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Old 04-10-2026, 03:50 AM   #1
milkywaycicada
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Error with EPUBs: File is not a Zip file
Half of the EPUBs (547/1060) in my Calibre Library are coming up with the error: File is not a Zip File. So far though, I haven't found a corrupted one. All of them are able to be opened and read in other EPUB viewers. I have tried renaming them to Zip, which worked but the fix went away when I had to restore my database.

Spoiler:

calibre, version 9.7.0
ERROR: Loading book failed: Failed to open the book at /Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.epub. Click "Show details" for more info.

Failed to convert book: /Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.epub with error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py", line 180, in get_zip_reader
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 813, in __init__
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 848, in _GetContents
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 863, 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 530, in get_file_type_metadata
File "calibre/customize/builtins.py", line 181, in get_metadata
File "calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py", line 285, in get_quick_metadata
File "calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py", line 264, in get_metadata
File "calibre/ebooks/metadata/epub.py", line 183, 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
InputFormatPlugin: EPUB Input running
on /Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.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/conversion/plugins/epub_input.py", line 270, in convert
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 813, in __init__
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 848, in _GetContents
File "calibre/utils/zipfile.py", line 863, 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 198, in _run_module_as_main
File "runpy.py", line 88, in _run_code
File "site.py", line 42, in <module>
File "site.py", line 38, in main
File "calibre/utils/ipc/worker.py", line 194, in main
File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
File "calibre/srv/render_book.py", line 828, in viewer_main
File "calibre/srv/render_book.py", line 819, in render_for_viewer
File "calibre/srv/render_book.py", line 796, in render
File "calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator/book.py", line 64, in extract_book
File "calibre/customize/conversion.py", line 241, in __call__
File "calibre/ebooks/conversion/plugins/epub_input.py", line 277, 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
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Old 04-10-2026, 04:16 AM   #2
DNSB
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Try opening the ePub with a zip utility and then re-saving it. I once found a couple of ePubs from an imprint of a publisher that were not properly ZIPped. I used 7Zip to open them, extract the contents and then rezipped them with a utility that knew enough not to compress the mimetype file.

The error oddly enough was that the first two bytes of the zip archive were pk not PK.
Last edited by DNSB; 04-10-2026 at 04:19 AM.
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Old 04-10-2026, 05:37 AM   #3
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Look at the filename of your epub file

/Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.epub

Notice the ._ at the start. This is not the original epub file. You have something else creating these bogus files in your calibre library folder.
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Old 04-10-2026, 08:50 AM   #4
milkywaycicada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kovidgoyal View Post
Look at the filename of your epub file

/Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.epub

Notice the ._ at the start. This is not the original epub file. You have something else creating these bogus files in your calibre library folder.
Unsure how that would happen. I just ran a test. The ._ format comes up in "Unknown Files in Books" when I run "check my library" on metadata (shown as ._metadata) and the cover (as ._cover) of what looks to be all of the broken books. It looks like the accurate epub file (without ._) is coming up under "Extra Book Formats".
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Old 04-10-2026, 09:13 AM   #5
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just delete those files that start with ._ and you will be fine.
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Old 04-10-2026, 12:23 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kovidgoyal View Post
Look at the filename of your epub file

/Volumes/LaCie/Calibre/YarningChick/My Angel (818)/._My Angel - YarningChick.epub

Notice the ._ at the start. This is not the original epub file. You have something else creating these bogus files in your calibre library folder.
That looks like a temporary (and hidden) filename used by rsync during a file transfer.
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Old 04-10-2026, 12:25 PM   #7
kovidgoyal
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More likely an AppleDouble file https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AppleS...Double_formats
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Old 04-10-2026, 07:14 PM   #8
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Never heard of ti before, but I agree it is more likely.
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