Error No available formats

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by theducks

But we both believe the same. The Library the OP is looking at with Explorer is not The Library Calibre is currently using (someone may have used Remove Formats: x, creating an empty Library)

I doubt its a mismatch at the library folder level, because its only some books.

@sespr - could you post screen shots (sample attached) of

the File Explorer window you see when you press 'O' on a book showing an empty folder
the File Explorer window you see when you navigate to the book directly

BR

[sespr]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

I doubt its a mismatch at the library folder level, because its only some books.

@sespr - could you post screen shots (sample attached) of

the File Explorer window you see when you press 'O' on a book showing an empty folder
the File Explorer window you see when you navigate to the book directly

BR

Here you go but I may be confusing the issue with these. I have attached three images. When I first discovered the problem I was trying to open the books marked as 232 and got the error message. After running library maintenance and fixing the missing formats it created a second file number 1146 which has only the metadata and cover image but still nothing opens from within calibre. When I click O now it opens the file folder without the book formats.

[eschwartz]

Library Maintenance (which tool -- there are two) should not have created a second book record with a new number???

If you used Restore Database, it should resurrect the old book (232).
The new one (1146) is useless for you, and can be deleted (unless you have added useful metadata since you ran Maintenance).

[sespr]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Library Maintenance (which tool -- there are two) should not have created a second book record with a new number???

If you used Restore Database, it should resurrect the old book (232).
The new one (1146) is useless for you, and can be deleted (unless you have added useful metadata since you ran Maintenance).

I ran check library which found formats missing. I chose to fix them and that is when I got additional folders. Should I run Restore Database? At this point I am reluctant to do anything else as everything I attempt seems to only cause more issues.

An example of what I mean. I just went in from the calibre app and removed the books that had no formats which removed the books from the folder and left the books in the folder which had formats but aren't being seen by calibre. I then added them back using the add books tool and now I again have duplicate copies but only half of them have book formats in them.

I have only been trying to fix this for about 5 books however, I would guess that a 100 or more out of 1400 books are affected and I really don't want to keep making matter worse.

[eschwartz]

In Check Library:

• Extra book formats: These are book format files found in the book's folder but not in the database.
  The only option offered is to delete those files.
• Missing book formats: These are book formats that are in the database but have no corresponding format file in the book's folder.
  The option there is to fix the database so it doesn't think you have the format.

I don't know of any way you could get additional folders.


Do you sync your calibre library, e.g. in Dropbox, OneDrive,Copy.com,Box.com, etc...
A sync conflict could maybe have caused this.



Regardless, I think that folder was there all along.

[eschwartz]

I suggest just moving extraneous files/folders out of calibre's library folder. You can also use Library => Switch/create library ==> Move current library to new location
This will move all files calibre knows about to a new location, leaving behind anything calibre doesn't know about.


Then use Add books (second option, see screenshot) to re-add anything that was left behind.

[sespr]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

In Check Library:

• Extra book formats: These are book format files found in the book's folder but not in the database.
  The only option offered is to delete those files.
• Missing book formats: These are book formats that are in the database but have no corresponding format file in the book's folder.
  The option there is to fix the database so it doesn't think you have the format.

I don't know of any way you could get additional folders.


Do you sync your calibre library, e.g. in Dropbox, OneDrive,Copy.com,Box.com, etc...
A sync conflict could maybe have caused this.



Regardless, I think that folder was there all along.

I don't sync and have never synched the library.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by sespr

Here you go but I may be confusing the issue with these. I have attached three images. When I first discovered the problem I was trying to open the books marked as 232 and got the error message. After running library maintenance and fixing the missing formats it created a second file number 1146 which has only the metadata and cover image but still nothing opens from within calibre. When I click O now it opens the file folder without the book formats.

Picture 1 shows 2 DIFFERENT titles (and their ID's as it should)
Similar is not the same book

1 is a book, the other is an 'Empty Book' (metadata only)
If it HAD formats, they are gone. The question is WHY?

