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Tag That Photo User Guide - Part 6

Troubleshooting and Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What operating system does Tag That Photo work with?

Tag That Photo is a Microsoft 64-bit Windows OS desktop software application. It includes support for Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 with the latest service packs. It does not support 32-bit Windows systems.

Note: We do not currently support Mac or Linux. However, we have a project underway creating a dedicated home server app that will be multi-user and handle millions of images with advanced AI analysis. This may be based on a Mac mini platform.

Is Tag That Photo a cloud service?

No, Tag That Photo is installed and operated locally on your Windows desktop or laptop. You decide which folders you want it to scan for photos. As long as you can see the folders from Windows File Explorer, Tag That Photo should be able to manage them.

This includes: - Folders on drives physically in your computer - Local folders mirrored to cloud services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive) - USB drives - Network-attached drives (NAS devices)

Important: Ensure drives are normally resident and not temporarily attached to your system.

Can I use Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive?

Yes! TTP works with major cloud storage providers with one critical requirement: all image files must be stored locally.

Critical: You cannot use "smart storage" features that keep less-accessed images in the cloud to save local disk space. Configure your cloud provider to "always keep files on this device" or similar setting.

Tip: When making major changes (like tagging 500 new photos), temporarily turn off cloud sync, make all your changes, then turn sync back on. This reduces bandwidth usage and improves performance.

Will TTP work on a Network or NAS drive?

Yes, as long as you can assign a Windows drive letter to the network-attached folder.

Best Practice: Don't use a root drive like G:\, but instead use G:\Photos as the link to the image path.

Performance Note: Scanning speed on WiFi-connected NAS drives will be slower than local SSD drives, not because the NAS drive is slow, but because WiFi connections have limited bandwidth compared to internal transfers.

Image Formats and Viewing

What image formats does TTP support?

Free Version: - JPEG (metadata embedded directly) - PNG (uses XMP sidecar file) - TIFF (metadata embedded directly)

Paid Subscription Plans: - All above formats, plus: - HEIC/HEIF (XMP sidecar file + embedded XMP in Sync mode) - RAW formats from most cameras (uses XMP sidecar file)

For complete list of supported RAW cameras, see: https://www.libraw.org/supported-cameras

Not able to view RAW or HEIC images?

If you're unable to view RAW and/or HEIC/HEIF image formats, it's most likely due to missing image drivers on your device.

Solution: Install Microsoft-supplied image drivers from the Microsoft Store:

For RAW Images: - Install "Raw Image Extension" (free)

For HEIC/HEIF Images: - Install "HEIF Image Extensions" (free) - May also need "HEVC Video Extensions" (approximately $1 USD, depending on device)

Testing: Help > Diagnostics > Check RAW & HEIC Image Support

Metadata and Compatibility

What metadata format does Tag That Photo use?

Tag That Photo uses ExifTool (by Phil Harvey) as its metadata engine to read and write industry-standard metadata. Metadata is stored using the Adobe XMP format and standard EXIF and IPTC fields, so it is compatible with a wide range of photo applications.

For face regions specifically, TTP writes to three simultaneous standards:

  • MWG (Metadata Working Group) — broadest compatibility with Adobe, Apple, and professional tools
  • Microsoft Photo Region Info (MPRI) — used by Windows Explorer and Microsoft Photo Gallery
  • IPTC Extension (ImageRegion) — emerging standard with growing application support

Tag That Photo also supports the recommendations of the Family History Metadata Working Group (FHMWG), ensuring that names, dates, locations, and captions are stored in a way that preserves family history information for future generations. See https://savemetadata.org/ for more information.

Metadata is embedded in the file where supported, and/or written to an XMP sidecar depending on file type and Metadata Write Mode. RAW and PNG are always sidecar-based; TIFF and HEIC can use both embedded+sidecar in Sync mode; JPEG uses embedded metadata and also updates sidecar when one exists (or sidecar-only in Non-Embedded mode). Keep sidecars with their images when moving files.

Are the XMP tags written into the image?

Writing XMP metadata into the image is an optional feature and will not conflict with existing IPTC or Exif data.

We recommend: Write tags into images for long-term preservation and as a backup in case your local database becomes corrupted.

Dual Storage: Regardless of whether you enable XMP writing, metadata is also written to a separate local database on your computer in the AppData folder under your User account.

How do I ensure tags are compatible with other applications?

