Short on some expert help, I've tried a few things with very strange results.
First, I deleted, using a sort and delete within Calibre, all titles with no formats (or size). Next, I created a new directory on the same external drive ("books working directory") and copied the contents of the Calibre Library to the new directory.
Here is where I'm real confused. The new directory as you expect seems to match the original, but (and I wish I wrote down of of the original examples), I can find no title directory without a ebook (epub or mobi), but I have loads and loads of duplicate title directories with loads and loads of duplicate files. It looks as if somehow the ebook files were added to every directory for the title, but I realize that's crazy talk! One thing for certain, I am in duplicate hell
My next step was to rename the Calibre Library directory, and "add" all the books from the working directory, hopefully being careful to make sure I have the appropriate duplicate controls turned on in Calibre. What I hope happens is Calibre will create one, and only one title directory for each book, and add both formats to it, leaving behind the duplicate disaster I've created in the older folders.
Any thoughts on the soundness of this plan? Another question, I was using almost exclusively the dup plug in for Calibre. If you delete within Calibre using this, will the duplicates in fact be deleted from the hard drive? If not, seems I will have an ever growing drive that cannot be maintained.
Help most appreciated.
Regards,
Pooty