Quick Question About Calibre Portable

Rellwood · 05-10-2020, 06:29 PM

I have a ton of saved libraries using the export function. If I download Calibre Portable on an external drive can I use it to open them - saving my current Calibre from being changed?

Answer: Calibre already has it's components in it and import doesn't work. :-(

BetterRed · 05-10-2020, 10:58 PM

'import doesn't work' - what are the symptoms.

BR

Rellwood · 05-11-2020, 03:14 PM

It's portable so apparently it won't open a library. I am not meaning library folders, but the exported files when doing import/export.

When I installed Calibre on an external drive after it started I tried to access the import/export library and got that message.

"You are running Calibre Portable, all Calibre data is in the Calibre folder, import/exoport is not available."

Also, I was bummed to find out the I can't run Calibre portable alongside an instance of Calibre on my desktop. I was really hoping to get around the whole having multiple user accounts on my computer so I can run Calibre at the same time. I usually have it doing some kind of task that otherwise I would be twiddling my thumbs (bulk downloads, extracting isbn, page counts, edit metadatas etc.). I generally let it chug away on one account while I switch to another and work normally.

My goal was to use Calibre portable to open and extract all those library exports I have from over the years, but to do it while I was working on my current library.

Oh well.

BetterRed · 05-11-2020, 05:36 PM

Ah, I never use Export/Import. So, when I saw the option was in the Library drop down in my install of Portable I assumed it did something. I just tried it, and got the same message, sorry about that.

As you've discovered you can't run two instances of calibre (32bit, 64bit or portable) concurrently in the same user account.

The calibre-spy plugin will allow you to open other libraries, it is Read Only for the library metadata - i.e. there is no Edit Metadata functionality, but you can edit the format files, e.g. EPUBs with Sigil, DOCX with Word etc. Or read a book

BR

05-10-2020, 06:29 PM	#1
Rellwood Library Breeder (She/Her) Posts: 1,265 Karma: 1937891 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Fullerton, California Device: Paperwhite 2015 (2), PW 2024 (12 GEN), PW 2023 (11 GEN), Scribe (1st)	Quick Question About Calibre Portable I have a ton of saved libraries using the export function. If I download Calibre Portable on an external drive can I use it to open them - saving my current Calibre from being changed? Answer: Calibre already has it's components in it and import doesn't work. :-( Last edited by Rellwood; 05-10-2020 at 06:33 PM.

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05-10-2020, 10:58 PM	#2
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,721 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	'import doesn't work' - what are the symptoms. BR

05-11-2020, 03:14 PM	#3
Rellwood Library Breeder (She/Her) Posts: 1,265 Karma: 1937891 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Fullerton, California Device: Paperwhite 2015 (2), PW 2024 (12 GEN), PW 2023 (11 GEN), Scribe (1st)	It's portable so apparently it won't open a library. I am not meaning library folders, but the exported files when doing import/export. When I installed Calibre on an external drive after it started I tried to access the import/export library and got that message. "You are running Calibre Portable, all Calibre data is in the Calibre folder, import/exoport is not available." Also, I was bummed to find out the I can't run Calibre portable alongside an instance of Calibre on my desktop. I was really hoping to get around the whole having multiple user accounts on my computer so I can run Calibre at the same time. I usually have it doing some kind of task that otherwise I would be twiddling my thumbs (bulk downloads, extracting isbn, page counts, edit metadatas etc.). I generally let it chug away on one account while I switch to another and work normally. My goal was to use Calibre portable to open and extract all those library exports I have from over the years, but to do it while I was working on my current library. Oh well.

05-11-2020, 05:36 PM	#4
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 21,721 Karma: 29711016 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	Ah, I never use Export/Import. So, when I saw the option was in the Library drop down in my install of Portable I assumed it did something. I just tried it, and got the same message, sorry about that. As you've discovered you can't run two instances of calibre (32bit, 64bit or portable) concurrently in the same user account. The calibre-spy plugin will allow you to open other libraries, it is Read Only for the library metadata - i.e. there is no Edit Metadata functionality, but you can edit the format files, e.g. EPUBs with Sigil, DOCX with Word etc. Or read a book BR

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