New update 5.33.2 problem

[Bookworm996]

Previously, I have always drag-dropped kindle azw files, for new books on my kindle, from "my kindle content" folder on my Mac straight into the main library list in Calibre.
The Mac stored azw files names are random (encrypted) names such as B083Y4KC7Q_EBOK.azw. When dropped into the Calibre library, Calibre has always been able to interpret the correct book title automatically from the file and display the title and all the correct corresponding data.
However, since updating to 5.33.2 this no longer happens. The library just displays it as B083Y4KC7Q_EBOK.azw with author, publisher etc unknown.
Is there some setting which needs to be changed or plugin installed or something in the new version?
I have updated many many times over the years but this has never happened before.
Thanks

[kovidgoyal]

Run calibre in debug mode (which you can do by clicking the Preferences menu entry in the menu bar) and post the debug log when adding a book.

[BetterRed]

Make sure the Preferences->Adding Books->Reading metadata (tab)->Read metadata from file contents rather than file name setting is checked.

BR

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Run calibre in debug mode (which you can do by clicking the Preferences menu entry in the menu bar) and post the debug log when adding a book.

Thanks for the response

This is the content of the log:

calibre Debug log
calibre 5.33.2 embedded-python: True is64bit: True
macOS-10.16-x86_64-i386-64bit Darwin ('64bit', '')
('Darwin', '21.1.0', 'Darwin Kernel Version 21.1.0: Wed Oct 13 17:33:01 PDT 2021; root:xnu-8019.41.5~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000')
Python 3.8.5
OSX: ('10.16', ('', '', ''), 'x86_64')
Interface language: en_GB
calibre 5.33.2 embedded-python: True is64bit: True
macOS-10.16-x86_64-i386-64bit Darwin ('64bit', '')
('Darwin', '21.1.0', 'Darwin Kernel Version 21.1.0: Wed Oct 13 17:33:01 PDT 2021; root:xnu-8019.41.5~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6000')
Python 3.8.5
OSX: ('10.16', ('', '', ''), 'x86_64')
Interface language: en_GB
devicePixelRatio: 2.0
logicalDpi: 72.0 x 72.0
physicalDpi: 127.50000191485792 x 127.50000191485789
Using calibre Qt style: True
[0.00] Starting up...
[0.02] Showing splash screen...
[0.22] splash screen shown
[0.22] Initializing db...
[0.24] db initialized
[0.24] Constructing main UI...
[0.86] main UI initialized...
[0.86] Hiding splash screen
Starting QuickView
[24.37] splash screen hidden
[24.37] Started up in 24.37 seconds with 304 books
Added B083Y4KC7Q EBOK to db in: 0.0
Added 1 books in 0.2 seconds

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Make sure the Preferences->Adding Books->Reading metadata (tab)->Read metadata from file contents rather than file name setting is checked.

BR

Thanks.
yes I checked that was set correctly. In fact I have toggled it off - applied and toggled it back on and applied again just to be sure.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bookworm996

Previously, I have always drag-dropped kindle azw files, for new books on my kindle, from "my kindle content" folder on my Mac straight into the main library list in Calibre.
The Mac stored azw files names are random (encrypted) names such as B083Y4KC7Q_EBOK.azw. When dropped into the Calibre library, Calibre has always been able to interpret the correct book title automatically from the file and display the title and all the correct corresponding data.
However, since updating to 5.33.2 this no longer happens. The library just displays it as B083Y4KC7Q_EBOK.azw with author, publisher etc unknown.
Is there some setting which needs to be changed or plugin installed or something in the new version?
I have updated many many times over the years but this has never happened before.
Thanks

Are you sure the eBook has no DRM or you have DeDRM installed and correctly configured?

[kovidgoyal]

According to that there are no errors when adding the book. The only other thing to check is in Preferences->Plugins if you have disabled any of the metadata reader plugins.

[DNSB]

One question is what plugins do you have installed? From what I recall, starting calibre in debug mode or using calibre-debug -g will list the plugins in the screen output with a "Successfully initialized third party plugins: then a list of the plugins separated by &&.

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Are you sure the eBook has no DRM or you have DeDRM installed and correctly configured?

I used to have a Nook and used the drm plugin to convert my kindle purchases. Amazon then changed their file format, so the plugin wouldn't work. But I bought a kindle at that time, and thereafter I continued to use calibre as a library of everything I had already bought or read.

Calibre could always still interpret the title and meta data even though the drm was not being removed.

is it possible that Amazon have changed their format in the last week or so?

[jhowell]

Kindle for Mac will download most books in KFX format unless you have taken steps to prevent it. You need to have the optional KFX Input plugin installed in order for calibre to read the metadata from those.

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle for Mac will download most books in KFX format unless you have taken steps to prevent it. You need to have the optional KFX Input plugin installed in order for calibre to read the metadata from those.

How might I have (mistakenly) taken steps to change or prevent it?
For as long as I can remember, Amazon downloads kindle books into their own sub folders of "my kindle content" as .azw files (along with various other supplementary files)

[DNSB]

You may want to take a look at the Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre thread.

Could it be that your copy of K4Mac has updated itself?

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

According to that there are no errors when adding the book. The only other thing to check is in Preferences->Plugins if you have disabled any of the metadata reader plugins.

I'm getting very confused. I haven't disabled any plugins. The only third party plugin I had (from before Amazon changed their arm) is KFX Output by jhowell.

I have just tried adding a book to the library again (with same result) bu this time I attempted to convert it to azw3. The attached screen shot shows the resulting error.

Another responder mentioned that he thought the kindle files were KFX - to which I responded re the actual azw format.

Doers this screen shot offer any clues?

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You may want to take a look at the Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre thread.

Could it be that your copy of K4Mac has updated itself?

Thanks.

Yes it has. I remember this issue back when I had my Nook and had been used to converting kindle books. And for sometime after, I had indeed prevented Kindle for Mac from updating.

When I changed to kindle reader, I wasn't concerned any more and allowed Kindle to update. Because although I could no longer convert to an pub, I could still continue to use Calibre as a versatile searchable library. Calibre would read the metadata from the randomly named azw file instantly and would present all the data in the calibre library. It has done this successfully for the last couple of years despite updates of Kindle for Mac.

Only last week, after I updated calibre did this functionality appear to end

[Bookworm996]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Kindle for Mac will download most books in KFX format unless you have taken steps to prevent it. You need to have the optional KFX Input plugin installed in order for calibre to read the metadata from those.

You are a star. Initially I did not read your post properly/fully.

I knew I had the KFX output plugin. but I wasn't aware of ever having had the input plugin.

I have just installed it,.... and it's done the trick.

Thank you muchly.