Glo Problem to rebuild a Kobo database

[bernard.ryefield]

I came across a serious problem which necessitated a logout from my account on my Kobo Glo reader to rebuild the database. For an unknown reason, the logout procedure ends without effect, that is I am unable to logout. I tried a factory reset and completed the procedure but the database wasn't rebuilt and I wasn't logout either.

Here is what I intend to do:

1. Delete manually the database
2. Delete manually the metadata.calibre file
3. Eject the device
4. Turn off the device
5. Take out the SD card
6. Do a factory reset

Do you think I can do that safely? Do you see any other procedure I could use to solve this problem?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bernard.ryefield

I came across a serious problem which necessitated a logout from my account on my Kobo Glo reader to rebuild the database. For an unknown reason, the logout procedure ends without effect, that is I am unable to logout. I tried a factory reset and completed the procedure but the database wasn't rebuilt and I wasn't logout either.

Here is what I intend to do:

1. Delete manually the database
2. Delete manually the metadata.calibre file
3. Eject the device
4. Turn off the device
5. Take out the SD card
6. Do a factory reset

Do you think I can do that safely? Do you see any other procedure I could use to solve this problem?

Which database? The calibre driveinfo.calibre and metadata.calibre files have nothing to do with the Kobo database. A logout or a factory reset should result in a database that is wiped back to factory and asking for you to re-setup your Glo. Unless you have your sideloaded books on an external uSD card, they would also be wiped and you would need to reload them. If you have your books on an external uSD card, your sideloaded books, calibre's files and other content on it would not be affected and your Glo should have re-imported your books after the factory reset or logout/login.

If you are discussing removing the KoboReader.sqlite file from inside the .kobo directory? I've never bothered to do that since the logout/login or factory reset both give you a clean database.

I suspect that if you are seeing issues that are not cleared by the factory reset, you may have an issue with your internal uSD card. There are several threads you may find useful (search is your buddy). The two I would recommend would be the Memory Upgrade Mod Guide (With Pictures) thread and the Kobo Glo: Need SD card image thread.

Did you try the Kobo Glo manual factory reset procedure?

• Power off your eReader. Try holding the power button to the right for 30 seconds
• Press and hold the light button.
• While holding the light button, slide the power button to the right to turn on your eReader. It may take a couple of tries.
• Keep holding the light button until the power light blinks rapidly (discoing).
• Release the light button.
• You should see a Restoring message on the screen

Good luck!

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Which database? The calibre driveinfo.calibre and metadata.calibre files have nothing to do with the Kobo database. A logout or a factory reset should result in a database that is wiped back to factory and asking for you to re-setup your Glo. Unless you have your sideloaded books on an external uSD card, they would also be wiped and you would need to reload them. If you have your books on an external uSD card, your sideloaded books, calibre's files and other content on it would not be affected and your Glo should have re-imported your books after the factory reset or logout/login.

If you are discussing removing the KoboReader.sqlite file from inside the .kobo directory? I've never bothered to do that since the logout/login or factory reset both give you a clean database.

It's the KoboReader.sqlite file I was discussing, as I wrote this database was not cleaned up by the factory reset.

Originally Posted by DNSB

Did you try the Kobo Glo manual factory reset procedure?

• Power off your eReader. Try holding the power button to the right for 30 seconds
• Press and hold the light button.
• While holding the light button, slide the power button to the right to turn on your eReader. It may take a couple of tries.
• Keep holding the light button until the power light blinks rapidly (discoing).
• Release the light button.
• You should see a Restoring message on the screen

Good luck!

I described the factory reset and its effect (or lack of) in my original message.

Originally Posted by DNSB

I suspect that if you are seeing issues that are not cleared by the factory reset, you may have an issue with your internal uSD card. There are several threads you may find useful (search is your buddy). The two I would recommend would be the Memory Upgrade Mod Guide (With Pictures) thread and the Kobo Glo: Need SD card image thread.

I'm really pressed by the time and not really able to decrypt the various operations you point there.

Thank you for your time.

