Lost Settings

[Rellwood]

Not sure what happened, but when I opened Calibre today I seem to have lost all the GUI settings.

The plugins are still listed in the plugins, and are available to choose in the menu toolbars and menus feature, but they aren't loaded into the menu/context lists. The icons and color rules are showing in the GUI, but the quick switch to libraries is missing the other libraries, and the general look is set to the same as if I just loaded installed Calibre.

The appdata folder doesn't seem to be missing any files and the dates haven't been changed.

I can do a reset to previous versions on the appdata folder, but I would like to know why this happened in the first place, and which file (the gui.py?) is responsible.

Also, if anyone is familiar with Notepad ++, would you know if the files I opened with it are still loaded in it if I close it out without removing the files. Their community board is down and I wanted to see if this was the case. I often open up the Calibre files in it and don't always close the files before shutting down the program.

[theducks]

Library stuff like columns is stored IN the DB for that library. Per Library
User stuff (anything that applies regardless of which Library is present) is stored in Appdata,

It does sound like something walked upon your Calibre settings folder.
If the plugins folder is intact (there will be plugin zip files and some other with the same basename (the PI settings)
Just replace only the FILE contents , not any of the folders in the config folder
BACK THAT UP FIRST

[Rellwood]

Yeah, it was the gui.py file. I did the reset for that one and it went back to normal. I think what happened was an unexpected end to Calibre last night caused the file to be erased and when I opened it today the program populated a new one.

[BetterRed]

@Rellwood - if you need to peek at config files while calibre is running, try using a text file Viewer rather than a text file editor like Notepad++ -- much safer, some will detect changes and offer to refresh.

Or, I recall seeing a Notepad++ post somewhere for getting "Open in Notepad++ - Read Only" in the explorer context menu.

BR

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@Rellwood - if you need to peek at config files while calibre is running, try using a text file Viewer rather than a text file editor like Notepad++ -- much safer, some will detect changes and offer to refresh.

Or, I recall seeing a Notepad++ post somewhere for getting "Open in Notepad++ - Read Only" in the explorer context menu.

BR

Notepad++ will also monitor changes in the source and ask if you want to reload the file. I've never noticed an open in read only but if you right-click on the file tab after opening a file, read only is a choice.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Notepad++ will also monitor changes in the source and ask if you want to reload the file. I've never noticed an open in read only but if you right-click on the file tab after opening a file, read only is a choice.

The advantage of a read only text viewer is that you don't have to do anything special to protect yourself from yourself, apart from remember to use it

I think NP++ has a command line switch to open a file read only - maybe '-ro', but their site's still down so I can't look it up easily.

Another alternative is to open the file in a browser.

Added - here 'tis ==>> Open Readonly with Notepad++ - GitHub. I use Send To a lot so I put a shortcut with this target "C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -ro into shell:sendto.

BR

[Rellwood]

I don't generally look while Calibre is running (at least on that particular library I'm in) however, if I open a file in Notepad++ then close out the program after seeing what I was looking for, and go about my business, later when I re-open Notepad++ that file is already loaded on it. I was wondering if I needed to close out the files before closing down the program. Because I will most likely have gotten into those libraries thinking they were closed out in the program.

I'm not sure if I want to open in read only. Most likely what I will do (what I have been doing for the most part) is do a copy of the file then open it while leaving the original alone.

[theducks]

NP++ detects the original file is gone (or moved) from the place it was opened and asks what you want to do with the copy in memory.
In the case of Calibre, NO is almost always the answer.

[BetterRed]

Might be alright for you blokes who never make mistakes, but for old duffers like me prevention is better than avoidance is better than cure



BR

I really ought to wipe that fan fiction downloader dross, never used it for my own purposes only installed for a day or two when helping someone out.

BR