Ghost sidecar folders and Kindle PW performance?

mendesitba · 10-11-2016, 08:25 AM

Hello,

I have always deleted side-load content with Calibre and I realized that the sidecar folders (.sdr) are not deleted by this method.

The result is that I have in my Kindle around 389 .sdr folders but only 189 books (almost 200 ghost folders).

Doubt 1: can I set up Calibre to delete these folders when deleting a book? There is any way of bulk deleting the ghost sdr folders?

Doubt 2: I have heard that a great number of vocabulary builder entries could harm the Kindle performance, making it slow. My doubt is that the similar effect would happen due to having a lot of those ghost folders.

Thank you,

shamanNS · 10-11-2016, 09:25 AM

I you're already using KUAL take a look at this KUAL extension for deleting those .sdr folders.

Also, I thought that deleting books with Calibre deleted the .sdr folder? Or is is only deleting .mpb and other files inside the .sdr folder but not the folder itself (living an empty folder?)??

I remember only that deleting the book via Kindle's GUI doesn't remove associated .sdr folder (files inside nor the folder itself)...
I delete books mainly via Kindle itself and periodically use that KUAL button to clean up the leftovers.

mendesitba · 10-12-2016, 04:44 PM

Hello, Calibre only delete the book, folders and files remain in the kindle after deleting a book. At least in my case.

Unfortunately, I did not jailbreak my kindle yet. Very few time to read and huge ignorance, along with the jailbreak topics that I can hardly understand more than 10 words in each post, make jailbreaking a daunting task for me.

344a · 10-13-2016, 12:00 PM

Hi guys. Thinking of buying a PW3 or Voyage.

Do you mean I have to jailbreak the device to make it possible to delete the folders? And if I don't delete the folders, the kindle device would show the folders on the screen too?

Thanks.

Sirtel · 10-13-2016, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 344a

Hi guys. Thinking of buying a PW3 or Voyage.

Do you mean I have to jailbreak the device to make it possible to delete the folders? And if I don't delete the folders, the kindle device would show the folders on the screen too?

Thanks.

No, you won't see those folders on the screen.

344a · 10-13-2016, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

No, you won't see those folders on the screen.

Ok. Thanks

dordale · 10-13-2016, 01:50 PM

And you don't have to jailbreak your Kindle to remove the "sidecar" folders. In my experience, these are deleted by Calibre when I use Calibre to delete the book from my Kindle. Not sure why Mendesitba's experience is different than mine. Maybe it's because I use Calibre to add all books and delete all books from my Kindle.

If you do have extraneous "sidecar" folders remaining no your Kindle, you should be able to access these through Windows explorer (or Mac or Linux equivalent) and delete them from there.

Isamilis · 10-14-2016, 11:33 AM

My observation:
.sdr file is not deleted if the book is deleted through kindle GUI. Delete books from Calibre will delete .sdr file as well. If I want to retain my highlight, notes, and bookmark (when I re-sideload the book from Calibre), I only delete books from kindle GUI, otherwise, I deleted through Calibre.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mendesitba

Hello, Calibre only delete the book, folders and files remain in the kindle after deleting a book. At least in my case.

Unfortunately, I did not jailbreak my kindle yet. Very few time to read and huge ignorance, along with the jailbreak topics that I can hardly understand more than 10 words in each post, make jailbreaking a daunting task for me.

mendesitba · 10-16-2016, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dordale

And you don't have to jailbreak your Kindle to remove the "sidecar" folders. In my experience, these are deleted by Calibre when I use Calibre to delete the book from my Kindle. Not sure why Mendesitba's experience is different than mine. Maybe it's because I use Calibre to add all books and delete all books from my Kindle.

If you do have extraneous "sidecar" folders remaining no your Kindle, you should be able to access these through Windows explorer (or Mac or Linux equivalent) and delete them from there.

I'm not sure why why you get the .sdr deleted with Calibre while I don't. But I think your guess is reasonable, maybe it is because I sideload my docs with
Send to Kindle and not with Calibre.

mendesitba · 10-16-2016, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isamilis

My observation:
Delete books from Calibre will delete .sdr file as well.