[frostschutz]

are you sure you did a factory reset?

nothing should survive. after factory reset it should not even know which language you want to be using, so language selection screen is the first thing that shows up. then it would download firmware update as that is gone too.

either you're doing something wrong (not actually factory resetting) or ... your data survives factory reset somehow? In theory it would be possible for a mod to break factory reset. Or it could be bad SD card that no longer accepts writes so old data is there to stay forever?

but then you could not copy new books to the device either

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

are you sure you did a factory reset?

nothing should survive. after factory reset it should not even know which language you want to be using, so language selection screen is the first thing that shows up. then it would download firmware update as that is gone too.

either you're doing something wrong (not actually factory resetting) or ... your data survives factory reset somehow? In theory it would be possible for a mod to break factory reset. Or it could be bad SD card that no longer accepts writes so old data is there to stay forever?

but then you could not copy new books to the device either

I did what DNSB described above, after a reset from the settings panel didn't work (not even start). I then did a sync by USB and Kobo Desktop, but at no time I was asked to set the language. It's increasingly odd.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by bernard.ryefield

It's the KoboReader.sqlite file I was discussing, as I wrote this database was not cleaned up by the factory reset.

Deleting the database file and restarting is really all that is needed. In fact, if you delete and disconnect, it will probably prompt you to do the setup. It's a while since I tried that, so it might have changed.

I described the factory reset and its effect (or lack of) in my original message.

Which actually suggests the factory reset didn't happen. How did you start it? From the Device information page of the settings, or using the buttons (as detailed by DNSB)? During the factory reset there are three black screen detailing what is happening. If you didn't see them, the factory reset didn't happen.

I'm really pressed by the time and not really able to decrypt the various operations you point there.

Well, I think you need to take the time. The logout should work. And, a factory reset should work. If they don't, then there is something else happening. And, as others have said, the most likely thing is that the internal SD card in the device is failing. Replacing the card is the most likely thing to solve the problems.

And for the record, it is usually a good idea to detail what the original problem is that you are trying to solve. If we knew what the original "serious problem" was, maybe our suggestions would be different.

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Deleting the database file and restarting is really all that is needed. In fact, if you delete and disconnect, it will probably prompt you to do the setup. It's a while since I tried that, so it might have changed.
Which actually suggests the factory reset didn't happen. How did you start it? From the Device information page of the settings, or using the buttons (as detailed by DNSB)? During the factory reset there are three black screen detailing what is happening. If you didn't see them, the factory reset didn't happen.

Well, I think you need to take the time. The logout should work. And, a factory reset should work. If they don't, then there is something else happening. And, as others have said, the most likely thing is that the internal SD card in the device is failing. Replacing the card is the most likely thing to solve the problems.

See my answer to frostschutz above

Originally Posted by davidfor

And for the record, it is usually a good idea to detail what the original problem is that you are trying to solve. If we knew what the original "serious problem" was, maybe our suggestions would be different.

You are quite right, as usual.
The first thing I noticed was a book sent to the device wasn't green checked on Calibre on a second (USB) connection. The book was on the device in a appropriate directory. I deleted manually this book on the device (probably my mistake) and sent another book with the same effect.

I then suspected one particular book I had sent previously and deleted it from the device with Calibre. I changed its authors name (leaving a dot out) and resent it. But on the following reconnections, Calibre showed the book on the SD Card as FILE MISSING:<old name of the book>.I tried to delete it with Calibre (and refreshed the metadata) to no avail. I tried to harmonize it with the library with the same end result. In between I tried different backups of the database, always showing at the end the FILE MISSING:<> message.
Basically I can add book with Calibre but they don't show up on the device. I can't mark any book as "read". I hope I don't forget anything, but I'm on this problem for a few days now and so much happened I wouldn't be surprised I missed something.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by bernard.ryefield

See my answer to frostschutz above

Did you check the firmware version on the device afterwards? If it didn't go back to an older one, then the factory reset probably didn't actually happen. A failing SD card is the most likely reason for that.

