Exported SRT caption file modified/damaged?

Question

Level 1

64 points

Exported SRT caption file modified/damaged?

Create a dummy project. Import some clip. Make it few 4 seconds long. Create SRT English captions. 2 in my case. Export caption... or Export File (default) with captions selected.

The operation seems to succeed but the SRT text file is "damaged" according to the OS. It cannot be open. In my case VLC and IINA only could open it and it seemed ok. TextEdit couldn't.

The problem is the same no matter the project...

The question mark in the corner of the screen shot bitmap below suggests that some application modified it. But when and what application? I tried to follow the question mark / help page, but what it says does not make sense in Sequoia 15.5.

Any idea?

Mac mini, macOS 15.5

Posted on May 30, 2025 5:45 AM

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Answer 1

May 30, 2025 7:18 AM in response to claude_210

Sequoia 15.4.1-15.5 is overprotective for pure data files such as .xmp, .webp, .mod, .dat, .csv etc if they happen to contain com.apple.quarantine flag, and it seems to affect also .srt.

A workaround is to open such files via the app > File > Open instead from the Finder. Or change the suffix to .txt, for example. Or for example remove the quarantine flag from all .xmp files in that folder with 'xattr -d com.apple.quarantine *.xmp', or via the Privacy & Security but then it works for that file only.

How to permanently allow opening .webp fi… - Apple Community

Harmless downloaded files can't be opened - Apple Community

p.s. You can generate such new .xmp with the com.apple.quarantine flag in Sequoia (15.5) Photos.app > select image > File > Export > Export Unmodified Original > Export IPTC as XMP.

Then try to open the exported .xmp with BBEdit or TextEdit and you are greeted with an alert: "image.xmp Not Opened. Apple could not verify image.xmp is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy". This did not happen in previous macOS versions. It does not help if you set BBEdit to open all .xmp by default. You can open that .xmp file via Privacy & Security but that does not fix it for other .xmp files.

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Answer 2

May 30, 2025 6:58 AM in response to claude_210

I tried to reproduce this.

I made a 4 second project with one clip, and two captions. The exported srt file was perfect.

How are you trying to open the file? By double-clicking? Or control-clicking, Open with?

Try opening from within an application, using File->Open. Does it behave the same way?

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Answer 3

claude_210 Author

Level 1

64 points

May 30, 2025 8:33 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks for your swift answer, Matti, that did the job. Your application is great.

Just adding my two cents. As an FCP every day user, I hate to see that the OS treats mp4 files differently from srt files. In my mind, these are closely coupled. In the former case, a double click opens a viewer like it should but in the latter, it does not, it leaves me on the lurch and *I* have to find a workaround to go on working. That's ridiculous...

I just wrote an FCP feedback form.

Br

--

Claude

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Answer 4

May 30, 2025 7:00 AM in response to claude_210

Regarding the question mark and what it may say: these are probably generic suggestions, and may indeed not be applicable in the present case.

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