Library and Folders out of sync

abookguy · 08-17-2025, 07:47 PM

I keep my calibre library in dropbox to keep it synced across my various PCs and add books from whichever device is convenient. I did something to get them out of sync and now some books are no longer in my library but the books, covers and metadata files are still in the folder structure.

Is there an easy way to re-add these books into my library? I tried using Library Maintenance --> Restore database but that didn't work.

Thanks in advance!

gbm · 08-17-2025, 08:32 PM

Sign. You have just leaned the hard why this is part of the calibre FAQ:

https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...rked-drive-nas

You may have to recover your books by re-downloading them or getting them from you device.

bernie

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookguy

I keep my calibre library in dropbox to keep it synced across my various PCs and add books from whichever device is convenient. I did something to get them out of sync and now some books are no longer in my library but the books, covers and metadata files are still in the folder structure.

Is there an easy way to re-add these books into my library? I tried using Library Maintenance --> Restore database but that didn't work.

Thanks in advance!

mbovenka · Yesterday, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookguy

Is there an easy way to re-add these books into my library? I tried using Library Maintenance --> Restore database but that didn't work.

I would have expected that to work, but if it didn't, what you can try is creating a new library and use Calibre to move your current one into it. It will copy everything it knows about into the new library, and what's left in the old one is stuff Calibre lost track of. You can re-import those by pointing Add Books (option Add Book from folders and subfolders -> Assume all e-book files in a single folder are multiple formats of the same book -> Yes) at the root directory of your old library.

And keep Calibre away from Dropbox et al in the future. That FAQ warning isn't there just for fun and giggles, as you found out.

theducks · Yesterday, 10:13 AM

That notice mostly apples to the WORKING (the one that drives the GUI) Library and 2-way sync back to a working library.

Simple reason: Only Calibre MUST make changes to any path (file and folder) name or the DB loses track of the book.

Google drive messes with the file names (adds versioning) which destroys the above DB linkages.

There are device Viewers that can use a cloud COPY of the Calibre Library.
THIS COPY SHOULD NEVER - EVER BE MERGED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FOLDER.

Sirtel · Yesterday, 02:15 PM

Dropbox works fine when you only edit and make changes on one computer, and pause syncing while calibre is open (I've had one of my libraries in Dropbox for more than a decade without any issues. I only work with it on my main PC and Dropbox is not running in the background). Problems arise when you make changes on multiple devices and/or have Dropbox continously running - both will corrupt your database.

As folks do forget to pause Dropbox or make changes strictly on one specific device only, it's best to not keep your active library in Dropbox.

08-17-2025, 07:47 PM	#1
abookguy Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2025 Device: kindle	Library and Folders out of sync I keep my calibre library in dropbox to keep it synced across my various PCs and add books from whichever device is convenient. I did something to get them out of sync and now some books are no longer in my library but the books, covers and metadata files are still in the folder structure. Is there an easy way to re-add these books into my library? I tried using Library Maintenance --> Restore database but that didn't work. Thanks in advance!

Yesterday, 02:15 PM	#5
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,607 Karma: 241126341 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Dropbox works fine when you only edit and make changes on one computer, and pause syncing while calibre is open (I've had one of my libraries in Dropbox for more than a decade without any issues. I only work with it on my main PC and Dropbox is not running in the background). Problems arise when you make changes on multiple devices and/or have Dropbox continously running - both will corrupt your database. As folks do forget to pause Dropbox or make changes strictly on one specific device only, it's best to not keep your active library in Dropbox. Last edited by Sirtel; Yesterday at 02:20 PM.

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Yesterday, 10:13 AM	#4
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,113 Karma: 60406498 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	That notice mostly apples to the WORKING (the one that drives the GUI) Library and 2-way sync back to a working library. Simple reason: Only Calibre MUST make changes to any path (file and folder) name or the DB loses track of the book. Google drive messes with the file names (adds versioning) which destroys the above DB linkages. There are device Viewers that can use a cloud COPY of the Calibre Library. THIS COPY SHOULD NEVER - EVER BE MERGED BACK TO THE ORIGINAL FOLDER.