Epub files suddenly not opening?

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 10:57 AM

Hi,

I dont know why, but some of my epub files have suddenly stopped opening.
They were working fine.

What should I do?

Thanks.

Quote:

calibre, version 5.21.0
ERROR: Loading book failed: Failed to open the book at C:\Users\Lenovo\Calibre Library\Yoko Ogawa\The Memory Police (112)\The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa.epub. Click "Show details" for more info.

Failed to convert book: C:\Users\Lenovo\Calibre Library\Yoko Ogawa\The Memory Police (112)\The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa.epub with error:
InputFormatPlugin: EPUB Input running
on C:\Users\Lenovo\Calibre Library\Yoko Ogawa\The Memory Police (112)\The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa.epub
EPUB appears to be invalid ZIP file, trying a more forgiving ZIP parser
Failed to run pipe worker with command: from calibre.srv.render_book import viewer_main; viewer_main()
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre\ebooks\metadata\epub.py", line 161, in get_zip_reader
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 775, in __init__
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 810, in _GetContents
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 825, in _RealGetContents
calibre.utils.zipfile.BadZipfile: File is not a zip file

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre\customize\ui.py", line 433, in get_file_type_metadata
File "calibre\customize\builtins.py", line 198, in get_metadata
File "calibre\ebooks\metadata\epub.py", line 238, in get_quick_metadata
File "calibre\ebooks\metadata\epub.py", line 217, in get_metadata
File "calibre\ebooks\metadata\epub.py", line 164, in get_zip_reader
File "calibre\utils\localunzip.py", line 264, in __init__
File "calibre\utils\localunzip.py", line 240, in _extractall
ValueError: Not a ZIP file
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre\ebooks\conversion\plugins\epub_input. py", line 262, in convert
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 775, in __init__
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 810, in _GetContents
File "calibre\utils\zipfile.py", line 825, in _RealGetContents
calibre.utils.zipfile.BadZipfile: File is not a zip file

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "runpy.py", line 194, in _run_module_as_main
File "runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
File "site.py", line 82, in <module>
File "site.py", line 77, in main
File "site.py", line 49, in run_entry_point
File "calibre\utils\ipc\worker.py", line 197, in main
File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
File "calibre\srv\render_book.py", line 824, in viewer_main
File "calibre\srv\render_book.py", line 815, in render_for_viewer
File "calibre\srv\render_book.py", line 792, in render
File "calibre\ebooks\oeb\iterator\book.py", line 63, in extract_book
File "calibre\customize\conversion.py", line 245, in __call__
File "calibre\ebooks\conversion\plugins\epub_input. py", line 269, in convert
File "calibre\utils\localunzip.py", line 253, in extractall
File "calibre\utils\localunzip.py", line 240, in _extractall
ValueError: Not a ZIP file

theducks · 06-20-2021, 11:22 AM

Something is damaging those files: Not a Zip File

EPUB is just a Zip with a special set of files inside.

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 11:59 AM

Thanks for the response.
Is this a well know problem with a traditional fix?
I do not know what to do.
Thankyou.

itimpi · 06-20-2021, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderofBooks

Thanks for the response.
Is this a well know problem with a traditional fix?
I do not know what to do.
Thankyou.

Definitely not a standard problem.

If files that were previously OK will suddenly not open this implies that you may have a hardware problem of some sort. It could be something simple like the drive being used to store the Calibre files has problems or something more obscure like failing RAM.

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 12:56 PM

This is a brand new laptop, without much software on it. Two months old.
I cannot think of anything which might have caused this.
Whats the best course of action for me to take?
Thanks.

crane3 · 06-20-2021, 01:11 PM

On a hunch, could the books have DRM & not removed? Try using an app to see if it cannot open the same book. Had something like that to me long ago on a "free" book sample from B&N ( 1 chapter) that contained DRM.

PeterT · 06-20-2021, 01:14 PM

Install a tool such as Sigil and see whether it can open the epubs.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

theducks · 06-20-2021, 01:17 PM

how did you add the books? Did you do a simple restore the Library from a backup

Or did you try and ADD from other sources (crane3 may have hit the DRM nail)
Final case is a rogue A/V that has damaged books that WERE already in an existing library (the restored way)

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 01:42 PM

Thanks for the responses.

https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil/releases/tag/1.6.0
I just downloaded this. I will have to figure out how it works.

I had been using a macbook for years, reading my Books on the included app.
I got this new windows laptop and copied all my books from my mac onto an external hard drive, and then downloaded calibre on the PC, and dragged and dropped the books into calibre on this windows PC.

It was working fine, until today. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to using PC's.

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 02:06 PM

Tried opening it with Sigil which states;

Quote:

Cannot unzip EPUB: C:\Users\Lenovo\Calibre Library\Yoko Ogawa\The Memory Police (112)\The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa.epub

KevinH · 06-20-2021, 02:12 PM

Have you turned on file system level encryption by any chance?

Could you have disabled write permission on your temp folder somehow?

Could your AV be interfering with unpacking of zip files in some way?

You could try copying one of the epub files someplace else (to your Desktop perhaps) and rename it to end with .zip and double-click it so Windows archive tool will try to unzip it. Does that also create an error?

ReaderofBooks · 06-20-2021, 02:52 PM

Hi. Yes, that also created an error.

Copied file to desktop, renamed the file extension to .zip
Double clicked it.
Window appeared stating;

[Compressed zipped folders error]
Windows cannot open the folder
The compressed zipped folder 'C: etc,etc' is invalid

gbm · 06-20-2021, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderofBooks

Thanks for the responses.

