Calibre and new Windows 8 laptops

[SouLThinking]

Ok, someone please help me. I thank you all so much but I've done every suggestion and Calibre is still so painfully slow. I can use my Windows 7 non touchscreen sumsung laptop side by side and Calibre is so must faster on it. This is 2 touchscreen windows 8 acer and toshiba laptops that Calibre is doing this on. When I add a book the screen just freezes for a long time then once the book is in the library it freezes again for a while then it freezes when I convert it freezes when I metadata download. I know someone said it can take a long time for converting books but I did it on the other laptop and it was way quicker. Is there something else that I should check?

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by SouLThinking

Loved to try this but I need to know how LOL

click the little luggage tag icon bottom right corner.

Helen

[SouLThinking]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

click the little luggage tag icon bottom right corner.

Helen

thanks did that..unfortunately still so slow.

[kovidgoyal]

In increasing order of severity:
1) reboot in safe mode to see if one of the programs that runs normally is causing your slowdowns
2) Disable your antivirus (dont just exclude calibre, disable it completely, even uninstall it)
3) Re-install a clean copy of windows 8, from Microsoft.

[Adoby]

Calibre is most likely the most demanding software that most computer users have ever used. It makes it deceptively easy to ask for huge amounts of processing and IO. This is not a fault, more a feature. Calibre let's you use your computer fully for several seconds or even minutes. Other programs spend most of their time waiting for the user to do something. Calibre actually sometimes spends time waiting for the computer to do something.

One possible reason for your experience is that the old books, that you remember converted and was added quickly on the previous computer, were smaller and easy to convert. And that the books you work with now are bigger, bloated and more demanding. Try to add and convert an old book. Compare sizes. Try a book from here, they should be easy to add and convert.

And I reiterate some of the previous advice, not sure what you tried:

Turn off all other programs you don't use. If there are a lot of "free" programs running that came pre-installed with the computer, then they most likely sap a lot of performance. Preferably uninstall them.

Some anti-virus software can also cause problems. Try to disable anti-virus for the folder with the calibre library.

Turn off the tag browser. The panel to the left with the tree structure. It can be slow to update. There are some icons in the lower right of calibre. Try them until you figure out what they do.

If you have a column that shows the format of the books, get rid of it. It can cause slowdown, especially if you sort on it.

Update the harddrive to SSD, if it isn't already.

If you have problems doing any of this, or if you don't get any positive results:

Buy some pc-support from someone that you know is good with computers, and preferably also are a calibre user. Take your friend out to dinner or do something fun togethe. Be explicit about trying to bribe them to help with fixing your computer. Ask for help to uninstall the "free" junk software and optimize performance with calibre. Let them borrow the computer for a few days to experiment,.

Return the computer and get another or perhaps the same. Demand that it is fully functional but configured without any extra "free" software and with SSD. Offer to pay extra if needed.

[SouLThinking]

Originally Posted by Adoby

Calibre is most likely the most demanding software that most computer users have ever used. It makes it deceptively easy to ask for huge amounts of processing and IO. This is not a fault, more a feature. Calibre let's you use your computer fully for several seconds or even minutes. Other programs spend most of their time waiting for the user to do something. Calibre actually sometimes spends time waiting for the computer to do something.

One possible reason for your experience is that the old books, that you remember converted and was added quickly on the previous computer, were smaller and easy to convert. And that the books you work with now are bigger, bloated and more demanding. Try to add and convert an old book. Compare sizes. Try a book from here, they should be easy to add and convert.

And I reiterate some of the previous advice, not sure what you tried:

Turn off all other programs you don't use. If there are a lot of "free" programs running that came pre-installed with the computer, then they most likely sap a lot of performance. Preferably uninstall them.

Some anti-virus software can also cause problems. Try to disable anti-virus for the folder with the calibre library.

Turn off the tag browser. The panel to the left with the tree structure. It can be slow to update. There are some icons in the lower right of calibre. Try them until you figure out what they do.