For maximum compatibility:

  1. Enable all three face region formats in Settings > Metadata:
  2. MS XMP face region (MPRI) — for Windows Explorer and Windows ecosystem apps
  3. Metadata Working Group (MWG) — for broad app support (Adobe, Apple, XnViewMP, etc.)

  4. IPTC Extension (ImageRegion) — for newer apps implementing the IPTC standard

  5. Enable "Export Names as Keywords" (Settings):

  6. Required for Adobe Lightroom compatibility
  7. Makes people names visible in most photo applications

  8. Writes names to both IPTC Core Keywords and XMP dc:subject

  9. Use TTP as your primary face tagging tool — avoid using multiple applications to write face regions simultaneously, as this can create conflicts or duplicates

Importing from Other Applications

Can TTP import Picasa tags?

Yes! Picasa can export face tagging metadata in Adobe XMP format, which TTP reads during image scanning.

Steps to Export Picasa Tags:

  1. In Picasa, go to Tools > Experimental > Write faces to XMP
  2. Select "Write Faces" (or "Write All" for entire library)
  3. Wait for Picasa to complete writing face tags (may take a while for large libraries)
  4. Start Tag That Photo
  5. Open Settings (gear icon)
  6. Click "Add Folder" button
  7. Select your Picasa library/folder(s)
  8. TTP begins scanning and importing face tags

For two-way compatibility with Picasa: - Configure TTP to write only MS face tags (disable MWG writing) - Picasa writes MWG tags and reads MS tags - Both programs can read each other's tags

Yes! If you've enabled metadata writing in MS Photo Gallery, TTP will automatically read those face tags during image scanning.

Required MS Photo Gallery Settings: 1. Enable "Store tags in files" 2. Enable "Make tags visible to Windows Explorer"

TTP has full two-way compatibility with MS Photo Gallery.

Can TTP import Fotobounce tags?

Yes! When you select your Fotobounce folder in TTP: 1. TTP exports the Fotobounce library to an intermediate file 2. Metadata is imported into TTP

Note: Only names and face information are imported from Fotobounce.

Can Apple Photos import TTP tags?

Yes! Apple Photos will import tags created by TTP, though with a limitation:

Important: Faces are not imported as "faces" in Apple Photos, but the names of people come in as part of the keywords field.

Required Setting: Enable "Append People Names to Keywords" in TTP Settings.

This option also allows you to share people names with other applications that don't natively support XMP face tags.

Can TTP work with Mylio?

Yes! If you're a Mylio user and want to migrate images to TTP:

From Mylio Documentation: Review how to turn on XMP embedding from your computer (doesn't work from mobile devices). Once XMP embedding is enabled, TTP will read the face tags when scanning images.

Searching and Advanced Features

Can I do complex searches?

Absolutely! Tag That Photo provides both Simple Search and Advanced Search.

Advanced Search Features: - Filter by including AND excluding faces - Include/exclude specific keywords - Date range filtering - Folder-specific searches - "Only" option (photos with ONLY selected people, no others) - Photos with no faces - Photos with untagged faces - Wildcard keyword search (new in 3.4)

Wildcard Search Examples: - family* matches "family picnic", "family vacation", "family reunion" - *2024* matches any keyword containing "2024" - *vacation matches "summer vacation", "beach vacation", etc.

Can I search for people in Windows Explorer?

Yes! You don't need Tag That Photo running to search for people if TTP has written metadata to your images.

Steps: 1. Open Windows File Explorer 2. Navigate to your photos folder 3. In the search box, enable "File Contents" in search options 4. Check "All subfolders" for recursive search 5. Type person's name to find tagged photos

This works because TTP writes people names to keywords that Windows can search.

Database and Storage

How much disk space does TTP require?

Program Files: ~100 MB

Database: ~200 MB per 10,000 images

For RAW/HEIC/PNG images: - XMP sidecars: 20 KB max per image - JPG thumbnails (RAW/HEIC only): 200-300 KB per image

Example: 50,000 image library with 10,000 RAW files: - Database: ~1 GB - Thumbnails: ~2-3 GB - XMP sidecars: ~200 MB - Total: ~3.2-4.2 GB

Can I have multiple separate databases?

Yes! Some users have completely different image sets (family photos vs. work photos, for example).

