Library Management: various questions not worth their own thread - Page 17

Karellen · 10-19-2025, 10:34 PM

They are two separate methods, neither depending on the other.
The easiest one to use is to just copy the Calibre folder across. It will give you the exact same setup as on your old pc.

I've never used the Export feature as the copy method rebuilt my setup in a few seconds.

PeterT · 10-19-2025, 10:36 PM

The export will only export the current (non virtual) library

I apologize for providing invalid infomation. Calibre will offer to export all libraries that it knows about.

texasnightowl · 10-19-2025, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

The export will only export the current (non virtual) library

ah! so since I have multiple libraries I would have to run export multiple times?

I think I may just do the copy option manually instead of having to run export 4 times.

So, if I have this right...

1. install Calibre on the new PC

2. copy my existing folder on my old PC which contains my 4 libraries...let's call it d:\Calibre to the new PC (will have a different location such as c:\Calibre)

3. copy my %appdata%\roaming\Calibre folder from my old PC to the same location on the new pc

4. point calibre to the new location (c:\calibre) since it will be looking for d:\calibre

is that about right?

texasnightowl · 10-19-2025, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

They are two separate methods, neither depending on the other.
The easiest one to use is to just copy the Calibre folder across. It will give you the exact same setup as on your old pc.

I've never used the Export feature as the copy method rebuilt my setup in a few seconds.

Thanks! Given Peter's info about export only doing the current library, and since I have multiple, I would have to run export multiple times. So I think the copy method is the winner for me.

theducks · 10-19-2025, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

If I use the Export feature, it will include this, right?

Or I can not use the export feature and copy appdata\roaming\Calibre and my calibre library folders manually?

Export/Import does it all.
A manual xcopy (over a Network share) of both speeds things up as there is no need for things to be compressed (E/I make spanned Zips).
Most of my PC's have a Gigabit (wired) network so it is actually the Drives that are slowing

things down.

theducks · 10-19-2025, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

The export will only export the current (non virtual) library

Export can do all KNOWN libraries. Known is those on the switch list.
Import allows you to select which or All to import. The config files are adjusted as needed

BetterRed · 10-19-2025, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

The export will only export the current (non virtual) library

Nope

Click image for larger version

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And it will handle platform differences, e.g. file name casing etc.

BR

texasnightowl · 10-19-2025, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Export/Import does it all.
A manual xcopy (over a Network share) of both speeds things up as there is no need for things to be compressed (E/I make spanned Zips).
Most of my PC's have a Gigabit (wired) network so it is actually the Drives that are slowing

things down.

oh, ok then! if it does all known libraries that would be ok then.

I'm trying to figure out if I can make room near my old PC to get them in close proximity. The new pc is currently in the dining room with no wired network connection and iffy wifi signal. So I'll have to see what I can do about getting it close to a wire. Otherwise, I'll have to stick to a drive of some sort.

Karellen · 10-19-2025, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

3. copy my %appdata%\roaming\Calibre folder from my old PC to the same location on the new pc

When you installed Calibre on your new PC and ran it the first time, it will have already created a ...\Calibre\ folder in Roaming. Just overwrite it with the copy from your old PC.
This will clearly indicate that you are copying it across to the correct location.

BetterRed · 10-19-2025, 11:40 PM

What's the total size of your libraries - the calibre Export function will tell you the size of each one, be good of it showed totals

It's probably 100s of MB, just buy a decent 1Tb USB HDD drive, run calibre's export to that drive on the old computer, take it to the new computer and run calibre's import from that drive.

Job done, and you have a handy portable drive… I still find uses for an 80MB drive I bought last century.

BR

texasnightowl · 10-19-2025, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

What's the total size of your libraries - the calibre Export function will tell you the size of each one, be good of it showed totals

It's probably 100s of MB, just buy a decent 1Tb USB HDD drive, run calibre's export to that drive on the old computer, take it to the new computer and run calibre's import from that drive.

Job done, and you have a handy portable drive… I still find uses for an 80MB drive I bought last century.

BR

lol. my d:\Calibre Libraries\ folder that contains my multiple libraries is 13gb.

I have 7 libraries actually. I forgot about 3 of them. One of them I may delete. It was a test library from earlier this year. With all the amazon drm stuff I was testing k4pc versions, etc. That is 2.9gb I may not bother with. But, right this minute, 13gb total.

that would be a lot of zipping for export to do!

BetterRed · Yesterday, 05:31 AM

I just exported my all my libraries except Media (it's 850GB)… see previous screen shot. Took 18 minutes to export to a USB 3.1 HDD drive. Didn't do the Import.

I have my libraries mirrored (incremental backup) to an external drive, so assuming I wasn't changing platform I'd just plug that drive into new computer and do a robust copy.

BR

texasnightowl · Yesterday, 07:29 PM

I did end up just doing a flat out copy of the appdata\roaming\calibre folder and my libraries folder. I finally managed to change location to the new location on the new pc and everything seems good! I'll check it out a little more but so far so good. (And I won't be wiping the old pc for a few more days plus the copies are on the USB key I just used too.)

JSWolf · Today, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

Windows? If yes, then copy the Calibre folder from ...\AppData\Roaming\ and put it in the same place on your new PC.
Just ensure you install Calibre on the new PC first.

Just copy the directory at %appdata%\calibre.

If all the libraries are under the same directory, copy that one directory.

Do this to a USB stick and then copy them back to the same place on the new computer.

10-19-2025, 10:36 PM	#242
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,680 Karma: 79983758 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	The export will only export the current (non virtual) library I apologize for providing invalid infomation. Calibre will offer to export all libraries that it knows about. Last edited by PeterT; Yesterday at 01:55 PM.

Yesterday, 05:31 AM	#252
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,996 Karma: 30277294 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	I just exported my all my libraries except Media (it's 850GB)… see previous screen shot. Took 18 minutes to export to a USB 3.1 HDD drive. Didn't do the Import. I have my libraries mirrored (incremental backup) to an external drive, so assuming I wasn't changing platform I'd just plug that drive into new computer and do a robust copy. BR Last edited by BetterRed; Yesterday at 06:39 AM.

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10-19-2025, 10:34 PM	#241
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,680 Karma: 9500498 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	They are two separate methods, neither depending on the other. The easiest one to use is to just copy the Calibre folder across. It will give you the exact same setup as on your old pc. I've never used the Export feature as the copy method rebuilt my setup in a few seconds.

10-19-2025, 11:40 PM	#250
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,996 Karma: 30277294 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	What's the total size of your libraries - the calibre Export function will tell you the size of each one, be good of it showed totals It's probably 100s of MB, just buy a decent 1Tb USB HDD drive, run calibre's export to that drive on the old computer, take it to the new computer and run calibre's import from that drive. Job done, and you have a handy portable drive… I still find uses for an 80MB drive I bought last century. BR

Yesterday, 07:29 PM	#253
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2873645 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	I did end up just doing a flat out copy of the appdata\roaming\calibre folder and my libraries folder. I finally managed to change location to the new location on the new pc and everything seems good! I'll check it out a little more but so far so good. (And I won't be wiping the old pc for a few more days plus the copies are on the USB key I just used too.)