If you have a column that shows the format of the books, get rid of it. It can cause slowdown, especially if you sort on it.

Update the harddrive to SSD, if it isn't already.

If you have problems doing any of this, or if you don't get any positive results:

Buy some pc-support from someone that you know is good with computers, and preferably also are a calibre user. Take your friend out to dinner or do something fun togethe. Be explicit about trying to bribe them to help with fixing your computer. Ask for help to uninstall the "free" junk software and optimize performance with calibre. Let them borrow the computer for a few days to experiment,.

Return the computer and get another or perhaps the same. Demand that it is fully functional but configured without any extra "free" software and with SSD. Offer to pay extra if needed.

First of all thanks for all of the suggestions. I have done almost everything you have said.
This is the 2nd laptop in weeks that has done this.
Side by side I have my old Samsung (old but only 2 yrs) and I can convert the same book on both and samsung is 3 x's faster. It doesn't freeze between functions. Also, I have uninstalled my antivirus to see if that was the issue. I restarted in safemode (not sure what to do then) I tried using Calibre in safemod (cuz like I said I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing) and Calibre was just as slow. I don't have but 5 columns showing.
I just converted and downloaded metadata for 4 books on my samsung in the time it took to add one book in the new one. OMG I am so frustrated.

[SouLThinking]

"Update the harddrive to SSD, if it isn't already. "
I don't have any idea how to do that? I can learn ..I have taught myself all I know about computers..no formal training. So just give me steps.

After googling this I see this is something a Computer shop would have to do which I am broke since I just bought this new laptop. I am so upset that I buy something ..2 somethings..and neither new computer can run Caibre like my older one.

[SouLThinking]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

In increasing order of severity:
1) reboot in safe mode to see if one of the programs that runs normally is causing your slowdowns
2) Disable your antivirus (dont just exclude calibre, disable it completely, even uninstall it)
3) Re-install a clean copy of windows 8, from Microsoft.

I wasn't sure what to do one I rebooted in safe mode. I tried Calibre while in safe mode and same trouble happens.
I completely uninstalled my antivirus..no improvement
Does it cost to reinstall windows 8?
This laptop is days old. I can't afford to spend money on it.

[taming]

In Windows 8, open the charm bar, choose search==>settings. Then type in refresh and click on refresh your PC. It will restore you to what it was like when it shipped from the factory. Then either return the lappy because you have decided it is underpowered or defective or install calibre as your first program and see if it works when you have no other things running other than whatever the manufacturer has installed.

I have never had a problem with Calibre on my Lenovo Yoga 13 laptop (which is not particularly powerful but which does have a SSD)or on my Windows 8 desktops.

[Adoby]

It seems that the new laptop is no good. Either because some problems with the hardware or because some problems with the software. I would suggest that you go back to where you bought it and explain your disappointment. Show them the problem if needed. And either ask them to fix it or take the new laptop back.

If they can't fix the problem, spend some of the money you get back on extra memory and a new fast SSD disk for your old laptop, including a replacement, and possibly a new battery if the old is starting to loose capacity, and be happy. Wait a year or two, and try to upgrade again.

[speakingtohe]

Perhaps install an older version of calibre. Not too old just maybe 3 or four versions back. If you have the 64 bit version install a 32 bit. Or the opposite. You can have both at same time although only one can run at once.

Might not work but easy enough to do.

Helen

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by SouLThinking

When you say update windows 8? My laptop does the windows updates automatically. How else do I update it? I am sorry if I seem stupid but I just haven't dealt with Windows 8 before these 2 fiascos.

Yes, that is the updating I was referring to.

I think the suggestions along the lines of replacing your hard drive, etc, are spurious. Calibre works just fine with Windows 8 on quite ordinary and older notebooks and PCs with many and big books, so the issue you are having is almost certainly related to your particular environment.

Similarly the suggestions related to refreshing Windows are likely to give no result; you have had the same problem on two notebooks, it is hard to imagine that both had faulty Windows installations.