Method Using Backup/Restore:

  1. Setup First Database:
  2. Add folders for first image set (e.g., personal photos)
  3. Complete tagging

  4. Settings > Backup Database (name it "Personal_Photos_Backup.zip")

  5. Setup Second Database:

  6. Settings > Reset Database
  7. Add folders for second image set (e.g., work photos)
  8. Complete tagging

  9. Settings > Backup Database (name it "Work_Photos_Backup.zip")

  10. Switching Between Databases:

  11. Backup current database
  12. Settings > Restore Database
  13. Select the backup for the set you want to work on

Benefits: - Split images into manageable chunks (25,000-50,000 each) - Faster performance per set - Separate personal and professional photos - Different tagging approaches for different collections

Alternative: Set up different Windows users for completely separate installations.

Pricing and Subscriptions

How much does it cost?

Tag That Photo is subscription-based with multiple tiers:

Free Plan: - Tag up to 10 people - Unlimited faces and photos within that limit - All features included - No expiration date - No credit card required

Personal Lite Plan: - $19 USD per year - Tag up to 100 people - Unlimited faces and photos - All features included

Personal Premium Plan: - $39 USD per year - Unlimited people - Unlimited faces and photos - All features included

Family Plan: - $59 USD per year - Three Premium licenses - Great for collaborative family tagging projects

See more details at www.tagthatphoto.com

What happens if my subscription expires?

The software continues working with these limitations:

What Stops Working: - Cannot scan new images detected in library folders - Cannot generate new suggestions based on new faces or newly named faces

What Continues Working: - All existing metadata tags remain in your images - All existing tags remain in TTP database - Can still view, search, and browse all tagged photos - Photo Viewer still works - Can still add tags manually - All other features remain functional

Can I upgrade my subscription?

Yes! Contact info@tagthatphoto.com to upgrade from Free to Lite or from Lite to Premium.

All existing tagging data remains intact during upgrade - no data is lost.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Installation and Security

Windows security warning during installation

Symptom: "Unknown publisher" or similar warning when installing

Explanation: Tag That Photo is properly signed but may be flagged because it's relatively new software.

Solution: - Safe to proceed with installation - TTP is listed on many free download sites that regularly test for viruses - You can verify safety at VirusTotal.com if concerned

My virus scanner is blocking Tag That Photo

Symptom: Virus scanner blocks installation or background services

Explanation: Virus scanners sometimes don't like background services that access multiple images. TTP uses background programs for face detection, metadata updates, and recognition tasks.

Solution: Whitelist TTP executables in your virus scanner

Files to Whitelist: 1. From C:\Program Files\Tag That Photo\: - Ttp.Windows.Tray.exe (main program) - exiftool.exe (metadata tool) 2. From SDK sub-folder: - Face detection and recognition executables

Applications Where This Commonly Occurs: - Trend Micro - ZoneAlarm - Norton - McAfee

Search for "[your antivirus name] how to whitelist programs" for specific instructions.

Background services won't start

Symptom: Face detection or recognition services fail to start

Solutions:

  1. Firewall Blocking:
  2. Allow Face Detection and Face Recognition programs through Windows Firewall
  3. Check Windows Defender or third-party antivirus settings

  4. These services use TCP/IP for local communication

  5. Port Conflict:

  6. Another application may be using the same TCP/IP ports

  7. Restart computer and try again

  8. Corrupted Installation:

  9. Uninstall TTP completely
  10. Restart computer
  11. Download latest version from website
  12. Reinstall

Face Detection Issues

Faces not detected in my images

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Minimum Face Size Too Large - Symptom: Small faces in group shots or backgrounds missed - Solution: Settings > Lower "Face Detection Minimum Face Width" - Action: After adjusting, right-click folder in Windows Explorer > Force Rescan

2. Poor Image Quality - Symptom: Blurry, low-resolution, or heavily compressed images - Explanation: Detection has limits with poor quality images - Workaround: Photo Viewer > Manually add faces (click blank face thumbnail)

3. Extreme Poses or Angles - Symptom: Profile shots, tilted faces, unusual angles - Explanation: Detection optimized for front/semi-front faces - Workaround: Manually add faces in Photo Viewer

4. Obstructions - Symptom: Sunglasses, hands covering face, hats, masks - Explanation: Algorithm needs clear facial features - Workaround: Manually add faces if desired

5. Lighting Issues - Symptom: Heavily shadowed faces, backlighting, extreme contrast - Explanation: Poor lighting makes facial feature detection difficult - Workaround: Enhance image brightness/contrast in photo editor, then force rescan

