HELP! Have lost ability to read epubs, not only with Calibre's viewer, but with Adobe

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I use the latest Calibre on Windows 10 Pro without any issues.

2 Dell PC's running W10 Pro (up to date). 1 works, 1 has Viewer issues. I think much is (graphics) Hardware dependent.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by lburg801

And someone needs to let Adobe know that they need to make changes as that is the public library's default app for epubs.

ADOBE makes the DRM (method) rules. 4.5.12 seems to be the latest.

DeDRM works around them when they can. Doing so with a BORROWED book is
not condoned.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by theducks

QT6 is one of the GUI building blocks that Calibre uses.
Old Graphics drivers seem to have issues with this version (I have a simple, ATI fanless Graphics card in my older Dell that won't work with the viewer (and minor issues with the main GUI). 7.16 uses the olde QT5... That works for me, I just can't run the Latest Calibre on that system.

Years ago, I had to retire my AMD Athelon mainboard because the modern code required something the CPU did not support. There is a point where old hardware just can't meet the needs of modern apps.

Man, finding info in Win11 is a real challenge! This is what I found under devices for graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630, Driver version 31.0.191.2115

Also, I have a Lenovo ThinkCentre with Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8500 CPU @ 3.00GHz, if that tells you anything.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do you have a laptop with dual graphics chips? If you do, switch which graphics chip calibre is using.

calibre 7 will run on Windows 10 64-bit latest version and Windows 11.

One thing to try is to reboot into safe mode and see if the latest calibre works as long as your Windows 10 is 64-bit. If it's not 64-bit but the computer is, you'll need to basically start over and install Windows 10 64-bit.

I have a Lenovo ThinkCenter with Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-8500 CPU @ 3.00GHz. Calibre worked fine on my old Lenovo ThinkPad, until whatever the heck happened to make ADE4.5 and E-book view stop working. Kovid Goyal had me boot in safe mode and I supplied the info from that in the thread above. This PC has Win11Pro.

It has taken hours to get my ancient software to run on it (like Quicken 2004!) and having FINALLY succeeded, I don't want to start over by changing Windows to an older version.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by lburg801

Now what do I do? Anyway to have it discover my existing libraries in Calibre?

Click on the library icon -> Switch/create library -> Use a previously existing library... Navigate to the location your library is and click OK.

And someone needs to let Adobe know that they need to make changes as that is the public library's default app for epubs.

Adobe doesn't care, they only care about their paid apps.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I use the latest Calibre on Windows 10 Pro without any issues.

That is totally unfair since you probably know enough to figure out what the problem is with my computer which I certainly don't.

Also, that means that whatever is keeping ADE4.5 from working might be specific to my computer. Though the problem began on my old computer. Both are Lenovo products.

But the advent of the problems with both programs may have happened at the same time. Hardware? System file?

What could I have possibly imported from the old computer that would have impacted a new install of ADE4.5? Just Calibre's library and Roaming Folder.

But Peter T. suggested I install the portable version and that works.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by theducks

ADOBE makes the DRM (method) rules. 4.5.12 seems to be the latest.

DeDRM works around them when they can. Doing so with a BORROWED book is
not condoned.

I do it for the convenience of not using ADE and don't do anything nefarious with the books. They are just for me.

My grandchildren and friends get real books from me as gifts. Indeed, my habit of supplying the young ones with gifts led them to buy a Little Free Library for my front yard so that other kids can enjoy the books they've outgrown!

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Click on the library icon -> Switch/create library -> Use a previously existing library... Navigate to the location your library is and click OK.


Adobe doesn't care, they only care about their paid apps.

Yes, I know. If you don't have a paid subscription their BOT has a whole slew of road block to getting to chat with an agent and then they tell you that none is available at the moment and to come back later!

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by Martinoptic

QT6 is the cross platform base upon which Calibre 7 is built.
I have a Lenovo running windows 10 and Calibre 6.29 which seems pretty robust. I’ve had problems with my graphics drivers not installing properly but as calibre 6 runs on QT5 I haven’t run into problems with my ebooks.
If you want to play with different versions of calibre I would suggest copying your library and then use a version of calibre portable on your copy of the library.
As the database control changes between versions, you are advised to use copies of your library whilst giving it a go.
I think though that your problem may with the update to windows 11 as you suggest.
Sorry I can’t help you more.

