I use IMatch to organize my data and have found that exiftool cant read the xmp sidecar files after IMatch has updated them. This is because the exiftool generated file starts with an xpacket processing instruction while the IMatch updated file starts with a standard BOM and the xml declaration. Trying to read the updated file results in Error: Image format error. After removing the BOM and the xml declaration, exiftool reads the file correctly.

The IMatch updated file validates as XML and is readable with other XML tolls, even perl based.

Is there any way to force exiftool to read the file as XML?

/glz