Calibre crashes often when trying to remove formats

[manawydan]

I have a problem with Calibre 0.8.11.

Normally it works fine and does everything you ask for.
Lately however there seem to be problems if a lot of books are selected.

I added a big bunch of books and converted epub to mobi. Then I wanted to remove the epub format.
However, every time there are more than 3 or 4 books selected Calibre freezes and has to be closed forcefully.

Sometimes it just does not remove the formats (except the selected MOBI) at all, no matter if 1 book is selected or 3 ..

Any idea what the problem could be and how to fix it?

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by manawydan

I added a big bunch of books and converted epub to mobi. Then I wanted to remove the epub format.
However, every time there are more than 3 or 4 books selected Calibre freezes and has to be closed forcefully.

Details, please. What exactly do you mean by "freezes"? How long did you wait before terminating the program?

Generally, it's a bad idea to forcefully terminate Calibre, especially while it's modifying its database. I'd strongly recommend you to do a library consistency check.

[manawydan]

Freezes - calibre doesn't do anything else anymore.
Task manager shows that it's not running.

I have tried and waited up to five minutes or more with a single book selected, three or four books selected and 10-15 books selected.
No difference, the program was just not working.

Ok, did the library consistency check. No errors, comparison database with books showed some missing formats, used the fix option for that.

Tried the remove format again and it seems to work now.

What confuses me a bit is that the task manager still shows the program as "not responding" although it now finishes the job (removing formats except .. ) - and a lot faster than before.

Thanks anyway.

[PeterT]

Any chance there are some obscured windows prompting for an acknowledgement?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by manawydan

Freezes - calibre doesn't do anything else anymore.
Task manager shows that it's not running.

I have tried and waited up to five minutes or more with a single book selected, three or four books selected and 10-15 books selected.
No difference, the program was just not working.

Ok, did the library consistency check. No errors, comparison database with books showed some missing formats, used the fix option for that.

Tried the remove format again and it seems to work now.

What confuses me a bit is that the task manager still shows the program as "not responding" although it now finishes the job (removing formats except .. ) - and a lot faster than before.

Thanks anyway.

Your system (like mine) may become overly busy and that message appears. Among other things, look for HD activity LED flashing-mostly steady a indication the HD I/O has taken priority
Possible causes:
1) low RAM (don't believe the minimums are enough. Think Ferengi)
2) Anti-virus is scanning way too much. Exclude your Calibre Library
3) Indexing service is trying to keep up with the changes (pant, pant )

[dwig]

Originally Posted by theducks

Your system (like mine) may become overly busy and that message appears. Among other things, look for HD activity LED flashing-mostly steady a indication the HD I/O has taken priority
Possible causes:
1) low RAM (don't believe the minimums are enough. Think Ferengi)
2) Anti-virus is scanning way too much. Exclude your Calibre Library
3) Indexing service is trying to keep up with the changes (pant, pant )

4) highly fragmented file system
5) Impending hard drive failure

I recently had an ailing drive. I had received a couple of drive & file related error messages and took them as a warning. I bought a replacement drive, installed it as a second drive and ran the drive manufacturer's recommended cloning software. During that time I continued to use the old aging drive. After I finally felt I had a reliable clone I removed to old drive and moved the new one into position as the primary.

Quite a number of file operations became much quicker. I hadn't realized how many performance issues were really the drive having to write, check, realize the write failed, rewrite, ... and finally get it right. Most OS's hide the occasional file system error and report an error only after a number of attempts fail. Calibre launches 3-5x faster, as do my other programs. File deletes, at the OS level and via apps like calibre, are also faster.

Keep in mind that calibre does not delete files itself. It simply asks the OS to do it. If the OS strains trying to delete the file, and possibly related folders, then calibre has to wait for it to finish before it can do any other file related operation.

[manawydan]

Ok, now you've got me worried.
Hmpf.
But thanks for the heads up.

I do a regular backup of my data but a hd failure isn't something I am looking forward to.
Apart from Calibre no other programme caused problems though ..
Maybe the problem sits in front of the monitor.

P.S. "think Ferengi" .. LOL.
Nice one, have to remember that.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by manawydan

Ok, now you've got me worried.
Hmpf.
But thanks for the heads up.

I do a regular backup of my data but a hd failure isn't something I am looking forward to.

Find a utility that will readout your drives S.M.A.R.T. status (the Ubuntu Live CD (System| Administration| Disk Utilities)can do this without changes to your system.)
If failure is immanent, clone the drive (software is included in most 'Retail' Drive packages) and slip in the replacement before it get painful

[PeterT]

Crystal Disk Info from Crystal Mark