How to format pc without losing metadata Calibre?

[retval]

I need your help because I reformatted my pc and reinstall winXP. Do not want to lose my metadata authors, labels, etc. I have over 5000 books in my library and I have worked hard to sort with Calibre. I have winXP, Calibre is installed in c: / and my library is saved on another partition e: /. I reinstall xp on c: / and I will not touch e: / What should I do to keep the metadata in my library?
Thanks.

[rcuadro]

You dont have to do anything... when you reinstall calibre make sure you point to the same drive and directory that your current library is and it will work just like before you reformatted...

[retval]

Then the metadata for each book are not in the installation folder Calibre in "c: / program files?" or another folder in c: / (the library is in e: /). Sorry for the ignorance.

[rcuadro]

if you look in your calibre library there should be a ton of folders corresponding to the authors... and a file called metadata (i forgot the extension) and that is where the info it stored...

[retval]

Yes, I see. Metadata.db a file and then folders for each metadata.opf authors.
Before using Calibre, I ordered my library by topic / author / book, but when I installed the software Calibre reorganized the library and stopped (crash) in the middle. I think there were too many books. So now I have to manually check the metadata and add many books that no admission gauge installation. Thanks again.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by retval

Yes, I see. Metadata.db a file and then folders for each metadata.opf authors.
Before using Calibre, I ordered my library by topic / author / book, but when I installed the software Calibre reorganized the library and stopped (crash) in the middle. I think there were too many books. So now I have to manually check the metadata and add many books that no admission gauge installation. Thanks again.

"Too many books" is when your HD runs out of space

I have heard claims of 20K books in Calibre. You ain't even close

Calibre will help you find weak, about to fail hardware.
Converts are heavy CPU users and frequent HD access.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by retval

Do not want to lose my metadata authors, labels, etc. I have over 5000 books in my library and I have worked hard to sort with Calibre. ...~~...

What should I do to keep the metadata in my library?
Thanks.

If I understand correctly you had a working calibre library on your e: drive. You reformatted c: and reinstalled XP and calibre.

Originally Posted by retval

Yes, I see. Metadata.db a file and then folders for each metadata.opf authors.

Simply pointing to the calibre library that worked before ( the directory with the metadata.db file) will load your library as it was before.

Originally Posted by retval

Before using Calibre, I ordered my library by topic / author / book, but when I installed the software Calibre reorganized the library and stopped (crash) in the middle.

Am I to understand that you royally screwed physically altered calibre's database in the form of the calibre library directory of 5000 books prior pointing calibre's new install to the directory? If this is the case you have severely altered the database.

Originally Posted by retval

I think there were too many books. So now I have to manually check the metadata and add many books that no admission gauge installation. Thanks again.

Maybe I misunderstood, but if I was correct your best bet is to restore from backup and point to the root directory of your library (where the metadata.db file is) and never change calibre's database / directory. Read this sticky post for more info.

This section of the FAQ also applies to rebuilding a computer.

[chyron8472]

Originally Posted by retval

Before using Calibre, I ordered my library by topic / author / book

Why would you do that?

If you were playing a game and had reformatted but kept your savegame files, you wouldn't rename the savegame files to different filenames and expect your reinstalled game to later be okay with it.

Leave the file structure alone. If you need to edit an epub with Sigil that is in the Calibre database, you can do so right from the file in the database itself IF (and only if) when you save you overwrite the original file without changing the filename or location.

Don't change the filenames or folder locations of the ebooks that Calibre is using.

[retval]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. The error occurred because I did not know Calibre restructured the library. I was ordered by my library getting books. The computers in the partition and by e: / my library / subject / author / book. The books are in pdf, doc, txt, html, etc. In the first installation of the library size is processed half and stalled. So the library is half the structure given by Calibre and the other for which I had before. And many duplicate files. So I am rebuilding the library manually. When I installed Calibre first I thought the software was operating as music, for example AIMP2, do not alter the structure of the library and add tags and create their own metadata.
I still have much work ahead. The initial error was because I found a good gauge in Spanish manual and instructions were based on the grounds that the books were tagged and ratings of digital library users and not as we do, down books from various sites and ordering them according to our own criteria.
Calibre is still a great software.

[itimpi]

Calibre does not touch your original files - when you add a book file to Calibre it COPIES the book file. You shoud not try and place your Calibre library at the same location as a none-calibre library or things will get very confused.

If you made the mistake of starting along this line, then he best thing to do is to use the Calibre facility for moving a calibre library to move your current calibre library to another location. If you do so, Calibre will move all the files it knows about to the new location. Whatever is left behind will be files that Calibre does not know about.

[retval]

It's a great idea. I will tell them how it goes. Thank you very much.