What differentiates the two new notebooks you have tried from your previous is that they have touchscreens, so putting aside the possibility that you have done something silly in Calibre itself (which is unlikely if the library is the same as before), that is where I would tend to look now. Maybe someone who uses a touchscreen can comment as to whether they have encountered problems or not?

You may be able to temporarily disable the touch for you screen to see if that is where the problem lies. Try in Control Panel>Device Manager>Human interface devices looking for a touchscreen device and if found disable it. Reboot (but check that it does not automatically reinstall the touch) and then try Calibre again.

If that is not found, and maybe try anyway, try disabling your graphics adapter (Control Panel>Device Manger>Display adapters) and see if that corrects Calibre's behaviour.

If those don't make the problem go away then I would suggest going to the notebook manufacturer's web site and find your notebook in their support section and check if there is an updated driver for your touchscreen and for your graphics adapter.

One or both of these drivers are likely the same on both notebooks that you have tried so that could be a common link as to why both notebooks had a problem with Calibre.

None of the above explains why you don't have similar visible problems with applications other than Calibre, but it may just be that none of those are not as processor and drive access intensive as calibre is; so they may be suffering the same issue but that is just not visually obvious.

Another possibility, but of fairly low probability as the issue is common to two notebooks tried, is that there is some sort of access problem to your library. If your library is in Calibre's default location, it may be worthwhile copying everything inside the folder your library is now in (using Windows Explorer, not Calibre) to a new folder that you have created yourself (if your drive is partitioned into C: and D: drives I would suggest putting it on the D: drive, not on C: ); then point Calibre to that as a new library and see if there is any improvement. Also, as Helen has suggested, try an older version of Calibre.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Yes, that is the updating I was referring to.

I think the suggestions along the lines of replacing your hard drive, etc, are spurious. Calibre works just fine with Windows 8 on quite ordinary and older notebooks and PCs with many and big books, so the issue you are having is almost certainly related to your particular environment.

Similarly the suggestions related to refreshing Windows are likely to give no result; you have had the same problem on two notebooks, it is hard to imagine that both had faulty Windows installations.

What differentiates the two new notebooks you have tried from your previous is that they have touchscreens, so putting aside the possibility that you have done something silly in Calibre itself (which is unlikely if the library is the same as before), that is where I would tend to look now. Maybe someone who uses a touchscreen can comment as to whether they have encountered problems or not?

You may be able to temporarily disable the touch for you screen to see if that is where the problem lies. Try in Control Panel>Device Manager>Human interface devices looking for a touchscreen device and if found disable it. Reboot (but check that it does not automatically reinstall the touch) and then try Calibre again.

If that is not found, and maybe try anyway, try disabling your graphics adapter (Control Panel>Device Manger>Display adapters) and see if that corrects Calibre's behaviour.

If those don't make the problem go away then I would suggest going to the notebook manufacturer's web site and find your notebook in their support section and check if there is an updated driver for your touchscreen and for your graphics adapter.

One or both of these drivers are likely the same on both notebooks that you have tried so that could be a common link as to why both notebooks had a problem with Calibre.

None of the above explains why you don't have similar visible problems with applications other than Calibre, but it may just be that none of those are not as processor and drive access intensive as calibre is; so they may be suffering the same issue but that is just not visually obvious.

Another possibility, but of fairly low probability as the issue is common to two notebooks tried, is that there is some sort of access problem to your library. If your library is in Calibre's default location, it may be worthwhile copying everything inside the folder your library is now in (using Windows Explorer, not Calibre) to a new folder that you have created yourself (if your drive is partitioned into C: and D: drives I would suggest putting it on the D: drive, not on C: ); then point Calibre to that as a new library and see if there is any improvement. Also, as Helen has suggested, try an older version of Calibre.

Another suggestion for some reason prompted by above post.

