Update Large Number of Books from Amazon?

[enuddleyarbl]

I've decided to bite the bullet and update all my Amazon books that Amazon has been telling me have updates available (about 200). I've already downloaded the new versions onto an old, empty Kindle (so it contains only the new MOBI/AZW3 files for those books). What's the easiest way to replace the original versions in my Calibre library without messing with all the metadata I've already associated with the titles? And, will the deDRM plugin do its magic as I use that method?

[ownedbycats]

You can try Preferences > Adding Books > Auto-merge added books > Overwrite existing formats but I suggest making a backup in case something goes unexpected.

[enuddleyarbl]

That sounds good. I've got my backup made and will give it a try. Thanks.

[enuddleyarbl]

Interesting. It didn't work. I'm still on Calibre 4.22.0 on Windows 10 and went to Preferences > Adding Books > Adding Actions, where I turned on "Mark newly added books" and "Auto-merge added books if they already exist" > "Overwrite existing duplicate formats." I assumed the "overwrite" option would replace the ORIGINAL_blah format. All that happened was the 202 books that got added were just given their own entries. Since they got added with an author format of FIRSTNAME LASTNAME instead of the LASTNAME, FIRSTNAME format I have via "Copy all author sort values to author," I'm guessing that the add function isn't recognizing the books as duplicates. I'll have to work on changing the author name before adding.

[enuddleyarbl]

I've never done this before, but I thought a simple Plugboard would do the trick:

Any Format, Any Device, {author_sort}, authors

It made no difference. The author field of the added books didn't even change to LASTNAME, FIRSTNAME.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DaveLessnau

I've never done this before, but I thought a simple Plugboard would do the trick:

Any Format, Any Device, {author_sort}, authors

It made no difference. The author field of the added books didn't even change to LASTNAME, FIRSTNAME.

Plugboards only affect SendToDevice
FWIW I use Quality Check Plugin: check metadata (to find wrong way Authors)
Anf the run the Fix: Author names to flip those found (remember to select before invoking)

[enuddleyarbl]

Originally Posted by theducks

Plugboards only affect SendToDevice
FWIW I use Quality Check Plugin: check metadata (to find wrong way Authors)
Anf the run the Fix: Author names to flip those found (remember to select before invoking)

Oh. Drat. I just double-checked the description of the Plugboard and you're right: "Here you can change the metadata calibre uses to update a book when saving to disk or sending to device." So, adding doesn't count.

But, it looks like it doesn't matter. I went to Preferences > Advanced >Tweaks > Author Sort Name Algorithm and changed "author_sort_copy_method" from its default "u'comma'" to "u'nocomma'". Then I went to Manage Authors and hit both the Recalculate and Re-copy buttons at the bottom (thus changing all my authors back to FN LN. When I added those 202 updated books, only 9 were considered duplicates (probably because I've edited all the titles and series names). So, I still ended up with 193 that would have to be manually edited/merged. I'll take a look at that plugin, though. It looks interesting.

I've read I can just drag new files onto each existing book's Book Details panel and that will replace the original format (at least I think that's what I read). If I open my Kindle's file structure in File Explorer, do I drag each book's folder over to Calibre or do I have to go into those folders and drag a specific file?

[BetterRed]

If you drag drop a folder into a book details panel all the files therein will be added or used to replace existing files in the book

That may or may not be a good thing - e.g. if the folder contained a .PNG it would probably overwrite the existing cover,jpg. Probably best to open the folder and drag drop the files you want to add or overwrite existing files.

Or, select the relevant file(s) in explorer, press Ctrl+C to copy to the clipboard, select the book(s) in the calibre book list, and use the Add-Books->Add files to selected book records from clipboard option (which I have assigned to to Alt+Shift+V).

BR

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

If you drag drop a folder into a book details panel all the files therein will be added or used to replace existing files in the book

That may or may not be a good thing - e.g. if the folder contained a .PNG it would probably overwrite the existing cover,jpg. Probably best to open the folder and drag drop the files you want to add or overwrite existing files.

Or, select the relevant file(s) in explorer, press Ctrl+C to copy to the clipboard, select the book(s) in the calibre book list, and use the Add-Books->Add files to selected book records from clipboard option (which I have assigned to to Alt+Shift+V).

BR

Does it work with DeDRM though? I previously had trouble with DeDRM when i put DRM'd books in the autoadd folder instead of adding them manually so I am not sure if it works when drag and drop.

[enuddleyarbl]

I started browsing my Kindle book folders and was getting confused since they contained no AZW3 files (or any files above a couple of KB in size). Then I thought to scroll down and found all the loose book AZW3s down there. I'll see about either dragging them in or Adding them. I'll have to check if deDRM works that way, too. That might be a bit difficult since I'm not sure which books have DRM (I know some do not).

[enuddleyarbl]

It looks like either dragging/dropping or adding from the clipboard will work and use the deDRM plugin. If I double-click on the AZW3 on my Kindle and let Calibre try to read it, it gives me a DRM warning. If I drop or Add it to Calibre and open it, it opens fine.

I don't know if there's a difference between the two methods. When I drag and drop, I get the following dialog:

"You have dropped some files onto the book [title]. This will add or replace the files for this book. Do you want to proceed?"

If I Add via the cllpboard, the dialog is:

"The AZW3 format will be replace in the book [title]. Are you sure?"

But, so far, I don't notice any other difference. It's not the fastest thing in the world to do (for 202 books). But it beats Adding them all at once from the Device and then copying all the old metadata to the new entry. I wonder if I can Add them all from the Device, sort in some way to get the old/new entries physically close, and drag and drop the AZW3 file from within the new entry to the old. I'll have to give that a try.

EDIT: Nope. Can't drag and drop entirely within Calibre. So, dragging/dropping the AZW3 from the Kindle via File Explorer to the Calibre Book Details panel or doing a CTRL-C and ALT-SHIFT-A (default Add from Clipboard) will have to do.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Does it work with DeDRM though? I previously had trouble with DeDRM when i put DRM'd books in the autoadd folder instead of adding them manually so I am not sure if it works when drag and drop.

No idea, I mainly use calibre for managing public domain documents and media clips etc.

I prefer ink on paper books - that way I can support my local owner operated bookshops who've given me good service for decades, then leave them on bus seats or in streetside libraries for other people to read.

I would be astonished if calibre's core process of adding a book depended on the method of transport.

BR