New Comp Won't Move/Recognize Old Library

[Mountie]

I have a new computer using Windows 7 and downloaded the latest updated Calibre version. I copied my old Calibre Library to my new computer and have tried to get Calibre to recognize my old library but keep getting error messages or no library recognition.

a) using the New Wizard and selecting the location of the old Library, I get the error message that the folder is not empty please select an empty folder. Of course it's not empty, it has my library in it.

b) by selecting the Switch/Create Library in the Manage Library Tab, when I ask Calibre to use the Library at the new location it tells me that there is no Calibre Library at the new location, when there is.

c) by selecting Switch/Create Library in the Manage Library Tab, when I ask Calibre to move current Library to new location all that shows is a file labeled "metadata" which is 107 KB long and certainly is not the 168 MB that my Library is nor does it show the folders.

I transfered the Calibre Library by manually moving it from my old computer, a Vista Home Edition Premium, to an external hard drive, then copying it to both a separate and the Calibre Folder that Calibre created and have tried to get Calibre to recognize my old library in various ways.

How can I get the new Calibre to recognize my old Library?

I have uninstalled Calibre and reinstalled it so that I could use the New Installation Wizard. I am willing to do anything BUT reload all my books to a new Library. I have almost 2000 books in it and it takes days to get the Metadata and covers fixed in the books.

[Manichean]

Is there a metadata.db in the root folder of your old library?

[chaley]

Beware of the 'hide file extensions' issue. By default, windows will show you the file name without the extension. What this means is that a file with the visible name 'metadata' could have the real name 'metadata.db'. If you rename it to 'metadata.db', then its name will really be 'metadata.db.db', which calibre won't be able to find.

With the option turned on (as I said, the default), you should see the name 'metadata' with type 'Data base file'.

[Seanette]

Originally Posted by chaley

Beware of the 'hide file extensions' issue. By default, windows will show you the file name without the extension. What this means is that a file with the visible name 'metadata' could have the real name 'metadata.db'. If you rename it to 'metadata.db', then its name will really be 'metadata.db.db', which calibre won't be able to find.

With the option turned on (as I said, the default), you should see the name 'metadata' with type 'Data base file'.

Or just go into Settings --> Control Panel --> Folder Options --> View and tell it to quit hiding extensions (uncheck the box that mentions hiding file extensions). Also allows you to see if that JPG attached to an e-mail is really an EXE that'll do nasty things.

I've transferred a Calibre library between computers by copying the "Calibre Library" folder to a USB drive, then copying it to the hard drive of the destination computer in the correct spot.

[Mountie]

Thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by Manichean

Is there a metadata.db in the root folder of your old library?

I had checked the old Calibre Library and I do not see a file like that in the new computer. I did think that was the problem last night, so I took one of the "new" metadata files that Calibre created and stuck it in the old library. It did move the metadata file but not the library, so assume that there is information in the metadata file that would bring the books with it.

I had deleted a file a long time ago, after Cailibre created a spreadsheet with my books on it for me. I assumed this was the file that held the spreadsheet since it wasn't there before. The folder's name was Calibre. BUT it could have been the metadata file. The old comp's Calibre hasn't had any problems working with the old Library since then. I have probably added another 200 books since I deleted that file.

Can I get the other Calibre program on my old computer to create this file? Then I can transfer it to the library on my new computer. The other computer recognizes the library and uses it well.

Originally Posted by Seanette

Or just go into Settings --> Control Panel --> Folder Options --> View and tell it to quit hiding extensions (uncheck the box that mentions hiding file extensions).

chaley & Seanette, thanks I have gone in and switched off the "hide extensions" so I will be able to work with the metadata file properly when I can get one to work.

I look forward to getting any answers that could help.

[itimpi]

The metadata.db file is key to Calibre operation, and without it Calibre will not see any books or their metadata. If Calibre is working on the old computer the file must be there. I wonder if it is set to hidden and you need to set explorer to see hidden files? If it set to be hidden, that might explain why it was not copied if it is not on the new computer.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by Mountie

I had checked the old Calibre Library and I do not see a file like that in the new computer. I did think that was the problem last night, so I took one of the "new" metadata files that Calibre created and stuck it in the old library. It did move the metadata file but not the library, so assume that there is information in the metadata file that would bring the books with it.

Indeed. The metadata.db contains the database of which books calibre manages and their locations, along with the books' metadata. Using just any metadata.db with any library folder isn't going to work, you need to have the database file from when the library folder was last accessed by calibre.

Can I get the other Calibre program on my old computer to create this file? Then I can transfer it to the library on my new computer. The other computer recognizes the library and uses it well.

If you have a working calibre library on your old computer, copy that whole library directory onto the new computer and tell calibre to use it as the library. Be careful to copy it into an empty folder and add books only via the GUI to preserve library consistency.

[Mountie]

OK I will go an take the whole directory from the old computer and not just the folders inside the directory. If it was a hidden file then it might not have been included. I will also go into the control panel on the old comp and get the folders to show the hidden files and extensions that way I can be sure I have the file included.

Oh and thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.

[Mountie]

I have done all that was suggested. I have gone into the comp settings and unhidden files and unhidden file extensions. I did find a hidden file in my old Calibre library. It is a data base file but not a .db file is an .opf file. I have transfered the complete folder onto my new comp. I have made the .opf file bare, ie not contained in a folder like the one that Calibre creates in the new files and just inside the main Library folder.

And Calibre still will not recognize my old library. I have tried switching the location, I have unistalled an reinstalled Calibre and used the Wizard.

The Old Comps Calibre still runs and still uses the files in the old comp.

Any further suggestions?

[Manichean]

If there is no metadata.db inside the library root, the old computer shouldn't recognize your calibre library as well... something is definitely wrong, although from the information I cannot say what it is.

[Mountie]

I agree, I was thinking I will see if I can search in my old comp for a .db file extension and see if it can be pulled up separately. The .opf in the Calibre file is the old Library spreadsheet one I created I am sure of that.

I will do some mining in the old comp and see what I can pull up.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by Mountie

I agree, I was thinking I will see if I can search in my old comp for a .db file extension and see if it can be pulled up separately. The .opf in the Calibre file is the old Library spreadsheet one I created I am sure of that.

I will do some mining in the old comp and see what I can pull up.

You cannot, as far as I know, use the information inside the OPF to reconstruct your library. Also, be careful which metadata.db file you use for your library- it needs to be the same one calibre created when you last accessed your library. Again, it should be inside the calibre library root directory on your old computer if the calibre installation on that computer has a working library.
If you, for whatever reasons, can't find the metadata.db, you could, I think, try reconstruction the library from the backup OPF files, if your calibre installation was a recent one (I believe the feature was added somewhere around 0.7.25 or something like that). Alternatively, reimporting your books, using the option one book per directory with multiple formats and reading metadata from books, ought to bring back the library with minimal loss of metadata.

[Mountie]

Thanks Manachean. Sadly, I think I knew that but was grasping.

I searched my new comp first to see if the old .db file came across when I moved the complete directory over. There is a metadata.db file is there but since they all say they were last modified on Nov 10th so I don't know if it is the metadata.db for the old Library or the one that Calibre stuck into it when the library was newly assigned.

I will work on it this weekend.