file . Is there a more verbose output, or what steps would you recommend I try to figure out the type of problem?

Thanks for your help!!

[Phil Harvey]

Basically, ExifTool doesn't recognize this as a tif file.  You can send me the file and I'll take a look (philharvey66 at gmail.com)

- Phil

[robjasey]

I reviewed the file and confirmed that it was corrupted when it was transferred from one computer to my test computer. I was able to transfer the exif, etc data.
Really sorry for wasting your time on this, but learned quite a bit from the exchange and I really appreciate the responsiveness of your forum.
Thanks again!