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robertn51 · 10-30-2023, 08:47 PM

Hi all. Long time Calibre user. Like 3,000+ e-books long.

This is a Windows 10 situation. Just started today (2023-10-30). And seems "permanent."

Calibre was updated from file calibre-64bit-6.29.0.msi on 2023-10-23

Windows is
Edition: Windows 10 Pro
Version: 22H2
Installed on: ‎19-‎Jun-‎20
OS build: 19045.3570

I do not allow Windows to update without me so this wasn't some backdoor sneak from MS.

I was working in other unrelated programs when Calibre "winked out".

The specific action was dragging an ODT file (Libre Office Text) onto Calibre for an EPUB conversion. Usual, yada, yada. Did it earlier today, last night, weeks, without a hitch.

But this time Calibre said "Bye Felicia" and hasn't spoken since.

Hmmm. Just went and looked. The metadata for ODT file I dropped did not make it into the Library DB. Today's earlier one is there, but the later one isn't. Crashed before update?

I can see Calibre "running" in the Task Manager Apps pane, but there is no window on screen.

Oh. And looking at the details under the "The main calibre program (3)" in Task Manager there is a "Console Windows Host" task running under Calibre. Along with the usual "calibre worker process" and the "The main calibre program". I don't recall seeing that Console Windows Host" in there before. Hmmm.... again... an application window initialization hang?

All these symptoms appeared when I restarted Calibre after that "wink-out."

But.... could there have been something in that ODT file that hosed something in the non-volatile data somewhere? It was merely edits to the earlier version. Edits and a name-timestamp-change for version fork.

Please. It is not running "off-screen" -- there is no window frame showing when I Alt-Tab into it. The usual MOVE, etc., fix for "off-screen" situations, do not bring a window into view. (The Move starts at 0,0 which could be a clue that Windows has not yet initialized a Window for the task? Unless maybe there's a 0x0 window at screen 0,0?)

A white box without a frame is not yet a window. Not that I have a white window on-screen. There is nothing on-screen. The "white box" is what shows in the Alt-Tab response. A white box with a size bigger than normal. Like maybe default fullscreen.

Calibre seems to be running without a UI.

I can see that Calibre runs because the "metadata_db_prefs_backup.json" and "metadata.db" files timetags in the Calibre Library are updated when I start it.

The Library is out on a NAS so there's that wrinkle. But when I rename the NAS to confuse Calibre, I can see Calibre do the reasonable thing and fallback to update the meta data files on the default Local Drive. The old John Schember "Quick Start" default in User.

So. It runs. But the IU is not initializing? For some cosmic-ray reason? Halloween?

I windows-uninstalled Calibre 29.0 and installed Calibre 28.1 from its msi. Same symptoms. I don't know if Windows-Uninstall clears Registry, so there's a possibility for a corrupted something-or-other down in there?

No other Off-Store app on the system is exhibiting difficulties. (sometimes there's a problem with the developer's choice of Windows library. WMF or whatever, etc.)

If some component of Windows has corrupted it appears to be something only Calibre uses? And maybe only for its UI?

Maybe I poisoned something with that last ODT drop? Maybe Calibre doesn't like my 3,000 ebooks. Maybe it's time I threw some money? (Seriously that is in the end of year budget changes, promise.)

Any similar problem with you all? Any ideas?

10-30-2023, 08:47 PM	#1
robertn51 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2023 Device: none	Calibre UI Missing? Hi all. Long time Calibre user. Like 3,000+ e-books long. This is a Windows 10 situation. Just started today (2023-10-30). And seems "permanent." Calibre was updated from file calibre-64bit-6.29.0.msi on 2023-10-23 Windows is Edition: Windows 10 Pro Version: 22H2 Installed on: ‎19-‎Jun-‎20 OS build: 19045.3570 I do not allow Windows to update without me so this wasn't some backdoor sneak from MS. I was working in other unrelated programs when Calibre "winked out". The specific action was dragging an ODT file (Libre Office Text) onto Calibre for an EPUB conversion. Usual, yada, yada. Did it earlier today, last night, weeks, without a hitch. But this time Calibre said "Bye Felicia" and hasn't spoken since. Hmmm. Just went and looked. The metadata for ODT file I dropped did not make it into the Library DB. Today's earlier one is there, but the later one isn't. Crashed before update? I can see Calibre "running" in the Task Manager Apps pane, but there is no window on screen. Oh. And looking at the details under the "The main calibre program (3)" in Task Manager there is a "Console Windows Host" task running under Calibre. Along with the usual "calibre worker process" and the "The main calibre program". I don't recall seeing that Console Windows Host" in there before. Hmmm.... again... an application window initialization hang? All these symptoms appeared when I restarted Calibre after that "wink-out." But.... could there have been something in that ODT file that hosed something in the non-volatile data somewhere? It was merely edits to the earlier version. Edits and a name-timestamp-change for version fork. Please. It is not running "off-screen" -- there is no window frame showing when I Alt-Tab into it. The usual MOVE, etc., fix for "off-screen" situations, do not bring a window into view. (The Move starts at 0,0 which could be a clue that Windows has not yet initialized a Window for the task? Unless maybe there's a 0x0 window at screen 0,0?) A white box without a frame is not yet a window. Not that I have a white window on-screen. There is nothing on-screen. The "white box" is what shows in the Alt-Tab response. A white box with a size bigger than normal. Like maybe default fullscreen. Calibre seems to be running without a UI. I can see that Calibre runs because the "metadata_db_prefs_backup.json" and "metadata.db" files timetags in the Calibre Library are updated when I start it. The Library is out on a NAS so there's that wrinkle. But when I rename the NAS to confuse Calibre, I can see Calibre do the reasonable thing and fallback to update the meta data files on the default Local Drive. The old John Schember "Quick Start" default in User. So. It runs. But the IU is not initializing? For some cosmic-ray reason? Halloween? I windows-uninstalled Calibre 29.0 and installed Calibre 28.1 from its msi. Same symptoms. I don't know if Windows-Uninstall clears Registry, so there's a possibility for a corrupted something-or-other down in there? No other Off-Store app on the system is exhibiting difficulties. (sometimes there's a problem with the developer's choice of Windows library. WMF or whatever, etc.) If some component of Windows has corrupted it appears to be something only Calibre uses? And maybe only for its UI? Maybe I poisoned something with that last ODT drop? Maybe Calibre doesn't like my 3,000 ebooks. Maybe it's time I threw some money? (Seriously that is in the end of year budget changes, promise.) Any similar problem with you all? Any ideas?