6. Image Not Scanned Yet - Symptom: Recently added photos - Solution: Wait for scheduled scan, or manually trigger - Action: Windows Explorer > Right-click folder > TTP > Scan This Folder for Image Changes

Too many false positives (non-faces detected)

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Minimum Face Size Too Small - Symptom: Objects resembling faces being detected - Solution: Settings > Increase "Face Detection Minimum Face Width" - Action: Force rescan after adjusting

2. Complex Backgrounds - Symptom: Patterns, reflections, artwork detected as faces - Solution: Delete false positives individually - Benefit: Deleted faces won't return on subsequent rescans

3. Low Quality Images - Symptom: Compression artifacts creating false patterns - Solution: Adjust minimum face size or accept manual cleanup - Workaround: Delete unwanted detections

Suggestion Quality Issues

No suggestions appearing

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Need More Training Data - Symptom: Person has fewer than 3-5 tagged faces - Solution: Tag more unknown faces for this person - Minimum: Need at least 3-5 high-quality face examples for suggestions

2. Suggestion Accuracy Set Too High - Symptom: Threshold too strict, missing valid matches - Solution: Settings > Move "Face Recognition Suggestion Accuracy" slider slightly left - Note: Must tag at least one more face before new suggestions appear

3. Poor Quality Favorite Faces - Symptom: Favorites are blurry, profile, or low quality - Solution: Review and update favorite faces - Action: 1. View person's faces 2. Sort by Favorites 3. Toggle off poor quality favorites (click star icon) 4. Toggle on better quality alternatives

4. Database Needs Update - Symptom: After version upgrade, red message on Settings screen - Solution: Follow prompts to update recognition database - Note: May require complete rescan (can take time for large libraries)

5. Person Added Recently - Symptom: Just started tagging this person - Explanation: System needs time to process face templates - Solution: Continue tagging; suggestions improve with each confirmed face

Too many incorrect suggestions

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Suggestion Accuracy Set Too Low - Symptom: Many false positive suggestions - Solution: Settings > Move "Face Recognition Suggestion Accuracy" slider right - Note: Trade-off between quantity and quality of suggestions

2. Poor Quality Favorite Faces - Symptom: Blurry or profile favorites causing bad matches - Solution: Review and improve favorite faces for this person - Action: 1. View person's faces 2. Sort by Favorites 3. Review each favorite for quality 4. Replace poor faces with better alternatives

3. Similar-Looking People - Symptom: Siblings, relatives, or look-alikes frequently confused - Solution: Reject incorrect suggestions to train system - Action: Use CTRL-X to reject; TTP learns not to suggest that face for this person again - Improvement: Over time, system learns differences

4. Mixed Image Quality in Library - Symptom: Old scans mixed with high-res photos causing inconsistent suggestions - Solution: Focus favorites on similar quality images - Best Practice: Include variety of lighting and angles, but consistent quality

Performance Issues

Slow scanning speed

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. CPU Usage Set Too Low - Symptom: Scanning taking very long time - Solution: Settings > Move "Background Task CPU Usage" slider right - Best Time: Run overnight or when computer not in active use - Impact: Higher setting = faster scanning but less computer responsiveness

2. Minimum Face Size Too Small - Symptom: Each image taking long time to process - Explanation: Smaller minimum = more potential faces to check - Solution: Increase minimum face size if appropriate for your library - Typical Performance: - 120 pixels (default): 2,500-3,500 images/hour - 30 pixels: Significantly slower - 200 pixels: Significantly faster

3. Storage Speed Bottleneck - Symptom: Scanning slow despite good CPU - Explanation: Storage type significantly affects speed - Performance Ranking: Local SSD (fastest) > Local HDD > Network Drive > WiFi NAS (slowest) - Solution: Consider temporarily moving photos to faster storage for initial scan - Long-term: Recommend SSD for primary photo storage

4. Large Image Files - Symptom: High-resolution images (40+ megapixels) - Explanation: Larger images require more processing time - Solution: Normal behavior; adjust CPU usage if needed - Alternative: Reduce image resolution before scanning if archival quality not needed

5. Computer Resources - Symptom: Overall system slowness during scanning - Potential Issues: - Insufficient RAM (minimum 8 GB, recommend 16 GB for large libraries) - Other applications consuming resources - Disk drive near full capacity - Solution: Close unnecessary applications; free disk space

