Metadata gets dropped

pbauer · 08-14-2022, 03:19 PM

I'm trying to work my way out of a migration mess.

My PC showed signs of imminent failure, so I made backups and got a new one. I exported my Calibre library (which has LOTS of books) to a backup disk. I imported that to Data storage (HDD) drive on my new PC--success. I deleted the backup file from the back up drive.

Then I realised I wanted it to be on the SSD drive for faster access. The SSD drive is 1TB and contains my programs as well as frequently-used folders and files. The HDD is also 1 TB but will be more of an archive location.

In the course of moving the library (actually 1 main library and 3 specialty libraries for travel etc) from the HDD to the SSD the "main" library lost it's metadata. So everything I had added over 10 years--corrected pub dates, genres, series/order, tags, reading ratings and notes, covers--was missing. AARGH.

I was reconciling myself to having to readd that info over time (some of it anyway)--and then decided to see if the deleted backup was recoverable from the external drive. It was there, in a hidden recycle file. I got software called Remo Recover and recovered the whoe set of folders including their metadata.

BUT--when I Added the folder (using Add, folders and subfolders) to the Calibre library on my SSD, about 1/4 of the metadata got dropped. So 3/4 of the books have all the previous metadata but the others only show what was originally downloaded in the epub or mobi.

The phenomenon affected mostly books with authors later in the alphabet--most until M's loaded properly and many (not all) after M had no metadata. I've tried doing a fresh recovery/add on a smaller set as a test, and the metadata gets recovered but doesn't show up on the Calibre Add dialogue box or flow through to the added book.

Any ideas? I'm grateful to have 3/4 of it but would love to get the rest. I have attachments that illustrate the dropped metadata--the epub format also got dropped

theducks · 08-14-2022, 05:48 PM

IMHO Save you SSD for Apps (programs). The Library is searched in RAM, the retrieved, Since the Book FILE is small, no speed gain is expected.

BetterRed · 08-14-2022, 08:44 PM

The metadata for a calibre library is in a file named metadata.db in the library folder.

The metadata.opf files in the book folders is a backup is used by the calibredb restore_database command

BR

pbauer · 08-15-2022, 07:42 AM

Oh--OK. I see the 33,340KB db file at the bottom of the folder. Any suggestions for why the metadata wasn't carried over for the latter part of the alphabet (authors)? Should I try it again--or copy the file, delete the A-L's and try again?

08-14-2022, 03:19 PM	#1
pbauer Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2022 Device: kobo	Metadata gets dropped I'm trying to work my way out of a migration mess. My PC showed signs of imminent failure, so I made backups and got a new one. I exported my Calibre library (which has LOTS of books) to a backup disk. I imported that to Data storage (HDD) drive on my new PC--success. I deleted the backup file from the back up drive. Then I realised I wanted it to be on the SSD drive for faster access. The SSD drive is 1TB and contains my programs as well as frequently-used folders and files. The HDD is also 1 TB but will be more of an archive location. In the course of moving the library (actually 1 main library and 3 specialty libraries for travel etc) from the HDD to the SSD the "main" library lost it's metadata. So everything I had added over 10 years--corrected pub dates, genres, series/order, tags, reading ratings and notes, covers--was missing. AARGH. I was reconciling myself to having to readd that info over time (some of it anyway)--and then decided to see if the deleted backup was recoverable from the external drive. It was there, in a hidden recycle file. I got software called Remo Recover and recovered the whoe set of folders including their metadata. BUT--when I Added the folder (using Add, folders and subfolders) to the Calibre library on my SSD, about 1/4 of the metadata got dropped. So 3/4 of the books have all the previous metadata but the others only show what was originally downloaded in the epub or mobi. The phenomenon affected mostly books with authors later in the alphabet--most until M's loaded properly and many (not all) after M had no metadata. I've tried doing a fresh recovery/add on a smaller set as a test, and the metadata gets recovered but doesn't show up on the Calibre Add dialogue box or flow through to the added book. Any ideas? I'm grateful to have 3/4 of it but would love to get the rest. I have attachments that illustrate the dropped metadata--the epub format also got dropped Attached Thumbnails

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08-14-2022, 05:48 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,047 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	IMHO Save you SSD for Apps (programs). The Library is searched in RAM, the retrieved, Since the Book FILE is small, no speed gain is expected.

08-14-2022, 08:44 PM	#3
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,721 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	The metadata for a calibre library is in a file named metadata.db in the library folder. The metadata.opf files in the book folders is a backup is used by the calibredb restore_database command BR

08-15-2022, 07:42 AM	#4
pbauer Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2022 Device: kobo	Oh--OK. I see the 33,340KB db file at the bottom of the folder. Any suggestions for why the metadata wasn't carried over for the latter part of the alphabet (authors)? Should I try it again--or copy the file, delete the A-L's and try again?

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