[BetterRed]

@eschwartz & theducks - look at the dates in sespr's second screen shot. IIRC since 2012/13 there was a change to the way in which calibre creates book file names. It was tied up with path lengths, also about the same time Kovid changed calibre's behaviour if a locked file is detected (Windows only). I have vague memory that one or both changes caused a few corner case problems here and there.

Also look at the implied file file associations: .OPF with ebook-viewer.exe and .EPUB, .MOBI with calibre.exe. In File Manager if I open :

• an .OPF file with ebook-viewer.exe I get a "Spine is empty" error popup,
  
• an .EPUB or .MOBI file with calibre.exe it will add the format to the current library according to the Preferences->Add books settings. If the .EPUB or .MOBI is in a current library book folder then it will potentially create duplicate books etc.

@sespr - I suggest you make use of eschwartz' advice in post 21

Originally Posted by eschwartz

.... You can also use Library => Switch/create library ==> Move current library to new location
This will move all files calibre knows about to a new location, leaving behind anything calibre doesn't know about.

Then use Add books (second option, see screenshot) to re-add anything worth keeping that from what's left behind.

BR

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

@eschwartz & theducks - look at the dates in sespr's second screen shot. IIRC since 2012/13 there was a change to the way in which calibre creates book file names. It was tied up with path lengths, also about the same time Kovid changed calibre's behaviour if a locked file is detected (Windows only). I have vague memory that one or both changes caused a few corner case problems here and there.

I forget when that change was.

It is possible the pathnames from sespr's second screenshot are too long and calibre chokes on them.

Also look at the implied file file associations: .OPF with ebook-viewer.exe and .EPUB, .MOBI with calibre.exe. In File Manager if I open :

• an .OPF file with ebook-viewer.exe I get a "Spine is empty" error popup,
  
• an .EPUB or .MOBI file with calibre.exe it will add the format to the current library according to the Preferences->Add books settings. If the .EPUB or .MOBI is in a current library book folder then it will potentially create duplicate books etc.

Accidentally clicking on those and adding them to the library might cause this confusion.

@sespr - I suggest you make use of eschwartz' advice in post 21



BR

Yup -- best way forward. Whatever is the problem, this should fix it.

[sespr]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I suggest just moving extraneous files/folders out of calibre's library folder. You can also use Library => Switch/create library ==> Move current library to new location
This will move all files calibre knows about to a new location, leaving behind anything calibre doesn't know about.


Then use Add books (second option, see screenshot) to re-add anything that was left behind.

This will create another library. I'm assuming it is not going to transfer the 100 or so books out of 1400 that I'm having problems with then I can find them in the old library and add them? Is that correct?

Thanks again for everyone's help.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by sespr

This will create another library. I'm assuming it is not going to transfer the 100 or so books out of 1400 that I'm having problems with then I can find them in the old library and add them? Is that correct?

Thanks again for everyone's help.

That's right - once you have the new library, I suggest you remove the old library from calibre's view (Library->Remove library) it will NOT delete anything, it'll just remove it from calibre's list of known libraries.

Add from what's left if they have anything worth adding, eg if they have no format files then maybe not

Incidentally to find all books with no format files search for formats:false

BR

[theducks]

formats:false only works for a validated Library (which you said it did), because it really is checking the DB formats field, not that the actual file is/or is not really present.


Btw
The Quality check PI has a FIX; Check and rename book paths

That might fix the path length change

[eschwartz]

@sespr,

correct.

@BetterRed,
I would assume the Move Library feature already clears away the old location from calibre's Quick Switch list.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

@BetterRed,
I would assume the Move Library feature already clears away the old location from calibre's Quick Switch list.

@eschwartz - I'm not sure. I've never done a holus-bolus Move Library, to be honest I'd almost forgotten it existed. I thought it just moved the library folder kit-and-caboodle, errors and all, much like a file manager would, with the additional step of changing calibre's control data, IIRC the library list is in a one of the plist files.

I've always done this sort of 'fixing' in baby steps - create a clone, select all books in current library, move books to clone, remove the current library from calibre, move the 'dead' library out of the CalibreData zone into a scratchpad zone, and deal with whats left.

BR