Application slow or unresponsive

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Large Database - Symptom: 100,000+ images, slow loading - Solution: Update to latest version (significant improvements made) - Action: Help > Check for Updates - Alternative: Consider splitting into multiple databases (see FAQ above)

2. Background Tasks Running - Symptom: UI sluggish during scanning or metadata writing - Solution: Wait for tasks to complete, or reduce CPU usage - Monitor: Check progress indicator at bottom right of window - Adjust: Settings > Reduce "Background Task CPU Usage"

3. Insufficient RAM - Symptom: System struggles, frequent disk access - Requirements: - Minimum: 8 GB RAM - Recommended: 16 GB RAM for libraries over 50,000 images - Solution: Close other applications; consider RAM upgrade

4. Database Issues - Symptom: Random slowdowns, errors - Solution: Close and restart TTP; may resolve temporary issues - If persists: Settings > Regenerate Thumbnails and Reconcile Faces (consult Support first)

Metadata and Compatibility Issues

Tags not appearing in other applications

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Metadata Writing Disabled - Symptom: Other apps don't see TTP tags - Solution: Settings > Enable "Write Tag That Photo faces & tags" - Verification: After enabling, allow time for background writing

2. Metadata Not Written Yet - Symptom: Recently tagged faces not visible elsewhere - Explanation: Metadata writes as background process - Solution: Wait for automatic writing, or force immediate write - Action: Windows Explorer > Right-click folder > TTP > Force Write Metadata

3. Application Doesn't Support Face Regions - Symptom: Specific application doesn't show face tags - Check: Review compatibility chart (Part 5 of User Guide) - Workaround: Enable "Append People Names to Keywords" for broader compatibility - Result: Names visible as keywords in most applications

4. XMP Sidecar Not Moved - Symptom: RAW/HEIC/PNG/TIFF images show no tags after moving, or JPEG images show no tags after moving (Non-Embedded mode) - Explanation: Tags are stored in a separate .xmp sidecar file for RAW, HEIC, PNG, and TIFF. JPEG images also use a sidecar when Non-Embedded mode is enabled or was previously enabled. - Solution: Always move the .xmp file along with the image file - Prevention: When moving files, show hidden files in Windows Explorer and look for matching .xmp files alongside your images

5. Wrong Metadata Standard - Symptom: Application reads a different face region standard than what TTP has written - Solution: Enable all three face region formats in Settings > Metadata: MS (MPRI), MWG, and IPTC Extension - Result: Maximum compatibility — at least one format will be recognized by virtually any photo application

Duplicate keywords appearing

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. Multiple Applications Writing Keywords - Symptom: Person's name appears twice in keyword list - Explanation: TTP and another application both adding name as keyword - Solution: Choose TTP as primary face tagging tool - Action: Disable keyword writing in other applications for people names

2. Manual Keyword Addition - Symptom: Added name as keyword manually, TTP also added it - Solution: Let TTP manage people names via face tagging - Best Practice: Use keywords for categories, events, locations - not people names - Action: Review and consolidate duplicate keywords

3. Inconsistent Name Formatting - Symptom: "John Smith" and "Smith, John" both appear - Solution: Standardize on one format - Action: Merge duplicate people in TTP, clean up keywords manually

4. Previous Application Tags - Symptom: Old keywords from Picasa, Photo Gallery, etc. remain - Explanation: TTP doesn't delete non-matching keywords when importing - Solution: Manual cleanup if desired - Alternative: Leave as-is if not causing problems

Windows Explorer not showing face tags

Symptom: Face regions visible in TTP but not in Explorer properties

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. MS Face Region Format Not Enabled - Explanation: Windows Explorer specifically reads MS Photo Region Info format - Solution: Settings > Enable "MS XMP face region" under Face Region settings - Action: Force write metadata after enabling

2. Metadata Not Written Yet - Solution: Wait for background writing or force write - Action: Right-click folder > TTP > Force Write Metadata

3. File Format Doesn't Support Embedded Metadata - Symptom: PNG, RAW, or HEIC images - Explanation: These use XMP sidecars; Explorer may not read sidecars - Solution: Expected behavior; use Photo Viewer or other XMP-aware applications

Database and Data Issues

Statistics show incorrect counts

Symptom: Numbers in Statistics Dashboard don't match expectations

Solutions:

1. Wait for Background Processing - Explanation: Statistics update periodically, not real-time - Solution: Wait 10-15 minutes after major changes - Refresh: Close and reopen Statistics tab

Tip: Check Data Quality — The Stats tab includes a Data Quality section that reports 7 specific data integrity checks (orphaned faces, missing thumbnails, overlapping face regions, duplicate people, date discrepancies, pending processing, and zero-face people). Each issue includes an action button (Delete, Fix, or Review) to resolve it directly from the Stats page.