Create a new calibre library. Copy 1,000 books from your old library using the very fast copy to library function. See if it is faster, if it is copy 2,000 additional books etc.. If you use the same structure option when creating your new library, you will at the very least wind up with a lean mean version and a brand new database

Helen

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by SouLThinking

... I have a toshiba which I am surprised you knew that because I don't think I said it..

You wrote in your first post

Originally Posted by SouLThinking

...was too slow of a processor so I took it back and bought a toshiba with...

Following on from the post of AnotherCat, with which I agree 100%, and the one from speakingtohe.

If after trying their suggestions Calibre is still running slow then the next thing I would want to do is to satisfy myself that Calibre is not the cause of the problem. Not because I think Calibre is the culprit, but I'd want to be 100% sure because the next thing I would try would take me most-of/more-than a day to do, and it may 'break' other things.

1. First up I'd move the Temporary and Configuration Data, there are two Environment Variables you can use to achieve this - see http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/customize.html.
   
   With Calibre closed down, I'd try the one relating to temporary files first, you'll need to create a folder- e.g. C:\CalibreTemp, and then set CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR to refer to it. Then start calibre and test.
   
   If that has no effect, then I'd try the one relating to the configuration data, again you'll need to create a folder - e.g. C:\CalibreConfig. And then copy ALL the Configuration Data into it (Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre config... will open current location), and then set CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY to refer to it.
   
   If either one of them fixes the problem in regular calibre, then let us know which one. If they don't have any effect then close calibre down and delete the two folders and environment variables. .
   
2. The next thing I'd try is to Install the portable version from http://calibre-ebook.com/download. The portable version runs independently of the 'regular' version, so there's no danger of losing anything. But if you have doubts then backup your library and configuration settings.
   
   Make sure calibre is not running before running the portable install, I'll assume you install it at the root of your C: drive. After the install it will ask if you want to run the program - select yes, a wizard will run and then calibre will start showing a one book library. Now close portable calibre.
   
   You will have a folder named C:/Calibre Portable, in it there will be a subfolder named Calibre Library and some other folders and the calibre portable executable file.
   
   Now start regular calibre, if your regular library is named Calibre Library then I suggest you rename it via Library->Rename to something like Main Library.
   
   Now tell calibre regular about the library at C:/Calibre Portable/Calibre Library, see attachment, the one book library will open. Now switch back to the Main Library, and copy the books from the Main Library to the Calibre Library, do NOT select the delete after copy option.
   
   Now close down regular calibre, and start the portable version, you wont have any optional plugins or custom columns. If the performance problems persist then I would be satisfied that Calibre itself is not the problem, so I'd drop out of this process.
   
3. Performance OK with Portable
   
   If the performance problems are not apparent in the portable version, then its most likely something to do with the a custom column, or an optional plugin. If you get to this point you have a choice
   
   
   • continue using the Portable version,
   • use it to help diagnose what's causing the problems when you use the regular version.
   
   So let us know what you want to do in this situation.

Bad Performance in Calibre Portable too

Assuming I did not have a real MS install DVD, I would do a repair/install from a downloaded MS ISO, which will enable you to do what Kovid suggested when he wrote,

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

3) Re-install a clean copy of windows 8, from Microsoft.

Warning the ISO will be big, so it may take a while to download. You will find detailed instructions here http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html

Whilst the ISO is downloading, I would create a Custom System Image of your system as it is now see ==> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2748351

You may have problems with some programs after doing this. IIRC after doing this on my Win7 I had problems with Firefox, I think I had to reinstall some add ons, and there were 1 or 2 other programs that I had to reinstall. But given how much software I have I was really surprised at how few problems there were. On a couple of other peoples Win7 systems that have got into a mess its been 100% good.

BR

[SouLThinking]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

You wrote in your first post



Following on from the post of AnotherCat, with which I agree 100%, and the one from speakingtohe.

If after trying their suggestions Calibre is still running slow then the next thing I would want to do is to satisfy myself that Calibre is not the cause of the problem. Not because I think Calibre is the culprit, but I'd want to be 100% sure because the next thing I would try would take me most-of/more-than a day to do, and it may 'break' other things.

