0 books in library

[MichaelP]

My Calibre library has disappeared, and the fix in the user manual doesn't restore it.
Selecting "switch/create library" and selecting a new location returns the answer that there are no books in the current location (which is the problem in the first place).
I then rebuilt the metadata which resulted in a file metadata_pre_restore, but I don't know what to do with it.
All suggestions gratefully received.
MichaelP

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MichaelP

My Calibre library has disappeared, and the fix in the user manual doesn't restore it.
Selecting "switch/create library" and selecting a new location returns the answer that there are no books in the current location (which is the problem in the first place).
I then rebuilt the metadata which resulted in a file metadata_pre_restore, but I don't know what to do with it.
All suggestions gratefully received.
MichaelP

Question #! : Are there authors folders in the Library Location?
Question #2: Are the Book Titles folders in the authors Folder?
Question #3: Are there 1 or more book formats (epub,mobi,pdf...) files in the Titles folder. The cover.jpg and metadata.opf can also exist by themselves for an empty book (library entry only)

[MichaelP]

Every folder has 0 books

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MichaelP

Every folder has 0 books

It is gone then.
Somehow you may have selected to deleted selected 'formats'

You could connect you device and switch to the Device view and select those, then right-click: 'Add to Library'

[MichaelP]

Thanks, even though it's bad news.
Would my metadata restore file be of any use, if I knew how to use it?
MichaelP

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MichaelP

Thanks, even though it's bad news.
Would my metadata restore file be of any use, if I knew how to use it?
MichaelP

Metadata is the 'card catalog'

The shelves are still bare

Now if you have copies of the BOOK file and you had spent a lot of time crafting that metadata in your 'now empty' library shelves, here is what I might do:

'Restore the Library' (it will have no formats)
Open the metadata editor on a book, the drag and Drop your file into the formats box. Presto, you have Matched the book to your carefully crafted )metadata and covers). Use the Next, OK or Previous buttons to get to the next title.

Repeat

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by MichaelP

My Calibre library has disappeared, and the fix in the user manual doesn't restore it.
Selecting "switch/create library" and selecting a new location returns the answer that there are no books in the current location (which is the problem in the first place).

Where was your library? Did you select move your library to new location or use existing library at new location?

[3cdsta]

Hi from 3cdsta to MobileRead users. I am very new to Forum use and although I am computer literate I am not Web-site literate. At this moment I am afraid that I am lost with the same problem as MichaelP. I have been using Calibre for my ebooks and converting them as necessary to MOBI for my Kindle. Conversion is at best poor (misspellings strange paragraph layouts etc) with some very poor. To be fair, Calibre does say that conversion from pdf is the poorest and many of my ebook purchases have been pdf. However that is not my problem today. Twice now I have lost my complete Library. The first time was soon after I started and I thought it must have been caused by me and simply re-loaded everything. The second was yesterday and I am not happy! Anyone who uses Calibre will know that almost every time the site is loaded there is a request to upgrade to next version and I always do so. Both apparent total deletions of my Library seem to have occured when this happens. When the upgrade finished Calibre opened on the library page and it was entirely blank. I have assumed everything is deleted but I suppose the list may be hidden somewhere. If it is, I cannot find it. MichaelP says he has tried "switch/create library" but I have not as I do not know what this means. I have not found any help in the Manual and the replies received in this thread (I think that is the right phrase!) are largely unintelligible to me. Is there anything I can do to find my books or do I have to once again reload all of them and once again tidy up each one? Help please.

[itimpi]

Upgrading the software does not cause loss of a library - so if you think this is the symptom you are seeing then something else is at play. The question is whether the library is really going missing or something is causing Calibre to lose track of where it is located.

The first thing is to check if you even currently have your library on the hard disk? Do you know what folder you specified to hold the library? If so you probably want to check that it contains the file metadata.db and folders for each author containing book files. If you are not sure of the location then simply searching for the file metadata.db should help you find it. If you really do not have the Calibre library physically present on your disk then something else is removing it - it will not be the Calibre upgrade which never touches existing libraries.