2. Database Recalculation Needed - Symptom: Persistent discrepancies - Solution: Close and restart TTP completely - Note: Future updates will improve count accuracy

3. Recent Changes Not Reflected - Explanation: Large batch operations may take time to process - Solution: Allow more time; check again later

Lost tags after editing images in another program

Symptom: Tags disappear after editing images in Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.

Possible Causes and Solutions:

1. "Save As" Creates New File - Explanation: New file has different ID; TTP sees it as new image - Solution: If metadata writing enabled, TTP will read tags from metadata - Prevention: Use "Save" not "Save As" when possible

2. Pixel Data Changed - Explanation: Cropping, resizing changes image content - Result: TTP rescans image; face regions may not align with new dimensions - Solution: Expected behavior; retag faces if needed - Prevention: Do all editing before tagging, or re-tag after editing

3. Editor Stripped Metadata - Symptom: All metadata gone after editing - Explanation: Some editors optionally remove metadata - Solution: Configure editor to preserve metadata - Recovery: Restore from TTP database backup if metadata writing wasn't enabled

4. XMP Sidecar Not Updated - Symptom: RAW/HEIC images lose tags after editing - Explanation: Editor may have overwritten or ignored .xmp file - Solution: Use editors that respect XMP sidecars - Compatible Editors: Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Bridge, XnViewMP

Database corruption errors

Symptom: Application crashes, errors loading database

Solutions:

1. Restore from Backup - Action: Settings > Restore Database - Select: Most recent backup file - Prevention: Take regular backups (before and after major tagging sessions)

2. Reset and Rebuild (if metadata writing enabled) - Important: Only works if you've been writing metadata to images - Steps: 1. Settings > Reset Database 2. Re-add image folders 3. TTP reads metadata from images and rebuilds database ctober 2025
Corresponds to: Tag That Photo Version 3.4.x

Prepared by: Tag That Photo Support Team
Contact: info@tagthatphoto.com

For the latest version of this guide and additional resources, visit: - Website: www.tagthatphoto.com - FAQs: tagthatphoto.com/faqs - Tips: tagthatphoto.com/tips - YouTube: Tag That Photo Channel

Thank you for using Tag That Photo!

We appreciate your choice to use TTP for organizing your photo memories. Your feedback helps us improve - please don't hesitate to share suggestions, report issues, or ask questions.

Customer commitment: "I am always impressed by how fast you respond to client support issues. Your answers are always easy to understand. Love your product – I've become the family archivist with thousands of photos. The ability to easily tag photos has been so helpful to my extended family as they search the photos." - TTP User Testimonial

Happy tagging! 📸

End of Tag That Photo User Guide - Part 6 - 1 copy offsite (cloud storage)

Optimizing TTP Performance

For Large Libraries (50,000+ images)

1. Split Into Multiple Databases - Keep each database under 50,000 images - Use backup/restore to switch between sets - Faster performance per database

2. Selective Monitoring - Disable live monitoring for folders you edit externally - Enable only for actively managed folders - Manual scan when needed

3. Scheduled Scanning - Exclude rarely-changed folders from automatic scans - Manually trigger scans after adding new photos

4. Hardware Upgrades - Upgrade to SSD for photo storage - Increase RAM to 16GB minimum - Consider CPU upgrade for older systems

For Initial Large Imports

1. Optimize Settings - Set CPU usage slider to maximum - Run overnight or during downtime - Consider temporarily increasing minimum face size

2. Batch Processing - Import in chunks (10,000 images at a time) - Complete tagging before next import - Reduces system load

3. System Preparation - Close all unnecessary applications - Disable other scheduled tasks - Ensure adequate free disk space (20%+ free)

Glossary of Terms

Cluster: Group of similar-looking unknown faces displayed together for efficient tagging.

EXIF: Exchangeable Image File Format — a standard for storing camera and technical data (shutter speed, aperture, GPS, orientation, etc.) within image files.

ExifTool: Free, open-source metadata utility by Phil Harvey. The industry standard for reading and writing image metadata. Used internally by TTP as its metadata engine. Download: https://exiftool.org/

Face Detection: Automated process of finding face regions in images using algorithms.

