Calbre closing on Browse and Save to Disc

[deddajay]

Everything else in Calibre works fine except when I try to save to disc or use the browse button in Edit Metadata. When either button is clicked, Calibre immediately closes without warning - gone, poof!

I've checked through the manual with reference to crashing, don't have Roboform, Spybot etc, get the same result in Safe Mode.

I'm not really sure when this first started, but it was several updates ago and as I don't use either function very often, it may have been going on for some time before I noticed.

I can get round the problem by browsing outside Calibre and copy and pasting and I can use a folder as a device to save files or, as an alternative, just stick the usb portable version in for the odd time I need to do something, but I would like to get to the bottom of it. I am reluctant to uninstall everything as I've spent a long time getting all my preferences just so and I'm not sure I can remember how I did some of them so I don't want to lose them.

Anyone have any suggestions, please?

Cheers
Deddajay

[PeterT]

First idea would be to run calibre in debug mode and post the log that gets created. See the drop down arrow besides preferences and select "Restart in debug mode" (or ctrl-shift-R).

[deddajay]

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm now feeling very thick, as I did as you suggested but have no idea where to find the log, or even what to do with it once I find it.

Could you give me some simple guidance, please? I tried looking in the Calibre manual and the brain went immediately blank. It looks scary

[theducks]

Originally Posted by deddajay

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm now feeling very thick, as I did as you suggested but have no idea where to find the log, or even what to do with it once I find it.

Could you give me some simple guidance, please? I tried looking in the Calibre manual and the brain went immediately blank. It looks scary

The log is normally in Windows Temp. The name(?) ,letters were given at start.
A 'Normal' end and it usually opens in a (the default) text editor.
Abends leave you on your own

[deddajay]

Thanks, found it, but none the wiser.

Text is: calibre Debug log
calibre 0.9.43 [64bit] isfrozen: True is64bit: True
Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '7', '6.1.7601')
Python 2.7.4
Windows: ('7', '6.1.7601', 'SP1', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Starting up...
Started up in 92.10 seconds with 7480 books

I tried to save to disc but Calibre just closed on me again and nothing changed in the debug log.

By the way, nearly 4,000 of the books are empy metadata where I've stored details of my audiobooks, so not all of them are ebooks. I don't know if this makes a difference?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by deddajay

Thanks, found it, but none the wiser.

Text is: calibre Debug log
calibre 0.9.43 [64bit] isfrozen: True is64bit: True
Windows-7-6.1.7601-SP1 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '7', '6.1.7601')
Python 2.7.4
Windows: ('7', '6.1.7601', 'SP1', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Starting up...
Started up in 92.10 seconds with 7480 books

I tried to save to disc but Calibre just closed on me again and nothing changed in the debug log.

By the way, nearly 4,000 of the books are empy metadata where I've stored details of my audiobooks, so not all of them are ebooks. I don't know if this makes a difference?

It says it started (normally). Nothing unusual during that.
Empty books do not cause problems.

Have you run 'Library maintenance'? just to be certain the DB is solid?

The only other is 2 items that come to mind:
1) your STD template is (hidden) damaged. Type it fresh after wiping the fill in box.
2) Your (OS)Temp folder has rights issues (this usually pops an access denied error message)

[kovidgoyal]

What you're reporting is a crash when using the file and directory selection dialogs. Those come from the operating system. There isn't anything much that calibre can do about them. Something on your system is causing the issues.

[BetterRed]

Have you configured something to stand in place of Windows Explorer - eg zabkats xplorer2, or gpsofts Directory Opus, or are you running 'interesting' shell extensions.

In here http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/customize.html I see

CALIBRE_NO_NATIVE_FILEDIALOGS - Causes calibre to not use native file dialogs for selecting files/directories.

If you set it to "True" then calibre will use its own file dialogues - I don't think it's value matters, just its presence. Probably wont fix the problem but maybe it gives more diagnostic data.

BR

[deddajay]

Thanks guys, interesting thoughts. Will go and do some further investigation. I am using Classic Shell andl also zabkats xplorer2, but I've been using these for years with no problems before.

I don't understand "1) your STD template is (hidden) damaged. Type it fresh after wiping the fill in box". Would appreciate some pointers here. Are we talking a Windows template or a Calibre one?

Any further thoughts welcomed.

Cheers
Deddajay

[BetterRed]

If you are not replacing Windows Explorer with xplorer2 then you will be OK, I also use xplorer2 and like you I have done for years. In Options->Advanced I have a greyed out button Undo explorer replacement, but I can't remember how to do the replacement, its not something I ever entertained doing. Can't imagine Classic Shell would cause problems, too widely used, unless a recent update to it did something.

"STD template" probably refers to Save To Disk template.

BR

[deddajay]

In an effort to trace this, I've upgraded to the lasted Classic Shell today. I use xplorer2 as a standalone, so it isn't set to take over Windows Explorer.

