Calibre duplicates some files when adding, doesn't add others.

[feelalittlelove]

So I had this odd thing happen to me today. I loaded Calibre and for some reason my library was gone. A few Google searches led me to believe my metadata.db file had been corrupted, but I couldn't figure out how to access the command line thing to restore it (as was suggested by a few of my Google hits). So, soldiering on, I decided to just re-add all my e-books and then manually back up the metadata.db after I'd done so.

So I hit "Add books from multiple directories", went into my Calibre directory, highlighted all the author folders and hit OK. Only now I'm running into this issue where Calibre has only added about half my ebooks, and ignored the other half. And the ones it did add, there are now two copies of them (ie: I go into the folder for Barbara Kingsolver and there are two folders for 'The Lacuna', each with the same file inside). Is there any advice you folks have for how to prevent this duplication? If for some reason I do have to re-add everything again, it'd be nice not to have to then go back and delete the duplicates of all my ebooks. :)

Thanks in advance for the help!

[itimpi]

It sounds as if you tried to use the saem folder for the new library you were creating as the old one? If you are going to go down the route of creating a new library then you also need to use a new folder to store it in. If you did use the same location then when Calibre was adding the books it may well end up not allocating the same internal id for a given book, and thus the apparent duplication at the folder level of books - only the new ones will be referenced by the Calibre database.

If you use the Check Library option under Library Maintenance (accessed via the Library icon on the toolbar)then you will get a report from Calibre telling you which book files it thinks are present but not referenced in its database.

It was not actually necessary for you to do it the way that you attempted. There is an option under Library Maintenance that tells Calibre to rebuild the metadata.db file from the book fies present in the current library location.

[spygrl]

Okay when I look at the dropdown menu on the library management it has only two options - show books in calibre library or switch create library - there is nothing that says rebuild the metadata.db file

can anyone assist me in fixing/finding this?

edit - never mind I figured out it shows up when the device is not connected

[itimpi]

Originally Posted by spygrl

edit - never mind I figured out it shows up when the device is not connected

You can edit the "Device Connected" menu under Preferences to add these options to that one as well if you want.

[feelalittlelove]

OK, thanks, this was super helpful.