tried to move library and lost it

[fritzmom]

Hi All
First post.
Windows 7 Prof 32bit PC

I thought I'd move my Calibre Library folder to another folder. Have Calibre Library as a sub-folder. Bad move I've discovered.
I found a post where I should have used Switch/Create Library but too late.
Now I can not get my Calibre Library back. All the info is still on my hard drive, in a couple of different places but I can't seem to be able to recreate my library. When I open Calibre there are no books there. When I try to move the library I get an error msg telling me that my library doesn't exist.

Not sure what I can do. Any help please?
And my fault for thinking I could just move the folder to another folder.

Thanks
Barb

[theducks]

Originally Posted by fritzmom

Hi All
First post.
Windows 7 Prof 32bit PC

I thought I'd move my Calibre Library folder to another folder. Have Calibre Library as a sub-folder. Bad move I've discovered.
I found a post where I should have used Switch/Create Library but too late.
Now I can not get my Calibre Library back. All the info is still on my hard drive, in a couple of different places but I can't seem to be able to recreate my library. When I open Calibre there are no books there. When I try to move the library I get an error msg telling me that my library doesn't exist.

Not sure what I can do. Any help please?
And my fault for thinking I could just move the folder to another folder.

Thanks
Barb

If you kept EVERYTHING inside the Library folder, piece of cake

right click on the Library Icon: Switch/Create: USE EXISTING: <navagate to the new folder location

That is it
The containing folder name becomes the Library name

[fritzmom]

Thanks for the quick reply.

OK, last night when I did this, I kept everything the same, just moved the complete folder to another folder.

Now,
I opened Calibre, right-clicked on Calibre Library ... did as you instructed. What showed up was a 'Blank Book Cover' on the right-hand side where an ebook cover would normally be. There are also more options under the Calibre Library now. But still no books are showing. Everything is empty.

There are 2 files in my Calibre folder: metadata.db and metadata_db_prefs_backup.json

I'm assuming those files should be there.

Am I missing some step?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by fritzmom

Thanks for the quick reply.

OK, last night when I did this, I kept everything the same, just moved the complete folder to another folder.

Now,
I opened Calibre, right-clicked on Calibre Library ... did as you instructed. What showed up was a 'Blank Book Cover' on the right-hand side where an ebook cover would normally be. There are also more options under the Calibre Library now. But still no books are showing. Everything is empty.

There are 2 files in my Calibre folder: metadata.db and metadata_db_prefs_backup.json

I'm assuming those files should be there.

Am I missing some step?

Those are just the Starting point of every Empty Library.
A populated Library also has Authors folders. 1 for each Author

[eschwartz]

Those files indicate a library exists there.

But there are no author folders (containing book folders) for your actual books, so that is an empty library.
Your books are somewhere else -- figure out where, and add that library instead.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by fritzmom

Thanks for the quick reply.

OK, last night when I did this, I kept everything the same, just moved the complete folder to another folder.

Now,
I opened Calibre, right-clicked on Calibre Library ... did as you instructed. What showed up was a 'Blank Book Cover' on the right-hand side where an ebook cover would normally be. There are also more options under the Calibre Library now. But still no books are showing. Everything is empty.

There are 2 files in my Calibre folder: metadata.db and metadata_db_prefs_backup.json

I'm assuming those files should be there.

Am I missing some step?

@fritzmom - No you looking at a new/empty library, hopefully this will help



Next time use the built in Move current library... option - third radio button.

BR

[fritzmom]

Sorry I wasn't very clear on my last post.

The metadata.db and metadata_db_prefs_backup.json files are in addition to all the author folders like: Douglas E. Richards is the author and Mind's Eye is the ebook

D:\Barb's Documents\eBooks\Calibre Library\Douglas E. Richards\Mind's Eye (77)
And inside of sub-folder Mind's Eye, I see the .epub file, the .mobi file, cover.jpg file and metadata.opf file

There are a whole list of the author folders with respective book(s) as sub-folders within.

but I can't see the books in Calibre.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by fritzmom

Sorry I wasn't very clear on my last post.

The metadata.db and metadata_db_prefs_backup.json files are in addition to all the author folders like: Douglas E. Richards is the author and Mind's Eye is the ebook

D:\Barb's Documents\eBooks\Calibre Library\Douglas E. Richards\Mind's Eye (77)
And inside of sub-folder Mind's Eye, I see the .epub file, the .mobi file, cover.jpg file and metadata.opf file

There are a whole list of the author folders with respective book(s) as sub-folders within.

but I can't see the books in Calibre.

Are you sure you do not have a Search or Virtual Library in effect?
Look at the Status line at the bottom. eg [12345 books, 1 selected]
If it is more complex (all books, showing, selected), you have a restriction active

The VL button is to the Left of the Search Box. if there is a red - next to it, click that to cancel the restriction

What it sounds like you did was Add the Authors Folders but did not include (replace) the those 2 files, which are the Matching (GUI) Data

The Library Maintenance: Restore Database may be THE BEST option. It reads that OPF file and uses That cover file
It takes lots of time to run, but itm is far better than re-importing.

[fritzmom]

at the bottom it shows [0 books] ... nothing is red.

then maybe the metadata.db file might be corrupt?

I'll try the restore tomorrow and see if that works.

Either way, I'll post back and let you all know how it works out.

Thanks very much for your help and patience with me. Maybe I'm just getting tired and not thinking very well anymore tonight

We'll see what a fresh start will do tomorrow!

Barb

[theducks]

Originally Posted by fritzmom

at the bottom it shows [0 books] ... nothing is red.

then maybe the metadata.db file might be corrupt?

I'll try the restore tomorrow and see if that works.

Either way, I'll post back and let you all know how it works out.

Thanks very much for your help and patience with me. Maybe I'm just getting tired and not thinking very well anymore tonight

We'll see what a fresh start will do tomorrow!

Barb

The metadata.db is from an empty (wrong) Library . Corrupt would usullay pop (crash) errors

Rebuild will read the OPF (book metadata backup) and rebuild the proper DB.

[fritzmom]

Hi Again
Haven't had a chance to get to here since the other evening which is a good thing since I didn't get your last post until this morning (or rather very late last night).

Sorry that I'm asking questions, but, by 'rebuild' that would be from 'add books' using 'add books from directories using sub-directories one book per directory'?

Thanks again for your time and patience,
Barb

[BetterRed]

@fritzmom - I think theducks means this .

If that fails then it's time for create a new library and add all the books from the old one as you suggest

BR

[MarjaE]

I had the same problem. I keep all my Calibre Libraries in one folder, but I've moved the folder into one with my Ade library and an alias for my Amazon library. It's a bit easier with 4 different libraries.