Missing covers and formats

speakingtohe · 05-06-2014, 09:43 PM

I noticed yesterday that a few books had no covers in the book details pane.

I ran the library maintenance check and there are literally thousands of missing covers and formats.

I don't delete files manually or mess with the database. Just add/delete books using the GUI.

The book files themselves have covers, bit the cover.jpg files are missing.

I have had this happen in the past but with only a few books.

I have backups with the covers/formats still there so I could probably fix this by copying the backup to the current database and not copying duplicates, or just starting a new library and importing the current library. (which I will back up first of course)

Is there a better way? And why has this happened?

I am 100% sure I have not accessed the books in a non-standard way except for today when I checked a few to see if cover.jpg was indeed missing in a year or longer, probably several years.

Any insight appreciated.

Helen

kovidgoyal · 05-06-2014, 10:42 PM

You can tell calibre to re-read covers from the book files in bulk via the bulk metadata dialog. Simply select all the books with no cover and click edit metadata and use the option to read cover from the files.

As for how they went missing in the first place, you'd need somebody with the ability to bend space and time to their will to tell you that.

speakingtohe · 05-07-2014, 12:32 AM

Thanks for that

Will try as soon as backup finished.

It is all peculiar but not the end of the world.

Helen

speakingtohe · 05-08-2014, 11:29 PM

Just a update for anyone who encounters similar. All of my files were there just somehow renamed cover - Copy.jpg filename - Copy.epub etc. Seems that a copy utility can do this sometimes.

I backed everything up and used a renaming utility after careful testing on a small subset and my database check and files check are 100% good now.

I will find the solution you suggested useful, as it does seem to happen with one or ten books on a regular basis, but several thousand covers to extract and epubs etc. to rename was just too tedious to contemplate.

Thanks again

Helen

05-06-2014, 09:43 PM	#1
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Missing covers and formats I noticed yesterday that a few books had no covers in the book details pane. I ran the library maintenance check and there are literally thousands of missing covers and formats. I don't delete files manually or mess with the database. Just add/delete books using the GUI. The book files themselves have covers, bit the cover.jpg files are missing. I have had this happen in the past but with only a few books. I have backups with the covers/formats still there so I could probably fix this by copying the backup to the current database and not copying duplicates, or just starting a new library and importing the current library. (which I will back up first of course) Is there a better way? And why has this happened? I am 100% sure I have not accessed the books in a non-standard way except for today when I checked a few to see if cover.jpg was indeed missing in a year or longer, probably several years. Any insight appreciated. Helen

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05-06-2014, 10:42 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,860 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You can tell calibre to re-read covers from the book files in bulk via the bulk metadata dialog. Simply select all the books with no cover and click edit metadata and use the option to read cover from the files. As for how they went missing in the first place, you'd need somebody with the ability to bend space and time to their will to tell you that.

05-07-2014, 12:32 AM	#3
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Thanks for that Will try as soon as backup finished. It is all peculiar but not the end of the world. Helen

05-08-2014, 11:29 PM	#4
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	Just a update for anyone who encounters similar. All of my files were there just somehow renamed cover - Copy.jpg filename - Copy.epub etc. Seems that a copy utility can do this sometimes. I backed everything up and used a renaming utility after careful testing on a small subset and my database check and files check are 100% good now. I will find the solution you suggested useful, as it does seem to happen with one or ten books on a regular basis, but several thousand covers to extract and epubs etc. to rename was just too tedious to contemplate. Thanks again Helen

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