Aura HD Corrupt database?

[patrik]

My Aura HD has worked like a charm since I bought it just after the release.

Until now.

I transfered some books (with Calibre), ejected and removed the cable (exactly like I have done many, many times). But this time the screen looked different. When I entered the library it was empty!! After turning it off and on the books were there but most icons of the front page are "blank" and if I choose one it seems to hang on a blank page. Only thing I can do is turn it off.

When connecting to the computer, Calibre says "Error communicating with device".

---
database disk image is malformed

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 85, in run
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 491, in _books
File "site-packages\calibre\devices\kobo\driver.py", line 1764, in books
DatabaseError: database disk image is malformed
---

Besides a factory reset, what can I do to fix this?


Aura HD, 3.1.1. Calibre 1.17-64bit. extended-plugin.

(I tried to search here but get an error message "token expired"????)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by patrik

When connecting to the computer, Calibre says "Error communicating with device".

---
database disk image is malformed

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 85, in run
File "site-packages\calibre\gui2\device.py", line 491, in _books
File "site-packages\calibre\devices\kobo\driver.py", line 1764, in books
DatabaseError: database disk image is malformed
---

Besides a factory reset, what can I do to fix this?

You can try logging off the Aura HD. Settings => Accounts => Kobo => Signout. Then go through setting up your account again.

A bit less than a factory reset since you will not need to re-update your firmware, etc. but will give you a new database.

Regards,
David

[Ken Maltby]

Yes that is what I would try, if I were in your situation. Keep in mind that the books that are not in the kepub folder will have to be re-processed into your new database, as I understand it.

Luck;
Ken

[patrik]

Thanks guys! Logging out and in again did the trick. Some setup again, logging in to pocket again, etc. but all books still there.

[hoichi]

Run into the same problem. Since my Brokeback Kobo had trouble logging in anyway, I did a factory reset. Luckily turns out after Kobo updates your firmware and authorizes you, it's possible “upgrade” 3.1.1 to 3.0.1 and then turn syncing off. I do suspect the latest firmware is the culprit so I don't fell like updating before something new comes out and is tested by some better men than myself.
Of course, that means I have to go through ADE to upload books I buy from Kobo (or using DeDRM and Calibre) but that beats running the risk of having a disfunctional reader on my hands.

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by hoichi

Run into the same problem. Since my Brokeback Kobo had trouble logging in anyway, I did a factory reset. Luckily turns out after Kobo updates your firmware and authorizes you, it's possible “upgrade” 3.1.1 to 3.0.1 and then turn syncing off. I do suspect the latest firmware is the culprit so I don't fell like updating before something new comes out and is tested by some better men than myself.
Of course, that means I have to go through ADE to upload books I buy from Kobo (or using DeDRM and Calibre) but that beats running the risk of having a disfunctional reader on my hands.

I have some suspicion that there may be changes made by 3.0.1 that are causing the problems being seen, by some, in 3.1.1. If your factory reset gets you back before 3.0.1, I would try skiping right to 3.1.1.

Luck;
Ken

[hoichi]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

I have some suspicion that there may be changes made by 3.0.1 that are causing the problems being seen, by some, in 3.1.1. If your factory reset gets you back before 3.0.1, I would try skiping right to 3.1.1.

Skipping to 3.1.1 seems to be inevitable now, for the startup wizard updates the reader to the latest firmware before letting you do anything else (like turning off sync, for instance).
Any particular reason you should think the problem is introduced by 3.0.1?

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by hoichi

Skipping to 3.1.1 seems to be inevitable now, for the startup wizard updates the reader to the latest firmware before letting you do anything else (like turning off sync, for instance).
Any particular reason you should think the problem is introduced by 3.0.1?

If nothing else you could unplug your modem or router before the factory reset. Then use the update process and file you can download from the sticky in the Developer's Corner. You should be able to connect to your PC with the firmware that the factory reset gives you.

Luck;
Ken

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by hoichi

Skipping to 3.1.1 seems to be inevitable now, for the startup wizard updates the reader to the latest firmware before letting you do anything else (like turning off sync, for instance).
Any particular reason you should think the problem is introduced by 3.0.1?

I think Ken is referring to some issues that seem to be happening after upgrades. Some of them are probably because the 3.0.x firmware was intended only for the Touch and the 3.1.x firmware for the Glo, Aura and Aura HD. Some Touch users who have installed 3.1.1 are seeing problems. But, I can't think of anything specific for the Glo etc uses who installed 3.0.1 and then upgraded to 3.1.x. One thing is that if the upgrade path caused a problem, then doing the factory reset and letting the device update itself to 3.1.1 would have avoided this. This is less likely to result in problems than stepping through the upgrades.

[hoichi]

Originally Posted by davidfor

I think Ken is referring to some issues that seem to be happening after upgrades. Some of them are probably because the 3.0.x firmware was intended only for the Touch and the 3.1.x firmware for the Glo, Aura and Aura HD. Some Touch users who have installed 3.1.1 are seeing problems. But, I can't think of anything specific for the Glo etc uses who installed 3.0.1 and then upgraded to 3.1.x. One thing is that if the upgrade path caused a problem, then doing the factory reset and letting the device update itself to 3.1.1 would have avoided this. This is less likely to result in problems than stepping through the upgrades.

Hey, I din't know 3.0.1 wasn't intended for the Auras. Anyway, maybe I'll try your (and Ken's) recommendations if I run into further problems. For now I'll try to stay on 3.0.1 with the metazoa patch (of all its features the Russian keyboard layout is particularly welcome). Let's see if the 3.0.1 causes any problems by itself.

[patrik]

Is there a way to update the collection/shelves information for the books on the reader? (That info disappeard when the db was rebuilt.)

That would be a nice feature to have for us who tend to organize the books every now and then. :-)

[PeterT]

As long as metadata management is set to Auto in calibre (and of course the shelves were done via calibre) then on reconnect, they will be rebuilt.

[patrik]

Originally Posted by PeterT

As long as metadata management is set to Auto in calibre (and of course the shelves were done via calibre) then on reconnect, they will be rebuilt.

Ok, very good to know. Is there any downside to have it set to auto?

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. You guys are really Kobo's best sale force.


(It took me quite some time to find it (it is late here... ), so if anyone else is searching the option is under Preferences->Import/Export->Sending books to devices.)

[PeterT]

Sorry; I was out at the time so did not direct you to the seting

And no; I've seen zero issues with Auto set. The benefit is that if you ever change any of the shelves for a book in calibre, they will be updated automagically on reconnect.

I make use of that fact, along with David's KoboUtility to move books to either a Finsiehd or Reading collection based on the reading percentage.

[Rev. Bob]

I got an unwelcome New Year's Eve present: sudden shelf duplication. I'd had the problem before and thought I'd successfully gotten rid of it, but my Glo decided to sync as the ball dropped.

Luckily, I had a backup copy of the database from mid-November, so I didn't lose all my collection data. (Almost all of my books are sideloaded.) I did have to pull up my trusty SQLite editor and work some magic with it* to make all of the shelves go away, and then it was just a matter of restoring the old database and filling in the missing data. Since then, I'm making a point of doing manual backups about once a week.

* The shelf table is easy to find, and editing all the entries to give each shelf a unique name is common sense. The key, though, was setting the "needs to be synced" flag on every last shelf. That way, I could sync the device to change the names in the cloud, then delete the shelves and resync to remove the shelves from the cloud. That made all the shelves go away everywhere, except in the uncorrupted backup database...which I also made sure had all shelves set to be synced. Presto, semi-instant restoration!