Updated Calibre and all my Library is empty

[Dasha]

G/Day I just did the Latest "Auto update" of Calibre and I now find that all my books in my Calibre Library have gone? Am I the only one this has happened too? Have I done something wrong" all I did was click on Install the update for Windows Xp3 and then it seemed to be reinstalling the whole Calibre program not just an Update. It also added a new Shortcut on my Desktop? Can someone tell me what is happening Please, Dasha

[kiwidude]

Updating Calibre is always a reinstall of the entire Calibre application, so that will mean it adds a shortcut back to your desktop if you had removed it. So don't worry about any of that - updating should preserve your configuration files with all your Calibre settings.

Updating also won't delete your library, though it will update it sometimes as required for the latest Calibre version. I am no expert on recovering from failed upgrades but I am sure one of the regulars will come along to assist. It may help if you post the answers to these questions:

How old was the version you were updating from?
Did you backup your library before you updated?
Do you see any output when you start calibre with calibre-debug -g?
If you look at the folder where all your books are stored, does it still exist? Is there a metadata.db file there?

If you can still see your folders of books in the Calibre filesystem (upgrading Calibre will never touch those) then worst case it should be possible to rebuild your database. However before you go down that route there may be a simpler explanation - like for instance do you need to switch libraries?

[Starson17]

An update installs all files, as kiwidude said. It will default to the Program Files install location, so if it was previously installed elsewhere, you need to manually tell it where to find the old installation, otherwise, you get a new one in PF.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Dasha

G/Day I just did the Latest "Auto update" of Calibre and I now find that all my books in my Calibre Library have gone? Am I the only one this has happened too? Have I done something wrong" all I did was click on Install the update for Windows Xp3 and then it seemed to be reinstalling the whole Calibre program not just an Update. It also added a new Shortcut on my Desktop? Can someone tell me what is happening Please, Dasha

Auto Update? Calibre only notifies you of new versions. You have to download and Install. (Linux repositories may have an update. This is usually from Really-Really old (Calibre scale ) to just Old . IMHO, skip the repository version and do the 'Binary Install' route on the download page)

You may have accidentally chosen a new library location (Calibre should have recognized your User Account already had a Library Location set).

[misling]

Calibre never recognises my Calibre location on a update. Every time I install one, I have to remember to click Advanced and change the directory to where my last install was installed. It always tries to put Calibre in 'c:\program files\calibre\' (if I'm remembering the path right), while my actual install is under C:\users\<myname>\calibre\, and always has been. If I forget to change the path on the update, I get a copy of Calibre with an empty library linked from my desktop. Maybe this is what you did? I just remove the c:\program files version and do it over with the correct path. Then my libraries show up again.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by misling

Calibre never recognises my Calibre location on a update. Every time I install one, I have to remember to click Advanced and change the directory to where my last install was installed. It always tries to put Calibre in 'c:\program files\calibre\' (if I'm remembering the path right), while my actual install is under C:\users\<myname>\calibre\, and always has been. If I forget to change the path on the update, I get a copy of Calibre with an empty library linked from my desktop. Maybe this is what you did? I just remove the c:\program files version and do it over with the correct path. Then my libraries show up again.

Ah! The non-traditional program install location gottcha


FWIW The Program Location and the Library location should be independent.
I wonder if there is a hardcoded assumption that the USER (where the settings are kept) drive and the Program drive ar on the same drive (The library can be on another drive)

Hey! I just found 'KovidsBrain' under Software in the Registry

but no Calibre. With no key, Calibre Installer can't check to see what path might have previously been used.

[kovidgoyal]

calibre always uses the appdata directory reported by windows as its config directory. Where it is installed doesn't matter. As for the installer not remembering the previously used install location, that is a long standing bug, that I have never felt motivated enough to fix, given how arcane windows installers are.

[Dasha]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

Updating Calibre is always a reinstall of the entire Calibre application, so that will mean it adds a shortcut back to your desktop if you had removed it. So don't worry about any of that - updating should preserve your configuration files with all your Calibre settings.

Updating also won't delete your library, though it will update it sometimes as required for the latest Calibre version. I am no expert on recovering from failed upgrades but I am sure one of the regulars will come along to assist. It may help if you post the answers to these questions

How old was the version you were updating from? I just installed 7.53 so it would have been 7.51 or 52
Did you backup your library before you updated? No i had Updated Calibre before and this never happened I do have a back up on a I Terrabyte Ext Drive drive

Do you see any output when you start calibre with calibre-debug -g?
If you look at the folder where all your books are stored, does it still exist? Is there a metadata.db file there? Don't Know about this one Cobba

If you can still see your folders of books in the Calibre filesystem (upgrading Calibre will never touch those) then worst case it should be possible to rebuild your database. However before you go down that route there may be a simpler explanation - like for instance do you need to switch libraries?

:t Okay Cobba Thanks i will go see what i can do I will try the Debug in 7.3
Thanks to all the others who replied I will follow up with u all Regards Dasha

[Dasha]

Originally Posted by misling

Calibre never recognises my Calibre location on a update. Every time I install one, I have to remember to click Advanced and change the directory to where my last install was installed. It always tries to put Calibre in 'c:\program files\calibre\' (if I'm remembering the path right), while my actual install is under C:\users\<myname>\calibre\, and always has been. If I forget to change the path on the update, I get a copy of Calibre with an empty library linked from my desktop. Maybe this is what you did? I just remove the c:\program files version and do it over with the correct path. Then my libraries show up again.

Thanks misling I just sorted that all out. I realise that a new install is required to update. and I have just Installed the latest Calibre to a place the same as your's except I inserted <Owner> so as long as I remember to do the above when an upgrade arrive's all should be good Thanks again Mate and also to the Others as well
Dasha

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by theducks

Ah! The non-traditional program install location gottcha

You mean the traditional-but-non-Microsoft program install location gotcha.

[misling]

Glad you got it sorted out. I did that a couple of times myself.