Well, it is not happening here. Do you think it is because I use "Send to Kindle" to sideload my docs? Have you ever tested it with "Send to Kindle"?

mendesitba · 10-16-2016, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 344a

Do you mean I have to jailbreak the device to make it possible to delete the folders? And if I don't delete the folders, the kindle device would show the folders on the screen too?

Sirtel is right.
1. you can delete the folders by connecting kindle to windows and delete these folders as you would delete any folder in Windows .

2. If you delete a book but keep the folders, the registry of this book is completed eliminated in the Kindle interface (the highlights and vocabulary would remain in .sdr folder as they said earlier in the topic).

JSWolf · 10-16-2016, 02:37 PM

A good idea is if someone can create a plugin to delete the .sdr directories if there is no book associated with them.

mendesitba · 10-16-2016, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A good idea is if someone can create a plugin to delete the .sdr directories if there is no book associated with them.

YES! I thought exactly the same thing!! (even considering that my kindle is not jailbroken yet).

JSWolf · 10-16-2016, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mendesitba

YES! I thought exactly the same thing!! (even considering that my kindle is not jailbroken yet).

In the Kobo Utilities plugin, there is an option to remove excess cover images. I see no reason that someone with plugin fu skills cannot create a plugin for Kindles.

GoSharks · 10-16-2016, 06:16 PM

Not a plug-in but it may be what you are looking for...
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...8&postcount=17

10-11-2016, 08:25 AM	#1
mendesitba Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: KPW, Ipad 2, Note 5	Ghost sidecar folders and Kindle PW performance? Hello, I have always deleted side-load content with Calibre and I realized that the sidecar folders (.sdr) are not deleted by this method. The result is that I have in my Kindle around 389 .sdr folders but only 189 books (almost 200 ghost folders). Doubt 1: can I set up Calibre to delete these folders when deleting a book? There is any way of bulk deleting the ghost sdr folders? Doubt 2: I have heard that a great number of vocabulary builder entries could harm the Kindle performance, making it slow. My doubt is that the similar effect would happen due to having a lot of those ghost folders. Thank you,

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10-11-2016, 09:25 AM	#2
shamanNS Wizard Posts: 1,138 Karma: 12345678 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Serbia Device: Kindle PW5, Kobo Libra 2, Kindle PW1	I you're already using KUAL take a look at this KUAL extension for deleting those .sdr folders. Also, I thought that deleting books with Calibre deleted the .sdr folder? Or is is only deleting .mpb and other files inside the .sdr folder but not the folder itself (living an empty folder?)?? I remember only that deleting the book via Kindle's GUI doesn't remove associated .sdr folder (files inside nor the folder itself)... I delete books mainly via Kindle itself and periodically use that KUAL button to clean up the leftovers.

10-12-2016, 04:44 PM	#3
mendesitba Connoisseur Posts: 65 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: KPW, Ipad 2, Note 5	Hello, Calibre only delete the book, folders and files remain in the kindle after deleting a book. At least in my case. Unfortunately, I did not jailbreak my kindle yet. Very few time to read and huge ignorance, along with the jailbreak topics that I can hardly understand more than 10 words in each post, make jailbreaking a daunting task for me.

10-13-2016, 12:00 PM	#4
344a Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 505964 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Hong Kong Device: Hong Kong is done.	Hi guys. Thinking of buying a PW3 or Voyage. Do you mean I have to jailbreak the device to make it possible to delete the folders? And if I don't delete the folders, the kindle device would show the folders on the screen too? Thanks.

10-13-2016, 01:50 PM	#7
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	And you don't have to jailbreak your Kindle to remove the "sidecar" folders. In my experience, these are deleted by Calibre when I use Calibre to delete the book from my Kindle. Not sure why Mendesitba's experience is different than mine. Maybe it's because I use Calibre to add all books and delete all books from my Kindle. If you do have extraneous "sidecar" folders remaining no your Kindle, you should be able to access these through Windows explorer (or Mac or Linux equivalent) and delete them from there.

10-16-2016, 02:37 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 80,784 Karma: 150249619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	A good idea is if someone can create a plugin to delete the .sdr directories if there is no book associated with them.

10-16-2016, 06:16 PM	#15
GoSharks SQUIRREL!! Posts: 1,636 Karma: 8400000 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: California Device: K-Fire, PW2, PW3	Not a plug-in but it may be what you are looking for... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...8&postcount=17