Face Recognition: Process of matching detected faces to known individuals based on facial features.

Face Region: Rectangular area in image metadata defining face location and size.

Face Template: Digital signature created from a face image for recognition matching and comparison.

False Negative: Face that exists in image but wasn't detected by face detection algorithm.

False Positive: Non-face object incorrectly identified as a face by detection algorithm.

Favorite Face: High-quality face image selected for generating suggestions; starred faces used for recognition.

FHMWG: Family History Metadata Working Group — a collaborative organization focused on standardizing metadata fields important to family historians (names, dates, locations, captions). TTP supports FHMWG recommendations. See https://savemetadata.org/

Force Rescan: Manual operation to re-detect faces in images, treating them as if scanning for first time.

Fuzzy Name Matching: A technique that matches person names from image metadata to existing people in the TTP database even when names are not identical (e.g., minor spelling variations). TTP uses a 90% similarity threshold. Generational suffixes (Sr, Jr, I, II, III, etc.) are treated as identity-critical — 'Bill Thompson Sr' and 'Bill Thompson Jr' will never be merged even though their names are nearly identical. Generational suffixes (Sr, Jr, I, II, III, etc.) are treated as identity-critical — 'Bill Thompson Sr' and 'Bill Thompson Jr' will never be merged even though their names are nearly identical.

HEIC/HEIF: High Efficiency Image Format — Apple's compressed image format. In Sync mode, TTP writes metadata to both embedded XMP inside the .heic file and an XMP sidecar, keeping both in sync. In Non-Embedded mode, TTP writes to the sidecar only. TTP can also read embedded XMP written by other apps (e.g., Apple Photos or the iOS camera). (Embedded HEIC write is newly added and requires testing.)

IPTC: International Press Telecommunications Council — organization that defines standards for descriptive image metadata such as keywords, captions, and location. TTP reads and writes IPTC fields.

IPTC Extension (ImageRegion): An IPTC Photo Metadata standard for storing face region coordinates and a PersonInImage list of names. One of the three face region standards supported by TTP.

LocationShown: A structured IPTC Extension metadata object used by TTP to store location information (City, State, Country, Sublocation, and LocationName) in a single, standards-compliant block within the image.

Metadata: Information about an image stored within or alongside the file (tags, dates, GPS, face regions, etc.).

MPRI (Microsoft Photo Region Info): Microsoft's face region metadata standard, used by Windows Explorer and Microsoft Photo Gallery. One of the three face region standards supported by TTP.

MWG: Metadata Working Group — industry consortium (including Adobe and Apple) that created standards for image metadata, including face region formats. One of the three face region standards supported by TTP.

PersonInImage: An IPTC Extension tag that stores a simple, flat list of person names present in an image. Written by TTP alongside full face region coordinate data, providing a fallback for applications that don't support regional face tags.

RAW: Native unprocessed image format from digital cameras (NEF, CR2, ARW, etc.). Metadata stored in XMP sidecar file.

Non-Embedded Metadata Mode: A TTP write mode (Settings > Metadata) in which TTP writes all metadata to XMP sidecar files only, and never modifies the original image file. EXIF and embedded XMP writes are entirely skipped. This applies to JPEG, TIFF, and HEIC — PNG and RAW always use sidecars regardless of this setting. Trade-off: GPS coordinates and date-taken will only be in the sidecar; applications that read only EXIF will not see them. Contrast with Sync mode (the default).

Sidecar File: Separate XMP file containing metadata for RAW, HEIC, PNG, and TIFF images — and for JPEG when Non-Embedded mode is or was enabled. Must always be kept alongside the source image file when moving images.

Suggestion: Unknown face that TTP thinks matches a known person based on facial similarity.

XMP: Extensible Metadata Platform — Adobe's standard for storing rich metadata (including face regions, keywords, and descriptions) within image files or sidecar files.

XMP Sidecar: .xmp file with the same name as the image, containing metadata for formats that require or also support a sidecar (PNG, HEIC, RAW, and TIFF). For TIFF and HEIC in Sync mode, TTP writes both embedded XMP and a sidecar simultaneously, keeping both in sync. JPEG in Sync mode uses embedded XMP only, unless a sidecar already exists (in which case it is also updated). JPEG in Non-Embedded mode always writes a sidecar.

About This Guide

Document Version: 3.4.25273.0
Last Updated: March 2026