Stop the Damn Sync!

[MickeyC]

Every time I plug my 505 into my laptop, it syncs and copies everything in my laptop library onto my reader leaving no available memory.

I just got a new laptop and authorized it for the Sony. I then downloaded all the eBooks in my account with Sony to the eReader Library on my laptop but I only have some of these books actually on my reader. Anyway, the first time I plugged my reader into the new laptop, it synced all the books on the laptop over to the reader. How do I get it to stop doing that?

I went into my reader and deleted all the books I didn't want on there. But the next time I plugged my reader into the laptop it moved all the books again from the laptop to the reader.

This didn't happen with my old laptop. How do I stop it from happening with this one?

Also what does the double arrow icon above the book icon mean? Similarly, in the reader library on the laptop, what does the little blue ball in the bottom left of the book icon mean.

And when I actually move a book from the laptop to the reader, should I put it in the library or into the appropriate collection?

Also, when I go into the reader when it's plugged into my laptop and try to delete a book with the double arrow over the book icon, I get the message that I can't do that and that it'll be deleted during the next sync which never happens.

[Solitaire1]

It sounds like the Sony Reader Library (SRL) is set to sync your entire ebook collection to your ereader. The way I deal with this issue is to sync only certain collections to my ereader, rather than my entire ebook library. I use collections to manage not only the ebooks that are loaded on my ereader but also where they will be stored (internal memory or SD card).

The following are step-by-step instructions to set up the collections and set them (and only them) to sync to your ereader:

• Create collections in the SRL by clicking the Plus button at the bottom left corner of the screen.
• Drag and drop the ebooks into the appropriate collections. You can drop the same ebook into more than one collection and you don't have to load all of your ebooks into collections.
• If you want, go into each collection and order them the way that you want. When you add an ebook to the collection it will be added to the end of the list, but you can rearrange them by dragging and dropping.
• Connect your ereader. When the sync process begins cancel it.
• In the list on the left you will see an item labeled "Reader." This is for your ereader's internal memory. Click on the triangle to its left and this will bring up a list which includes the item "Sync." Click on that item.
• A list of the items to be synched to your ereader will appear. If "Library" and "Books" are checked uncheck them ("Library" causes your entire library to be synched to your ereader, and "Books" causes all of your ebooks to be synched to your ereader).
• Click on the collections that you want synched to your ereader.
• When you are finished click on the "Sync Now" button.
• If you have a memory card or cards installed in your ereader, repeat the same process for the memory card(s) as you did for the "Library," which will put appropriate collections on the memory card(s).

Now, only the collections you designated for synching and the ebooks they contain will be loaded on your ereader after you sync it with the SRL. When you add or delete ebooks from those collections the changes will be reflected on your ereader the next time you sync it.

I hope this helps.

[MickeyC]

Problem is I already have five Collections on my eBook reader. Do I just recreate them in the SRL in my new laptop, then add the same books that are in those collections on the 505?

Thanks

[alfredopp]

Personally I believe sync causes too many problems, I prefer to keep that option off. What you can do to manually turn it off is open your reader thru My Computer as if it was a removable disk.

You will find there a folder called database, and inside this you will find another one called sync. Delete this folder. This will prevent SRL from syncing automatically.

Then move your books (and your collections) manually by dragging and dropping.

Regarding your other questions, the double arrow on the corner means the book has been synced with your library so it cannot be deleted directly. But after you delete the folder I told you those arrows should be gone and you will be able to delete books.

As for the blue? (do you mean pink or purple?) ball that means the book is new and unread.

Hope I helped a bit!

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Problem is I already have five Collections on my eBook reader. Do I just recreate them in the SRL in my new laptop, then add the same books that are in those collections on the 505?

Thanks

I think that's what you'll need to do. My guess is that the SRL on your new laptop doesn't reflect the settings of the SRL on your old laptop (such as collections to sync) so it's working with the defaults and loading all of the ebooks on your reader. For me, it not just with the SRL but whenever I install a program on a new computer I have to recreate the settings I was using on the old computer.

[petercreasey]

Originally Posted by alfredopp

Personally I believe sync causes too many problems, I prefer to keep that option off. What you can do to manually turn it off is open your reader thru My Computer as if it was a removable disk.

You will find there a folder called database, and inside this you will find another one called sync. Delete this folder. This will prevent SRL from syncing automatically.

Then move your books (and your collections) manually by dragging and dropping.

Alfred, Definitely good advice!

The sync option is problematical and the other approach you mention is advisable.

[whiz16]

Originally Posted by alfredopp

Personally I believe sync causes too many problems, I prefer to keep that option off. What you can do to manually turn it off is open your reader thru My Computer as if it was a removable disk.

You will find there a folder called database, and inside this you will find another one called sync. Delete this folder. This will prevent SRL from syncing automatically.

Then move your books (and your collections) manually by dragging and dropping.

Regarding your other questions, the double arrow on the corner means the book has been synced with your library so it cannot be deleted directly. But after you delete the folder I told you those arrows should be gone and you will be able to delete books.

