How do I update the titles on my device?

Hyperlynx · 02-05-2021, 10:06 PM

I've started updating the Series information of my library, and I've set up a plugboard.

For books I newly transfer to my device, the title is correctly set how I want it (based on the series and book number). But how do I get existing books to update?

I could remove them and re-add, but I don't want to do that because it'll lose all my annotations.

ownedbycats · 02-05-2021, 10:16 PM

Preferences > Sending Books to Device > Metadata Management: Automatic Management

If you don't want that, there's a little dropdown of the Device toolbar button something like "update cached metadata on device."

Hyperlynx · 02-05-2021, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Preferences > Sending Books to Device > Metadata Management: Automatic Management

If you don't want that, there's a little dropdown of the Device toolbar button something like "update cached metadata on device."

No, that hasn't done it...

(I thought it did, but I just got confused by how the book was already titled).

Sirtel · 02-05-2021, 10:24 PM

If you're speaking about a Kindle, there's no other way than to send them over again. You can't update the books already on the device.

Hyperlynx · 02-05-2021, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

If you're speaking about a Kindle, there's no other way than to send them over again. You can't update the books already on the device.

Damn. I am, yes.

Oh well

I don't suppose there's any way to magically pull out the annotation data and associate it with a new book? :/

Sirtel · 02-05-2021, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hyperlynx

I don't suppose there's any way to magically pull out the annotation data and associate it with a new book? :/

Sorry, no idea, as I don't annotate. Perhaps someone else knows the answer.

Hyperlynx · 02-05-2021, 10:37 PM

Right... well, thanks for the help anyway. At least now I know.

I did end up deleting and re-loading some of them, and then realised too late that I'd *extensively* annotated them. It was the Aubrey-Maturin series. I had gone and looked up what all the nautical terms meant, and annotated them in...

ownedbycats · 02-05-2021, 10:59 PM

The first post of the Annotations plugin says that it can fetch annotations from Kindle, although I'm not sure if it currently works and even if so it wont be able to put them back. But it can work as a rough backup at least.

theducks · 02-06-2021, 10:15 AM

(not tested, a bit tedious)
Since annotations is a simple text file (clippings.txt), copy that to a WORK AREA on your PC (a backup).

Now add your new book version: Make a simple annotation in the new book (causes a new note to be added to clippings.txt): find that with a text editor (notepad), Add your old BOOKS notes (merge) into that. USE CARE TO NOT MODIFY THE STRUCTURE OF CLIPPINGS. (you do have a backup)
Make note to self: 'don't change titles AFTER making notes in that book

davidfor · 02-06-2021, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

(not tested, a bit tedious)
Since annotations is a simple text file (clippings.txt), copy that to a WORK AREA on your PC (a backup).

Now add your new book version: Make a simple annotation in the new book (causes a new note to be added to clippings.txt): find that with a text editor (notepad), Add your old BOOKS notes (merge) into that. USE CARE TO NOT MODIFY THE STRUCTURE OF CLIPPINGS. (you do have a backup)
Make note to self: 'don't change titles AFTER making notes in that book

While that will work to update the My Clippings.txt file, it does not make the annotations available when reading the book. The My Clippings.txt file, is really just a log of any annotation and highlights made. Doing this will allow the Annotations plugin and other tools that read the file to get them. But, it isn't used by the device to display annotations when reading.

jhowell · 02-07-2021, 09:43 AM

On a Kindle device the actual annotations are stored in a separate file for each book. More details here.

Whether or not you can transfer annotations from one book to another by copying that file is unknown. Certainly any changes to a book that impact the internal structure will result in annotations being linked to the wrong content.

02-05-2021, 10:06 PM	#1
Hyperlynx Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2021 Device: Kindle Touch	How do I update the titles on my device? I've started updating the Series information of my library, and I've set up a plugboard. For books I newly transfer to my device, the title is correctly set how I want it (based on the series and book number). But how do I get existing books to update? I could remove them and re-add, but I don't want to do that because it'll lose all my annotations.

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02-05-2021, 10:16 PM	#2
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,799 Karma: 74203799 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Preferences > Sending Books to Device > Metadata Management: Automatic Management If you don't want that, there's a little dropdown of the Device toolbar button something like "update cached metadata on device."

02-05-2021, 10:24 PM	#4
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,343 Karma: 238311259 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	If you're speaking about a Kindle, there's no other way than to send them over again. You can't update the books already on the device.

02-05-2021, 10:37 PM	#7
Hyperlynx Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2021 Device: Kindle Touch	Right... well, thanks for the help anyway. At least now I know. I did end up deleting and re-loading some of them, and then realised too late that I'd extensively annotated them. It was the Aubrey-Maturin series. I had gone and looked up what all the nautical terms meant, and annotated them in...

02-05-2021, 10:59 PM	#8
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,799 Karma: 74203799 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	The first post of the Annotations plugin says that it can fetch annotations from Kindle, although I'm not sure if it currently works and even if so it wont be able to put them back. But it can work as a rough backup at least.

02-06-2021, 10:15 AM	#9
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,939 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	(not tested, a bit tedious) Since annotations is a simple text file (clippings.txt), copy that to a WORK AREA on your PC (a backup). Now add your new book version: Make a simple annotation in the new book (causes a new note to be added to clippings.txt): find that with a text editor (notepad), Add your old BOOKS notes (merge) into that. USE CARE TO NOT MODIFY THE STRUCTURE OF CLIPPINGS. (you do have a backup) Make note to self: 'don't change titles AFTER making notes in that book

02-07-2021, 09:43 AM	#11
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,053 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	On a Kindle device the actual annotations are stored in a separate file for each book. More details here. Whether or not you can transfer annotations from one book to another by copying that file is unknown. Certainly any changes to a book that impact the internal structure will result in annotations being linked to the wrong content.