I've checked the environmental variables as per your suggestion and link. The only thing that looked a bit odd there was an item called "Path", which was empty. As everything I could find relating to this on Google seemed to just have 2 references to temp files, I deleted the empty Path option, mainly as I had no idea what should go in there. I am now left with 2 options to temp and tmp files, which seems to be the norm.

Completely at a loss here. All other programs open directory / file paths as normal, as does Calibre Portable, although I am some versions behind with this. I will update the portable version and see whether this makes any difference.

I haven't found any reference to a STD template yet, so that is baffling me. Any futher suggestions welcomed.

Cheers
Deddajay

Update: Upgrading the portable version the to latest has made no difference - it works perfectly. It's just my Calibre 64 version that has the problem. I'm debating whether it's worth going back to the 32 version but don't want to lose my settings.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by deddajay

In an effort to trace this, I've upgraded to the lasted Classic Shell today. I use xplorer2 as a standalone, so it isn't set to take over Windows Explorer.

I've checked the environmental variables as per your suggestion and link. The only thing that looked a bit odd there was an item called "Path", which was empty. As everything I could find relating to this on Google seemed to just have 2 references to temp files, I deleted the empty Path option, mainly as I had no idea what should go in there. I am now left with 2 options to temp and tmp files, which seems to be the norm.

Completely at a loss here. All other programs open directory / file paths as normal, as does Calibre Portable, although I am some versions behind with this. I will update the portable version and see whether this makes any difference.

I haven't found any reference to a STD template yet, so that is baffling me. Any futher suggestions welcomed.

Cheers
Deddajay

Update: Upgrading the portable version the to latest has made no difference - it works perfectly. It's just my Calibre 64 version that has the problem. I'm debating whether it's worth going back to the 32 version but don't want to lose my settings.

You wont lose your settings if you install 32bit, in fact you can have both the 32 and 64 bit installed and they will see the same databases and settings - of course you can only run one or the other at any one time - try this next, using the 32 bit has fixed 'similar' problems

Only try thr following if the 32bit version does NOT work, if 32bit works then I suggest you use it

You wont find CALIBRE_NO_NATIVE_FILEDIALOGS in your environment variables or on Google - its only relevant to Calibre

In the Windows Start search box type environment, select Edit environment variables for your account, add a New variable for CALIBRE_NO_NATIVE_FILEDIALOGS.

STD - see attachment (Preferences->Save to Disk)

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by deddajay

The only thing that looked a bit odd there was an item called "Path", which was empty... I deleted the empty Path option

Odd indeed - was that Path variable in your user account set or in the System set, I think it normally resides in the System set. Odd that its empty, mine has lots in it - but I have a lot of installed software.

BR

[deddajay]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Odd indeed - was that Path variable in your user account set or in the System set, I think it normally resides in the System set. Odd that its empty, mine has lots in it - but I have a lot of installed software.

BR

It was in the user account. The system account has lots of "Paths" to various places installed by lots of software, but nothing relevant to Calibre. Whilst I like to think I'm an above average computer user, I really don't know what I'm doing here so I will leave well alone.

I have now installed Calibre 32, and it works exactly as it should

Uninstalled Calibre 64 and reinstalled it only to have the same issue. I suppose I could delve in the registry and try to remove all traces but I would probably run the risk of upsetting Calibre 32, so I will just accept that Calibre 64 is not fully functional. I will keep it going though, as it managed to convert a really big mobi file (the complete works of Dickens) which Calibre 32 gave up on at 47% and was still sitting there 3 days later!

Not an entirely wasted weekend, I've learned a lot, have got round to updating my portable version and managed to tweak the settings file to the same preferences as my main Calibre by trial and error as to which files needed to be copied over and to where. Couple of problems causing non start up, but finally managed it. Just don't ask me which files and where I put them, as I will probably never be able to repeat it. I sometimes wish I didn't have a "tinkering" personality with the bone headedness to keep going until I've solved the problem. It would mean I would have more time for reading.

Thanks for all your help.

Cheers
Deddajay

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by deddajay

Uninstalled Calibre 64 and reinstalled it only to have the same issue. I suppose I could delve in the registry and try to remove all traces but I would probably run the risk of upsetting Calibre 32

Calibre does not use the registry for its own purpose, all that sort of stuff is in its configuration directory. The only entries that are in the registry are those relating to its install via the MS installer. The ones relating to 64 bit and 32 bit are quite separate from one another - and the 64 bit ones would have been removed by the uninstall.

There is one trap into which one can fall, and that is if one 'associates' the ebook-viewer program with any file types - e.g. epubs. Calibre does NOT set up these associations or make any use of them if they're present.

I had long ago associated the 32bit version with epub and prc files. I installed the 64bit a couple of months after its release, a couple of months later I uninstalled the 32 bit version. The net result was that not only was the association broken, but it could not be fixed by 'normal' means. One must manually remove the association via tinkering in the registry or by running a lightweight registry cleaner such as the one that is included with the Piriform CCleaner program. Again, this has nothing to do with Calibre per se, its a Windows issue.

BR