Messed up my library

SusieWong · 03-23-2019, 01:05 PM

My laptop (Windows 10) was running very slowly so i decided to restore it to factory settings. I saved, I thought, all my Calibre library onto a pendrive by 'sending' the file from the harddrive. When I came to reinstall it, a lot of the books were missing the content or their covers. I clicked on restore database which I think has worked but I think that the books are still on the pendrive as it flashes when I click on a book.. I'm now scared that if I try to move the books back onto the laptop I'll totally mess up and loose them. I thought I'd better ask rather than blundering on, guessing at what to do. Any help would be much appreciated for this old technophobe.

AnemicOak · 03-23-2019, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SusieWong

I saved, I thought, all my Calibre library onto a pendrive by 'sending' the file from the harddrive.

How did you do this? Did you copy over the folder the Calibre library is in (containing the author folders and metadata.db), use Save to Disk from within Calibre, or???

SusieWong · 03-24-2019, 05:24 AM

Thanks for helping

I right clicked on the folder named Newest Calibre (I've successfully saved and moved it once before but can't remember how I did it) The folder was in my documents,I clicked send to.... and selected the pendrive.

The books are on the pendrive. When I try to open Calibre without the pendrive inserted I get the message

calibre, version 3.40.1
ERROR: Failed to create library: Failed to create calibre library at: u'F:\\Newest calibre'.
You will be asked to choose a new library location.

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\main.py", line 159, in get_library_path
File "os.py", line 150, in makedirs
File "os.py", line 157, in makedirs
WindowsError: [Error 3] The system cannot find the path specified: u'F:\\'

I need to move the books from the pendrive back onto the laptop without loosing all the meta data I seemed to loose last time. I'm leery of trying anything now in case I exacerbate the problem.

theducks · 03-24-2019, 11:06 AM

The last time you shut calibre down it was using (the pen) drive F:
Drive F: may no longer be available (either not there or has a different latter)

The message implies that Calibre was trying to create a 'default' library on the (now missing) drive used for Libraries (not everyone, uses C: for personal data)

When using removable drives with a calibre session, remember to switch back to the builtin drive Library before shutting down to avoid this issue.

assuming you copied the whole Library folder from the pen drive. Start calibre from the commandline with:

Code:

calibre --with-library c:\users\<yours>\<library folder>  \;Use the library located at the specified path.

SusieWong · 03-24-2019, 01:37 PM

Thank theducks.. My problem is that the library is no longer on the hard drive, though there is a folder there. The library is on the pendrive and I need advice, please, to copy it back onto the hard drive without loosing the metadata again.
Apologies for not being able to perform a seemingly simple task.

theducks · 03-24-2019, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SusieWong

Thank theducks.. My problem is that the library is no longer on the hard drive, though there is a folder there. The library is on the pendrive and I need advice, please, to copy it back onto the hard drive without loosing the metadata again.
Apologies for not being able to perform a seemingly simple task.

Just copy everything from the pendrive FOLDER that contains metadata.db to the empty Calibre Library folder on your hard drive
(this was the old way, before export became standard).

SusieWong · 03-29-2019, 07:57 AM

Many thanks for your help. I am, at last, all sorted.

03-23-2019, 01:05 PM	#1
SusieWong Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Messed up my library My laptop (Windows 10) was running very slowly so i decided to restore it to factory settings. I saved, I thought, all my Calibre library onto a pendrive by 'sending' the file from the harddrive. When I came to reinstall it, a lot of the books were missing the content or their covers. I clicked on restore database which I think has worked but I think that the books are still on the pendrive as it flashes when I click on a book.. I'm now scared that if I try to move the books back onto the laptop I'll totally mess up and loose them. I thought I'd better ask rather than blundering on, guessing at what to do. Any help would be much appreciated for this old technophobe.

03-24-2019, 05:24 AM	#3
SusieWong Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Thanks for helping I right clicked on the folder named Newest Calibre (I've successfully saved and moved it once before but can't remember how I did it) The folder was in my documents,I clicked send to.... and selected the pendrive. The books are on the pendrive. When I try to open Calibre without the pendrive inserted I get the message calibre, version 3.40.1 ERROR: Failed to create library: Failed to create calibre library at: u'F:\\Newest calibre'. You will be asked to choose a new library location. Traceback (most recent call last): File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\main.py", line 159, in get_library_path File "os.py", line 150, in makedirs File "os.py", line 157, in makedirs WindowsError: [Error 3] The system cannot find the path specified: u'F:\\' I need to move the books from the pendrive back onto the laptop without loosing all the meta data I seemed to loose last time. I'm leery of trying anything now in case I exacerbate the problem. Last edited by SusieWong; 03-24-2019 at 05:57 AM.

03-24-2019, 11:06 AM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,949 Karma: 55705602 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The last time you shut calibre down it was using (the pen) drive F: Drive F: may no longer be available (either not there or has a different latter) The message implies that Calibre was trying to create a 'default' library on the (now missing) drive used for Libraries (not everyone, uses C: for personal data) When using removable drives with a calibre session, remember to switch back to the builtin drive Library before shutting down to avoid this issue. assuming you copied the whole Library folder from the pen drive. Start calibre from the commandline with: Code: calibre --with-library c:\users\<yours>\<library folder> \;Use the library located at the specified path.

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03-24-2019, 01:37 PM	#5
SusieWong Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Thank theducks.. My problem is that the library is no longer on the hard drive, though there is a folder there. The library is on the pendrive and I need advice, please, to copy it back onto the hard drive without loosing the metadata again. Apologies for not being able to perform a seemingly simple task.

03-29-2019, 07:57 AM	#7
SusieWong Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Many thanks for your help. I am, at last, all sorted.

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