You are quite right, as usual.
The first thing I noticed was a book sent to the device wasn't green checked on Calibre on a second (USB) connection. The book was on the device in a appropriate directory. I deleted manually this book on the device (probably my mistake) and sent another book with the same effect.

I then suspected one particular book I had sent previously and deleted it from the device with Calibre. I changed its authors name (leaving a dot out) and resent it. But on the following reconnections, Calibre showed the book on the SD Card as FILE MISSING:<old name of the book>.I tried to delete it with Calibre (and refreshed the metadata) to no avail. I tried to harmonize it with the library with the same end result. In between I tried different backups of the database, always showing at the end the FILE MISSING:<> message.
Basically I can add book with Calibre but they don't show up on the device. I can't mark any book as "read". I hope I don't forget anything, but I'm on this problem for a few days now and so much happened I wouldn't be surprised I missed something.

All that suggests a corrupt database and the solution is restoring a database backup or logging out. If that doesn't work, then a factory reset should fix it. The failure of these steps says something else is wrong, and the only suggestions I have is to restore an image to the internals SD card, but, I would really suggest replacing the card.

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Did you check the firmware version on the device afterwards? If it didn't go back to an older one, then the factory reset probably didn't actually happen. A failing SD card is the most likely reason for that.

As I synced the device immediately after the "factory reset" (or so I thought) the firmware version was the last, as expected.

Originally Posted by davidfor

All that suggests a corrupt database and the solution is restoring a database backup or logging out. If that doesn't work, then a factory reset should fix it. The failure of these steps says something else is wrong, and the only suggestions I have is to restore an image to the internals SD card, but, I would really suggest replacing the card.

It's really depressing as I am not able to replace the internal card nor buy a new device at the moment.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by bernard.ryefield

It's really depressing as I am not able to replace the internal card nor buy a new device at the moment.

The process is fairly simple. I have done it on a Glo recently. The most complicated part was actually opening the device. I can never remember which corner is the best spot to start. Other than that, you need a PC with a SD card slot or an appropriate adapter.

[bernard.ryefield]

Now it's getting weirder:
I followed the steps I described in my original post and I deleted also the BookReader.sqlite file and the fonts directory.
I did the (failed) factory reset (I wasn't asked to select a language).
After sync with the Kobo Desktop and ejection I find the same files and directory I deleted.
Apparently there is a copy somewhere which is restored when the factory reset is done.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by bernard.ryefield

Now it's getting weirder:
I followed the steps I described in my original post and I deleted also the BookReader.sqlite file and the fonts directory.
I did the (failed) factory reset (I wasn't asked to select a language).
After sync with the Kobo Desktop and ejection I find the same files and directory I deleted.
Apparently there is a copy somewhere which is restored when the factory reset is done.

The device doesn't backup any files. It doesn't have anywhere to do this to as the database can be very big. This is probably sign of how bad the card is. I don't think the changes made when the files are deleted are being saved to the card. When you do them, they seem to work, but when you restart, the device is reading old information from the card.

You could try formatting the books partition from Windows. I have done this in the past and it worked, but I don't know if it will be any different to what you are seeing. And if it does help, it is probably just putting off the inevitable. The card really needs to be replaced.

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by davidfor

You could try formatting the books partition from Windows. I have done this in the past and it worked, but I don't know if it will be any different to what you are seeing. And if it does help, it is probably just putting off the inevitable. The card really needs to be replaced.

What do you call the book partition? Is it the external SD card?

[PeterT]

No. He means the volume that gets mounted on your PC when you connect via USB.

[bernard.ryefield]

Originally Posted by PeterT

No. He means the volume that gets mounted on your PC when you connect via USB.

That is the internal SD card. I'm worried it swipes the whole OS or sensitive files though.

By the way I noticed a strange thing: after the last FW update, the MAC address has changed. I noticed it after I couldn't connect by wi-fi as I put a white list filtering the MAC addresses on my wi-fi hot-spot. I put the new MAC address in the white list but couldn't connect either.