'Gear' Advanced Search Dialog Slooow to Display

[IAmConfused]

Win 10
Calibre v 5.2

Since upgrading to 5.x have been having the following issue

I use the search & other features regularly but since upgrading to Version 5 the time to display the dialog box to use it is painfully slow.

On click, no apparent response for 4-5 seconds then an indicator that [library name] is not responding then the dialog pops up ( and then works without issue for all functions) almost immediately after not responding notice.

Searching by just typing into the search bar works without issue

Issue is new since upgrade
Otherwise responsiveness of Calibre is 'normal'

What could be causing (& possible fix) the delay in displaying the dialog ?

TIA

[BetterRed]

Hmmm - there's a similar issue with single book conversion, the dialogue box is slow to open, see ==>> Conversion Performance issues.. Maybe they have a common cause.

Could you try a single book conversion to see if it is similarly slow.

try running calibre with no plugins, see ==>> calibre command

Needless to say its not happening here. Windows 64bit version 2004, calibre 64bit version 5.2.

BR

[IAmConfused]

Just tried the command line ignoring plug ins ... issue (slow display). No improvement just click hurry up & wait

Am also running Win 20 64 bit (Calibre 64 bit v 5.2). My library is very large but has not increased substantially from that when running 4.x version(s) (no idea why library size might impact display of dialog - just throwing it out there). Library has been checked by Calibre with no errors/anomalies reported)

Was hopeful when i saw your idea but no joy


Thanks for your response

Appreciated

[IAmConfused]

BTW ... was thinking and can confirm am also experiencing a slower response in displaying the dialog (than in 4x) to convert book(s) - not the conversion but the display to choose dest format etc. Not used a lot and delay in displaying is not a show stopper. but the delay in searching has become a major source of frustration. Short strokes ... there may indeed be commonality in the iesues but plug ins to not seem to be causal

[IAmConfused]

Just to check my sanity I uninstalled Version 5.2 and installed Version 4.23

Problem vanished - appearance of dialog is virtually instantaneous.

Upgraded to version 5.2 (without uninstalling 4.23) and problem (significant delay between clicking the gear icon and the appearance of the advanced search dialog) results

At least I know how to avoid the issue in the short term

Any insight would be welcomed

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by IAmConfused

Just to check my sanity I uninstalled Version 5.2 and installed Version 4.23

Problem vanished - appearance of dialog is virtually instantaneous.

Upgraded to version 5.2 (without uninstalling 4.23) and problem (significant delay between clicking the gear icon and the appearance of the advanced search dialog) results

At least I know how to avoid the issue in the short term

Any insight would be welcomed

When it finally pops trying re-sizing the dialogue box, then restart calibre.

Can you confirm - the delays in popping the Advanced Search and the single book Conversion dialogues:

• did occur in version 5.2
• did not occur in a re-installed version 4.23 (un-install 5.2, install 4.23)
• did occur in another upgrade-install of version 5.2

Can you try renaming the calibre configuration directory, you can access it via the Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre configuration directory button. It'll probably be something like "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\calibre".

After closing calibre, rename the directory to something like calibre_save. Then start calibre again, that will create a fresh configuration directory automatically. Let us know what happens when you click the Gears icon.

If the dialogue popup delay persists, then after closing calibre, you can delete the fresh configuration directory, and re-rename the calibre_save directory to calibre. And I'm out of ideas

If the dialogue pops instantaneously, then it's almost certainly something in the configuration data. My guess would be the file gui.json, because that's where most of the window geometry data is stored. You could try renaming that (with calibre closed) to say gui.save, and restart calibre - a fresh gui.json will be created. If that solves the problem you could look for the data relating to advanced search and delete it from gui.save and then swap it back to gui.json.

But you might also want to wait for Kovid's insight

BR

[kovidgoyal]

These are almost certainly caused by some software on the problem machines interfering with Qt 5.15. In the linked bug report I suggested trying safe mode to see if the problem went away, no one has yet done that.

