Change cover not working

[TikaMajere]

I have just discovered Calibre and I have a feeling that this is the answer to my problems with the ability to change metadata for .LIT files so that they sort properly on Microsoft Reader on my PDA. However, I have tried changing the covers for some of these files (.LIT files created using Microsoft Word have the Microsoft Title page, which I replace with an actual book cover picture). The new picture will show in the Calibre "summary" when adding books, but after transfering the files to my PDA, the same ugly "cover" appears.

Would someone please tell me what it is that I'm doing wrong, or is this simply not a function of the program? (Have read thr FAQs both on Calibre site and on this forum)

Thank you!

[adolson]

I am still really new to this, but I am guessing you have to convert the book from LIT to LIT, and check off the appropriate option to remove the old cover.

[itimpi]

Yes - you have to run a conversion to get the LIT file updated. Simply updating the metadata in calibre is not sufficient as that only gets it into Calibre and not into the actual eBook files.

As was mentioned doing a LIT to LIT conversion should do the job (although I would make sure I had a backup copy of the LIT before I ran this just as a precaution against formatting getting messaed up in the conversion).

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by TikaMajere

The new picture will show in the Calibre "summary" when adding books, but after transfering the files to my PDA, the same ugly "cover" appears.

The cover gets added to the file upon conversion. Until it is converted it is just in the local Calibre db and look pretty in the summary view.

[TikaMajere]

Thank you! After running the conversion as instructed, the new cover stays. I appreciate the help.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by itimpi

As was mentioned doing a LIT to LIT conversion should do the job (although I would make sure I had a backup copy of the LIT before I ran this just as a precaution against formatting getting messaed up in the conversion).

This was one of the happy unintended uses I found for the safe Merge function (Merge and keep others). Use the Add book button to add an empty book, select that empty book first, then safe merge the one with your LIT into the empty. Voila, you have two identical sets of the same book and you can do your LIT to LIT conversion without risk. If you like the result, delete the other record.