I had been using a macbook for years, reading my Books on the included app.
I got this new windows laptop and copied all my books from my mac onto an external hard drive, and then downloaded calibre on the PC, and dragged and dropped the books into calibre on this windows PC.

It was working fine, until today. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to using PC's.

If you still have that mac then follow this:

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...ter-to-another

bernie

KevinH · 06-20-2021, 03:29 PM

So that is 3 sources that all use different zip libs, Calibre, Sigil, and Windows itself ....

so something

- has corrupted all your epubs (unlikely)
- something has encrypted all your epubs (ransomware but unlikely).
- something has disabled write permissions on your temp folder?
- or you do not have the proper permissions somehow

On a mac iBooks unzips epubs and replaces the .epub with a folder. Could these all have been unzipped and the folder renamed to .epub somehow?

One other thing to try is to create a second user account (not Lenovo) and login as this new user and try opening a zip archive as that user. A new user account should have proper permissions set at start-up.

Not sure what else to try. If you have access to another computer you might try copying the epub renamed to .zip onto a usb key and trying to unzip the file on that computer.

If that works, then the file itself is just fine. Pointing us to a permissions issue of some sort.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReaderofBooks

Hi. Yes, that also created an error.

Copied file to desktop, renamed the file extension to .zip
Double clicked it.
Window appeared stating;

[Compressed zipped folders error]
Windows cannot open the folder
The compressed zipped folder 'C: etc,etc' is invalid

crane3 · 06-20-2021, 03:57 PM

"I got this new windows laptop and copied all my books from my mac onto an external hard drive, and then downloaded calibre on the PC, and dragged and dropped the books into calibre on this windows PC."

I thought I had read that apple uses its own uncompatible drm scheme from the rest of the world?? If just doing a 'copy' of a book; the book would not be able to be read by a pc or android app. Had not read that Calibre automatically senses the apple drm & 'fixes' it to be readable outside of iBooks.

Maybe I'm too far outdated?

06-20-2021, 02:12 PM	#11
KevinH Sigil Developer Posts: 8,765 Karma: 6000000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: many	Have you turned on file system level encryption by any chance? Could you have disabled write permission on your temp folder somehow? Could your AV be interfering with unpacking of zip files in some way? You could try copying one of the epub files someplace else (to your Desktop perhaps) and rename it to end with .zip and double-click it so Windows archive tool will try to unzip it. Does that also create an error? Last edited by KevinH; 06-20-2021 at 02:37 PM.

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06-20-2021, 11:22 AM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,062 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Something is damaging those files: Not a Zip File EPUB is just a Zip with a special set of files inside.

06-20-2021, 11:59 AM	#3
ReaderofBooks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2021 Device: Calibre	Thanks for the response. Is this a well know problem with a traditional fix? I do not know what to do. Thankyou.

06-20-2021, 12:56 PM	#5
ReaderofBooks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2021 Device: Calibre	This is a brand new laptop, without much software on it. Two months old. I cannot think of anything which might have caused this. Whats the best course of action for me to take? Thanks.

06-20-2021, 01:11 PM	#6
crane3 Guru Posts: 608 Karma: 5007204 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Calif Device: Fire hdx 8.9, Tab S2, Tab S5e, Aura ONE	On a hunch, could the books have DRM & not removed? Try using an app to see if it cannot open the same book. Had something like that to me long ago on a "free" book sample from B&N ( 1 chapter) that contained DRM.

06-20-2021, 01:14 PM	#7
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,528 Karma: 78910202 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Install a tool such as Sigil and see whether it can open the epubs. Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

06-20-2021, 01:17 PM	#8
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,062 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	how did you add the books? Did you do a simple restore the Library from a backup Or did you try and ADD from other sources (crane3 may have hit the DRM nail) Final case is a rogue A/V that has damaged books that WERE already in an existing library (the restored way)

06-20-2021, 01:42 PM	#9
ReaderofBooks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2021 Device: Calibre	Thanks for the responses. https://github.com/Sigil-Ebook/Sigil/releases/tag/1.6.0 I just downloaded this. I will have to figure out how it works. I had been using a macbook for years, reading my Books on the included app. I got this new windows laptop and copied all my books from my mac onto an external hard drive, and then downloaded calibre on the PC, and dragged and dropped the books into calibre on this windows PC. It was working fine, until today. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to using PC's.

06-20-2021, 02:52 PM	#12
ReaderofBooks Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2021 Device: Calibre	Hi. Yes, that also created an error. Copied file to desktop, renamed the file extension to .zip Double clicked it. Window appeared stating; [Compressed zipped folders error] Windows cannot open the folder The compressed zipped folder 'C: etc,etc' is invalid

06-20-2021, 03:57 PM	#15
crane3 Guru Posts: 608 Karma: 5007204 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Calif Device: Fire hdx 8.9, Tab S2, Tab S5e, Aura ONE	"I got this new windows laptop and copied all my books from my mac onto an external hard drive, and then downloaded calibre on the PC, and dragged and dropped the books into calibre on this windows PC." I thought I had read that apple uses its own uncompatible drm scheme from the rest of the world?? If just doing a 'copy' of a book; the book would not be able to be read by a pc or android app. Had not read that Calibre automatically senses the apple drm & 'fixes' it to be readable outside of iBooks. Maybe I'm too far outdated?