The "switch/create library" that was mentioned is an option that is offered if you click on the Library icon in Calibre. It allows you to tell Calibre where a particular library is located if for any reason Calibre has lost track of its location. Ideally you would use it when you have located the library as described in the previous paragraph.

Note that you can turn off the message that advises you about calibre updates iva the Calibre Preferences - with a weekly update cycle they happen frequently. However most people like to know they have happened even if they do not install all the updates.

[3cdsta]

Thanks itimpi for setting my mind at rest about upgrades deleting everything. I have a folder called Calibre Library on my Desk Top and in that is a folder called metadata.db but in that is nothing!

I have bought books on a cd or download; I have edited metadata and corrected the names etc and I have converted to MOBI. I have copied a few at a time to my kindle. As I order my Library by Author, when read I have re-edited the book's Metadata by, say, changing the Author's name from Smith to xSmith so all those go to end of list.

That is all I have ever done!

Do you have any other advice?

[itimpi]

A folder with just a metadata.db file and no sub-folders would definitely show up as an empty library.

However having the Calibre library on the destop is certainly not its default location. Have you tried searching your hard disk to see if you can find a metadata.db file anywhere else that does have books in sub-folders? It is possible that you DO have your library somewhere and Calibre just needs pointing to it.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by 3cdsta

Thanks itimpi for setting my mind at rest about upgrades deleting everything. I have a folder called Calibre Library on my Desk Top and in that is a folder called metadata.db but in that is nothing!

I have bought books on a cd or download; I have edited metadata and corrected the names etc and I have converted to MOBI. I have copied a few at a time to my kindle. As I order my Library by Author, when read I have re-edited the book's Metadata by, say, changing the Author's name from Smith to xSmith so all those go to end of list.

That is all I have ever done!

Do you have any other advice?

My advice is never put anything on your desktop that you want to keep. It makes it too easy to delete things accidentally. Shortcuts to the item can go on the desktop but not a folder itself. That way nothing important goes missing if you clean up your desktop.

Helen

[jdschiller]

Originally Posted by 3cdsta

Thanks itimpi for setting my mind at rest about upgrades deleting everything. I have a folder called Calibre Library on my Desk Top and in that is a folder called metadata.db but in that is nothing!

I have bought books on a cd or download; I have edited metadata and corrected the names etc and I have converted to MOBI. I have copied a few at a time to my kindle. As I order my Library by Author, when read I have re-edited the book's Metadata by, say, changing the Author's name from Smith to xSmith so all those go to end of list.

That is all I have ever done!

Do you have any other advice?

I also lost all books from my Calibre. I do have them in a Library folder but when I try to add them back into the Calibre, I get the message, metadata missing. I think lthis new upgrade stinks. I have been using Calibre for a couple of years and no problem.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by jdschiller

I also lost all books from my Calibre. I do have them in a Library folder but when I try to add them back into the Calibre, I get the message, metadata missing. I think lthis new upgrade stinks. I have been using Calibre for a couple of years and no problem.

I have done 2 years of upgrades, a few roll backs (uninstall the newer version first) and never lost a book. Lost some settings: Yes, Books: Never.

You did something odd.
Does your computer have more than 1 user Logon?
Libraries can be in a Logon User directory or they can be in a Public directory.
In the first case: User 1 can not see User 2's Library (and the reverse).

Another Gotcha is placing the Library (not just a shortcut: which is NOT needed). Desktops get cleaned from time to time.

Always put your library in a Drive's Folder

Did you put the Library on an EXTERNAL storage device (Pen Drive, USB HD or cloud)?

[3cdsta]

Thank you everybody for your advice. I will check whether there is a hard disc folder and take any folder off the Desktop. No, I have not used any external storage device with calibre and no I do not have any other user Logon. I am the only user and so exclusively at fault if there are errors this end!!

It seems that either I have another folder - and I will do another search - or I have "cleaned" the empty metadata folder in error and will have to reload, reconvert etc. I will report back in case there is anything to be learned by others.