Add new format in Edit Meta deletes file contents in Calibre

tpkacer · 11-17-2010, 07:08 AM

The title pretty much says it all - when I try to add a new format in Edit meta information in Calibre, the new format file loses all its contents.

Typically, I have a .doc file as an e-book in the Calibre library. As I own a Sony PRS-300 reader, I need to convert these .doc files (which I do in OpenOffice as Calibre won't convert .doc files). I save these as .txt or .rtf. Then I go to "Edit meta information" of the e-book and when I add a new format (.txt or .rtf) via clicking the appropriate icon - a reddish book-cover with a plus sign, and the newly added file loses all content and has 0 bytes.
Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks!

I use Calibre 0.7.28 running on Ubuntu 10.04.

rathbone · 11-17-2010, 06:53 PM

I am trying to do something similar, although I, too, am having problems with the conversion directions. I do remember, however, that the help page for calibre says that one should convert doc files to html files within Microsoft Word, and then convert the html file to a ePub or a MOBI.

I hope you keep posting so I can follow you as I try to do much what you're trying to do.

MickeyC · 11-17-2010, 07:54 PM

Hi tpkacer and welcome to MobileRead

ImogenRose · 11-18-2010, 12:03 AM

Hi and welcome to MR!

Imogen

tpkacer · 11-20-2010, 10:23 AM

Hi again and thank you for your words of welcome!

I tried to convert and add formats in various possible ways and found out that:
You should NOT save the new format in the Calibre-managed library forlder.

This may seem an obvious thing, but the problem was caused like this: I filtered for the .doc format in Calibre, clicked "Path - click to open" (a Nautilus [explorer program] pops up), then I opened the file in OpenOffice and Saved As... - which meant that the new format was saved into the same folder. Then, for some reason, when Calibre copied the file over itself, it deleted all its content and left it with 0kB.

Adding new formats from files in other locations than within the Calibre library solved the issue.

happy_terd · 11-20-2010, 12:25 PM

Hello and welcome to MR!!!

kcmay · 11-20-2010, 04:59 PM

Welcome to MR! I don't know enough to help with the Calibre problem, but I've been using Mobipocket Creator to make PRC files, then uploading those into Calibre. Mobipocket accepts my .doc files without a problem. (I use MS Word 2003.)

GeoffC · 11-22-2010, 12:43 PM

Welcome to mobileread ...

To both of you .... You may be better off discussing this in the Calibre Forum....

11-17-2010, 07:08 AM	#1
tpkacer Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-300	Add new format in Edit Meta deletes file contents in Calibre The title pretty much says it all - when I try to add a new format in Edit meta information in Calibre, the new format file loses all its contents. Typically, I have a .doc file as an e-book in the Calibre library. As I own a Sony PRS-300 reader, I need to convert these .doc files (which I do in OpenOffice as Calibre won't convert .doc files). I save these as .txt or .rtf. Then I go to "Edit meta information" of the e-book and when I add a new format (.txt or .rtf) via clicking the appropriate icon - a reddish book-cover with a plus sign, and the newly added file loses all content and has 0 bytes. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks! I use Calibre 0.7.28 running on Ubuntu 10.04.

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11-17-2010, 06:53 PM	#2
rathbone Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle, Augen	I am trying to do something similar, although I, too, am having problems with the conversion directions. I do remember, however, that the help page for calibre says that one should convert doc files to html files within Microsoft Word, and then convert the html file to a ePub or a MOBI. I hope you keep posting so I can follow you as I try to do much what you're trying to do.

11-17-2010, 07:54 PM	#3
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi tpkacer and welcome to MobileRead

11-18-2010, 12:03 AM	#4
ImogenRose PORTAL Posts: 7,204 Karma: 2884640 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (3G), iPhone	Hi and welcome to MR! Imogen

11-20-2010, 10:23 AM	#5
tpkacer Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Sony PRS-300	Hi again and thank you for your words of welcome! I tried to convert and add formats in various possible ways and found out that: You should NOT save the new format in the Calibre-managed library forlder. This may seem an obvious thing, but the problem was caused like this: I filtered for the .doc format in Calibre, clicked "Path - click to open" (a Nautilus [explorer program] pops up), then I opened the file in OpenOffice and Saved As... - which meant that the new format was saved into the same folder. Then, for some reason, when Calibre copied the file over itself, it deleted all its content and left it with 0kB. Adding new formats from files in other locations than within the Calibre library solved the issue.

11-20-2010, 12:25 PM	#6
happy_terd Banned Posts: 13,045 Karma: 10105011 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Finally made it to Walmart. Device: PRS 420	Hello and welcome to MR!!!

11-20-2010, 04:59 PM	#7
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	Welcome to MR! I don't know enough to help with the Calibre problem, but I've been using Mobipocket Creator to make PRC files, then uploading those into Calibre. Mobipocket accepts my .doc files without a problem. (I use MS Word 2003.)

11-22-2010, 12:43 PM	#8
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Welcome to mobileread ... To both of you .... You may be better off discussing this in the Calibre Forum....

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