Strange issue - deleted books

[paulfiera]

I make daily backups of my 3 calibre libraries to my homeserver. I do this with Total Commander's synchronize dirs tool.

Several times, I've found that books that exist in the backup dir no longer exist in the calibre libraries and it is always the same 2 books -sometimes also a third. They just dissapear from the calibre library. Not only the books, but the directory of the books, cover.jpg, metadata.opf and the epub.

What could be the reason for this?

Many thanks

[ldolse]

If the whole directory disappeared it's probably because something changed with the title or author which put the book in a new/different directory. Did you try searching the database for the book to see if it was still there? If it is you can right-click it and select 'open containing folder' to see what changed.

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by ldolse

If the whole directory disappeared it's probably because something changed with the title or author which put the book in a new/different directory. Did you try searching the database for the book to see if it was still there? If it is you can right-click it and select 'open containing folder' to see what changed.

Many thanks, Idolse.

I've checked the database and the file system everytime this happens and the two books - actually, the two directories - are nowhere to be found. Besides, I haven't touched these books since I converted them to ePub a couple of months ago.

[chaley]

Does calibre think they are gone? If you go to the books in calibre's library, are the covers and formats missing?

Any chance that one system is case sensitive and the other is not?

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by chaley

Does calibre think they are gone? If you go to the books in calibre's library, are the covers and formats missing?

Any chance that one system is case sensitive and the other is not?

Thanks, chaley.

The books are missing from the calibre db and their directories are mssing from the file system. No difference in case. The box with calibre is XP, the backup is WHS.

The real strange thing is that, when it happens, it's always the same two books. Sometimes, also a third - always the same too.

Next time it happens, I'll try to trace back my steps. Very strange issue.

[GRiker]

@paulfiera:

• Are you using 'Connect to iTunes' or directly connecting to the iDevice?
• Are you using multiple libraries?
• Are the affected books in more than one library?

G

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by GRiker

@paulfiera:

• Are you using 'Connect to iTunes' or directly connecting to the iDevice?
• Are you using multiple libraries?
• Are the affected books in more than one library?

G

Thanks, GRiker

• I haven't synchronized with iTunes in a long time. Last time I did it - right after you implemented the series_index in the iTunes track number -, I updated all the books I needed on the iPad.
• Yes. 3 libraries
• The two that always show this behavior are in library B. The third one that sometimes also dissapears, although less frequently, is in library A

As a side note. I run frequently Library Maintenance: both Check Library and Check database integrity. Don't know if this could be the cause of the issue.

[GRiker]

• Do you typically have an iDevice connected when running calibre?
• Is the Apple device interface enabled or disabled in Preferences|Plugins?

G

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by GRiker

• Do you typically have an iDevice connected when running calibre?
• Is the Apple device interface enabled or disabled in Preferences|Plugins?

G

No. No device connected.
The Apple device interface plugin is enabled.

[GRiker]

Disable the Apple device interface plugin, and follow the 'Getting started' directions in the first post of 'Calibre + iPad: Start here'.

As described in that post, use the 'Connect to iTunes' method of sending books to your iDevices in the future.

See if that helps.

G

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by GRiker

Disable the Apple device interface plugin, and follow the 'Getting started' directions in the first post of 'Calibre + iPad: Start here'.

As described in that post, use the 'Connect to iTunes' method of sending books to your iDevices in the future.

See if that helps.

G

Many thanks, GRiker.

I've disabled the plugin and will do as you suggest when I need to send books to the iPad.

I'll post back if those deletions happen again.

[paulfiera]

Just happened again.

The only thing I did was start calibre. Looked at the Recycle Bin, and there are the 2 books that calibre does not like. Always the same 2 books from library A.

The thing is that, it does not happen every time I start calibre, but when it happens, it's always these 2 books from library A.

I'm really puzzled. Can it have something to do with the books per se?

Edit: What happens when you start calibre? Is there some sanitizing of the db? Because the books not only are not in the db any more. The 2 directories are actually moved to the Recycle Bin. And apparently, it happens fast. Before I could do anything with calibre.

Many thanks.

[kovidgoyal]

Are these books tagged with the Tag News? calibre auto deletes news downloads that are older than 60 days.

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Are these books tagged with the Tag News? calibre auto deletes news downloads that are older than 60 days.

Thanks, Kovid

I'll put the books back in the library and check out the tags.

[paulfiera]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Are these books tagged with the Tag News? calibre auto deletes news downloads that are older than 60 days.

Applied tags - amongst others:

• James Lee Burke's "Sunset Limited" has "News photographers"
  
• John Grisham's "The Last Juror" has "Newspaper publishing"

But no plain "News" tag.

Could this be it?

The other two books from library B that also dissapear have tags like:
"Tabloid newspapers" and "Newspaper editors"

But they are not News, they are books