It is uplifting that people care and try to help others. I'm grateful that you have taken the time to help. Someone with more knowledge than I have could probably use the info that you and others have provided, and truly fix the problem. The portable version works, however so thank goodness for that!

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by lburg801

That is totally unfair since you probably know enough to figure out what the problem is with my computer which I certainly don't.

I didn't mean it in any way patronizingly and I apologize if my reply gave that impression. All I meant was that the latest Calibre is known to work on Windows 10 (and 11), so the problem is something specific to your computer. As the portable install works, probably something in your settings. I'm not actually all that computer savvy either, so it's entirely possible I could not figure it out if it happened to me.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I didn't mean it in any way patronizingly and I apologize if my reply gave that impression. All I meant was that the latest Calibre is known to work on Windows 10 (and 11), so the problem is something specific to your computer. As the portable install works, probably something in your settings. I'm not actually all that computer savvy either, so it's entirely possible I could not figure it out if it happened to me.

That was me being cheeky. I should have added a smiley face! I sincerely appreciate all your help. It is rather amazing, and definitely challenging, that certain chips, etc, can make such a difference in how a program runs. If the cpu's speed, storage and memory were decent, I thought the problems could only be the OS. Clearly that isn't the case. I just love that there is a community of people that care and try to help. Thanks so much, and read my comments again, but with the irony and humor intended!

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by lburg801

Woo-hoo! That worked!



Now what do I do? Anyway to have it discover my existing libraries in Calibre?



And what does that tell those of you who understand how all this works?



What about DeDRM. Is that possible? My head has been spinning through this whole process. Before the C19 epidemic I was making patreon donations to Kovid Goyal. I guess it's time I stepped up again.



And someone needs to let Adobe know that they need to make changes as that is the public library's default app for epubs.

Ok. This seems to say that one of the configuration files in the STANDARD calibre install directory contains a value causing trouble

I'm hoping that someone with more familiarity of the various configuration files could jump in here and suggest the next steps.

I sense that removing one of them is needed but I'd rather not provide bad advice

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Ok. This seems to say that one of the configuration files in the STANDARD calibre install directory contains a value causing trouble

I'm hoping that someone with more familiarity of the various configuration files could jump in here and suggest the next steps.

I sense that removing one of them is needed but I'd rather not provide bad advice

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

ATTENTION @Kovid Goyal!

Of course, ADE4.5 doesn't work either so I have no way to read new books!

[kovidgoyal]

TO me the only suspicious line in your debug output is


qt.qpa.screen: "Unable to open monitor interface to \\\\.\\DISPLAY1:" "The operation completed successfully."


It means Qt is unable to open your monitor/screen. That is probably why the viewer is not coming up. I doubt this has anything to do with configuration files, as this is not something configuration dependent, but since you say calibre portable works, you can try renaming the calibre configuration folder and see if it helps. Go to preferences->miscellaneous->open configuration folder to find the path to the configuration folder. Then quit calibre and rename that folder and then try running the viewer.

[lburg801]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

TO me the only suspicious line in your debug output is


qt.qpa.screen: "Unable to open monitor interface to \\\\.\\DISPLAY1:" "The operation completed successfully."


It means Qt is unable to open your monitor/screen. That is probably why the viewer is not coming up. I doubt this has anything to do with configuration files, as this is not something configuration dependent, but since you say calibre portable works, you can try renaming the calibre configuration folder and see if it helps. Go to preferences->miscellaneous->open configuration folder to find the path to the configuration folder. Then quit calibre and rename that folder and then try running the viewer.

Do you mean renaming the calibre folder in Apps/Roaming or a subfolder?

No matter, this will not solve the bigger puzzle and impediment to borrowing books from the library since ADE4.5 fails to convert the ascm file to an epub when I download a book. Nor am I able to open books in the Kindle app despite them seeming to sync successfully with Amazon and actually being visible.