1. First up I'd move the Temporary and Configuration Data, there are two Environment Variables you can use to achieve this - see http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/customize.html.
   
   With Calibre closed down, I'd try the one relating to temporary files first, you'll need to create a folder- e.g. C:\CalibreTemp, and then set CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR to refer to it. Then start calibre and test.
   
   If that has no effect, then I'd try the one relating to the configuration data, again you'll need to create a folder - e.g. C:\CalibreConfig. And then copy ALL the Configuration Data into it (Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre config... will open current location), and then set CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY to refer to it.
   
   If either one of them fixes the problem in regular calibre, then let us know which one. If they don't have any effect then close calibre down and delete the two folders and environment variables. .
   
2. The next thing I'd try is to Install the portable version from http://calibre-ebook.com/download. The portable version runs independently of the 'regular' version, so there's no danger of losing anything. But if you have doubts then backup your library and configuration settings.
   
   Make sure calibre is not running before running the portable install, I'll assume you install it at the root of your C: drive. After the install it will ask if you want to run the program - select yes, a wizard will run and then calibre will start showing a one book library. Now close portable calibre.
   
   You will have a folder named C:/Calibre Portable, in it there will be a subfolder named Calibre Library and some other folders and the calibre portable executable file.
   
   Now start regular calibre, if your regular library is named Calibre Library then I suggest you rename it via Library->Rename to something like Main Library.
   
   Now tell calibre regular about the library at C:/Calibre Portable/Calibre Library, see attachment, the one book library will open. Now switch back to the Main Library, and copy the books from the Main Library to the Calibre Library, do NOT select the delete after copy option.
   
   Now close down regular calibre, and start the portable version, you wont have any optional plugins or custom columns. If the performance problems persist then I would be satisfied that Calibre itself is not the problem, so I'd drop out of this process.
   
3. Performance OK with Portable
   
   If the performance problems are not apparent in the portable version, then its most likely something to do with the a custom column, or an optional plugin. If you get to this point you have a choice
   
   
   • continue using the Portable version,
   • use it to help diagnose what's causing the problems when you use the regular version.
   
   So let us know what you want to do in this situation.

Bad Performance in Calibre Portable too

Assuming I did not have a real MS install DVD, I would do a repair/install from a downloaded MS ISO, which will enable you to do what Kovid suggested when he wrote,



Warning the ISO will be big, so it may take a while to download. You will find detailed instructions here http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html

Whilst the ISO is downloading, I would create a Custom System Image of your system as it is now see ==> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2748351

You may have problems with some programs after doing this. IIRC after doing this on my Win7 I had problems with Firefox, I think I had to reinstall some add ons, and there were 1 or 2 other programs that I had to reinstall. But given how much software I have I was really surprised at how few problems there were. On a couple of other peoples Win7 systems that have got into a mess its been 100% good.

BR

Holy freaking cow you made me fell so stupid. I am so lost. I am scared of the temp file thing you said to do. I have to really go look at this step by step.

First up I'd move the Temporary and Configuration Data, there are two Environment Variables you can use to achieve this - see http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/customize.html.

With Calibre closed down, I'd try the one relating to temporary files first, you'll need to create a folder- e.g. C:\CalibreTemp, and then set CALIBRE_TEMP_DIR to refer to it. Then start calibre and test.

If that has no effect, then I'd try the one relating to the configuration data, again you'll need to create a folder - e.g. C:\CalibreConfig. And then copy ALL the Configuration Data into it (Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre config... will open current location), and then set CALIBRE_CONFIG_DIRECTORY to refer to it.

If either one of them fixes the problem in regular calibre, then let us know which one. If they don't have any effect then close calibre down and delete the two folders and environment variables. .

Ok I went to C and made a CalibreTemp folder. Now how do I go change where calibre points to? I went into miscellaneous but don't know what to do from there.