[IAmConfused]

Wow - ur thorough response & ideas MOST appreciated, ... the results, not so much


1) tried resizing advanced search dialog from fresh instance (restarted) Calibre. Did so, exited Calibre then restarted Calibre

Clicked Gear ... same delay as reported.

FYI the dialog size on restart did NOT retain the size change set before exiting Calibre. No idea if as expected

2)
did occur in version 5.2 .... CONFIRMED (also v 5.01 & 5.1 - all 64bit)
did not occur in version 4.23 (uninstall 5.2, install 4.23) ... CONFIRMED
did occur in another upgrade-install of version 5.2 ... CONFIRMED

For advanced search dialog appearance the delay is consistent & repeatable aka PITA

For format convert the delay, or none, seems to vary with # of books selected for conversion ( no confirmed relationship between # of books and whether delay is noticeable or not)

3) renamed Calibre config directory. Restarted Calibre. Waited patiently for books to load. Pressed gear and ... waited and waited for dialog to appear.

Delay with new config dir same as before.

Successfully restored my saved dir and back to where I was


I'd be remiss if I didn't reiterate my appreciation of your above & beyond efforts to help me resolve. Thanks again

My quest continues

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by IAmConfused

My quest continues

But, have you tried Windows Safe Mode as suggested by Kovid?

See ==>> Start your PC in safe mode in Windows 10 - Windows Help

Sorry Kovid, I thought we had been down that alley

BR

[IAmConfused]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

These are almost certainly caused by some software on the problem machines interfering with Qt 5.15. In the linked bug report I suggested trying safe mode to see if the problem went away, no one has yet done that.

Saw ur note thru my eyelids last night ... so

Just rebooted into Safe Mode .... on logging in, immediately ran Calibre

On opening immediately went to the Gear icon, Clicked and ...

waited & waited until dialog opened.

Same issue as reported

Did not try convert format

As I was not looking forward to chasing down conflicting software am relieved although the issue remains

Do let me know if there's other stuff I can try to help identify / resolve

[kovidgoyal]

Cant think of anything else offhand, but wait for the next release, in it calibre moves from Qt 5.15.0 to 5.15.1 maybe that will help.

[IAmConfused]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Cant think of anything else offhand, but wait for the next release, in it calibre moves from Qt 5.15.0 to 5.15.1 maybe that will help.

Awaiting with 'worm on tongue' (for non fans of Mork & Mindy - baited breath)

What intrigues me is that other dialogs are not similarly affected e.g. Polish books which pops immediatly, and the 'library' not responding message that shows just before the dialog pops.

Thanks

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by IAmConfused

Awaiting with 'worm on tongue' (for non fans of Mork & Mindy - baited breath)

spin off from Morecambe and Wise

Originally Posted by IAmConfused

What intrigues me is that other dialogs are not similarly affected e.g. Polish books which pops immediatly, and the 'library' not responding message that shows just before the dialog pops.

- try creating a fresh library with Copy structure from the current library unchecked, add a couple of books. If Advanced Search pops normally, repeat with Copy structure from the current library checked, add a couple of books.

Report results.

BR

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

- try creating a fresh library with Copy structure from the current library unchecked, add a couple of books. If Advanced Search pops normally, repeat with Copy structure from the current library checked

I have 3 libraries, all with the same structure.

Empty library: instantaneous.

Small library (17K entries): very slightly slower (perhaps a tenth of a second).

Large library (358K entries): 8 seconds.

Seems size-related, at least for me.

With 4.23 the empty & small library are instantaneous, the large library is perhaps two tenths of a second or so.

[IAmConfused]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

I have 3 libraries, all with the same structure.

Empty library: instantaneous.

Small library (17K entries): very slightly slower (perhaps a tenth of a second).

Large library (358K entries): 8 seconds.

Seems size-related, at least for me.

Can u confirm that no issue on reverting to v 4.23 ?