As for the blue? (do you mean pink or purple?) ball that means the book is new and unread.

Hope I helped a bit!

hi alfred , i'm jus wondering how do you manage to sort out the books into collection in this case. i tried manually moving my books but i have no idea how to create collections without using the reader software

[Worldwalker]

Try Calibre.

[MickeyC]

Thanks all! I am well on my way to resolving this issue. Have got it to stop syncing (I don't need no syncing Sony software!) and am recreating my collections.

[rebarnmom]

Originally Posted by alfredopp

Personally I believe sync causes too many problems, I prefer to keep that option off. What you can do to manually turn it off is open your reader thru My Computer as if it was a removable disk.

You will find there a folder called database, and inside this you will find another one called sync. Delete this folder. This will prevent SRL from syncing automatically.

Then move your books (and your collections) manually by dragging and dropping.

Regarding your other questions, the double arrow on the corner means the book has been synced with your library so it cannot be deleted directly. But after you delete the folder I told you those arrows should be gone and you will be able to delete books.

As for the blue? (do you mean pink or purple?) ball that means the book is new and unread.

Hope I helped a bit!

A BIT? You have no idea what a help you've been!!

I had given up on trying to figure this "Sync" problem out! It wouldn't let me delete anything that was synced, including music, which I decided that I didn't need and never used. I tried over & over to fix my double collections without success.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by rebarnmom

A BIT? You have no idea what a help you've been!!

I had given up on trying to figure this "Sync" problem out! It wouldn't let me delete anything that was synced, including music, which I decided that I didn't need and never used. I tried over & over to fix my double collections without success.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I've been using the Sony Reader Library (SRL) for a while and I haven't had any problems with syncing as long as I follow these rules:

- I only do my ebook management (added/deleting ebooks to the SRL, creating/deleting collections, and adding/removing books from collections) in the SRL without my ereader connected to my computer. One reason for this is that if your ereader is connected to your computer while you are using the SRL, each time you make a change in the SRL it will cause your ereader to sync.

- I only sync collections to my ereader, not my entire ebook library (see my earlier post).

- Once I have my ebooks, pictures, and books arranged the way I want in the SRL, I connect my ereader and let it sync fully with the SRL. I do nothing with the SRL until it is finished syncing.

The above paragraph should have been:

- Once I have my ebooks, pictures, and music arranged the way I want in the SRL, I connect my ereader and let it sync fully with the SRL. I do nothing with the SRL until it is finished syncing.

- When I finish syncing my ereader I properly disconnect it from my computer (click on the "Eject" button next to my ereader in the SRL).

If you continue to use the SRL, I hope this helps.

[rebarnmom]

Originally Posted by Solitaire1

I've been using the Sony Reader Library (SRL) for a while and I haven't had any problems with syncing as long as I follow these rules:

- I only do my ebook management (added/deleting ebooks to the SRL, creating/deleting collections, and adding/removing books from collections) in the SRL without my ereader connected to my computer. One reason for this is that if your ereader is connected to your computer while you are using the SRL, each time you make a change in the SRL it will cause your ereader to sync.

- I only sync collections to my ereader, not my entire ebook library (see my earlier post).

- Once I have my ebooks, pictures, and books arranged the way I want in the SRL, I connect my ereader and let it sync fully with the SRL. I do nothing with the SRL until it is finished syncing.

- When I finish syncing my ereader I properly disconnect it from my computer (click on the "Eject" button next to my ereader in the SRL).

If you continue to use the SRL, I hope this helps.

Thanks! Good suggestions! I'll try to be more aware of when I am connecting my reader to the SRL. I think most of my problems though have been from way back when I first got my reader, before I even understood what "sync" meant. Eventually I gave up trying to fix the problems, which was quite a while ago.

[Mike_73]

Just a little tip if you don't want SRL to startup when connecting your reader:

Not sure how SRL handles syncing, but I didn't like that SRL started up everytime I connect my reader. I'm handling my files via drag and drop and use SRL only to create collections.

To prevent SRL from starting, use the msconfig command in the start column of windows (if you're running windows). Then there's a tab where you can select and deselect the programs that load at windows startup. If you disable SRL here, then SRL only starts if you chose so.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Mike_73

Just a little tip if you don't want SRL to startup when connecting your reader:

Not sure how SRL handles syncing, but I didn't like that SRL started up everytime I connect my reader. I'm handling my files via drag and drop and use SRL only to create collections.

To prevent SRL from starting, use the msconfig command in the start column of windows (if you're running windows). Then there's a tab where you can select and deselect the programs that load at windows startup. If you disable SRL here, then SRL only starts if you chose so.

Sony recently updated the Sony Reader Library (SRL) to version 2.3. One of the new items in the Preferences allows to set whether the SRL will automatically launch when you connect your ereader to your computer.

[Mike_73]

Ah, ok. Didn't know and everytime I was reminded that there's an update I did decline installing it as I read about others having problems since they installed it.