Moved libraries, over without formats

[Ptaker]

Three months ago I moved 8 Calibre libraries from a windows 7 computer to a new windows 10 computer. Now I discovered only one new library had over 600 books with NO format.

FACTS:
Moved 8 old libraries from a Windows 7 computer (using Calibre 3.48) to a new windows 10 computer using Calibre 5.14 program. I did a library check before the move and it had no problems. Also, all of the old libraries had no blank format books. I did a check on the new computer and it had no errors or problems.

Three months after the conversion, on the new computer, I discovered there were over 600 books that had no format in only on one library. I seem to remember a problem with the conversion in that library but thought I solved the problem (whatever that was). I did a library check then and now on the new problem library and there were no problems found. On that library my old library's latest date was January 24, 2021 while my new library has the April 10, 2021 date due to added items.

FORMATS USED: I usually add books to the library with only epub, mobi, html, htm, lit and azw3 formats and convert them to my kindles to either mobi or azw3 formats.

REQUEST: How to I get one problem library corrected?

QUESTIONS: Can I export only the one old library and import it into the new computer? If so, how do I get the "duplicates" of those without formats replaced, while not adding duplicates of those books whose formats are correct? We are dealing with over 600 books without formats and over 1200 books with correct formats as of January 24, 2021. Also, I have added books to that library since that date too.

I hope I provided all the information you need to hopefully provide a detailed easy solution to this confusing problem.

[theducks]

The tool I use is built in: Copy To Library (selected books) -> Target Library (disposition of source option)

HOW this performs is controlled by Preferences:Adding Books: Adding Actions (tab)

[Ptaker]

Thank you for your quick response BUT I think i need a more detailed answer because:
1- I am dealing with Computer OLD and Computer NEW. How do I "copy to" on the Computer NEW?
2- I am dealing with over 600 books with no format. It would be hard to pick out what 600 out of over 1200 books to "copy to" the NEW Computer library.
3- Am I able to "copy to" just one library, which is the problem library? How is that different from exporting to, if that is possible.

As you can see, I am not well versed in the inner workings of Calibre. As the sayings go, "I only know enough to be dangerous".

[theducks]

Let me start by saying YMMV as to the success of MY method

Copy to Library is:
1) selective (per chosen books) vs by Library (Using the Export/Import tool)
2) It literally copies the Calibre DB ENTRY and Book, while Add has to read and Make a new entry

OK 2 computers. (remember my first statement above)
I violate the standard advice (for this task) on No Network shares

On the Old Computer Share the (path to) Library folder (if it is not already accessible from the new computer)

CALIBRE MUST NOT BE RUNNING ON OLD for the rest of the steps

On New:
Create/Switch: <path to Old Library over network>
Select books: Right click: Copy to Library <option>

DO NOT TRY AND MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE REMOTE, that seems to be fragile. DO NOT TRY AND PUSH BOOKS FROM New to Remote .

OK
formats: false is how you find entries that have no books (AKA an empty book), these are also ones that you can not use ADD, since there is no book to read metadata from.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you how to find which books in the target (new) that are missing formats, while in the Old Library.
Create a CSV catalog from the results of Format: false (Catalog respects the view limits)

[Ptaker]

Okay, I am getting closer to my goal.

How about this.
A- I copy the one library of 5 GB from the OLD Computer to a flash drive and move it somewhere on the NEW Computer or keep it on the flash drive.

B- If I move it to the NEW Computer, should I give the OLD library a new name and put it in a different folder or just put it into a different folder?

C- Does this get us closer to the "COPY TO" method using PREFERENCES: ADDING BOOKS: ADDING ACTIONS. In checking over the ADDING ACTIONS, if I check the box "when coping to library action, check for duplicates with save title, author and language", will that stop copying over books that already have a format?

D- Not sure what you mean under the paragraph below the word "OK". How am I setting up formats: false?

After I understand all of this, maybe some "genius" will come up with a method of selecting the 600 books that do not have a format so it can all be done automatically.

Thanks for being patient.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ptaker

Okay, I am getting closer to my goal.

How about this.
A- I copy the one library of 5 GB from the OLD Computer to a flash drive and move it somewhere on the NEW Computer or keep it on the flash drive.

B- If I move it to the NEW Computer, should I give the OLD library a new name and put it in a different folder or just put it into a different folder?

C- Does this get us closer to the "COPY TO" method using PREFERENCES: ADDING BOOKS: ADDING ACTIONS. In checking over the ADDING ACTIONS, if I check the box "when coping to library action, check for duplicates with save title, author and language", will that stop copying over books that already have a format?

D- Not sure what you mean under the paragraph below the word "OK". How am I setting up formats: false?

After I understand all of this, maybe some "genius" will come up with a method of selecting the 600 books that do not have a format so it can all be done automatically.

Thanks for being patient.

The Flash drive method is perfect.

The name of the Library folder IS ITS NAME
If it is on a different drive LETTER, there is less confusion than if both were on C:
But just use the OS to rename the Library folder befor attaching it to the New computer to totally avoid which is which questions

formats: false is a normal search. It asks Calibre for books with no format entries. Note: This uses the DB, so if you have used the OS to delete/rename books, the DB is out of sync (now damaged) as it still thinks the book is there.

[Ptaker]

Thanks for the quick reply.
1- I have the OLD library on a flash drive and named it "BOB", which is different from the NEW library name.

2- I can sort the NEW library by FORMAT so that I can identify all those books without something in that column.

3- If I move all those books into another library called "NO FORMAT" library, can Calibre then look at each book in the "NO FORMAT" library folder and pick that matching book out of the "BOB" library (from the flash drive) and copy it over, so the process can be automated. I really don't want to try to find 600 bad formatted books by hand, item by item. Any thoughts?

If not, then I would have to create/Switch <path to the BOB library on the flash drive. Select the books: Right click: Copy to NEW library.

HOW TO GET ADDITIONAL HELP:
Is there any way we can contact Kovid Goyal and ask him for his input? That would really help us tremendously!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ptaker

Thanks for the quick reply.
1- I have the OLD library on a flash drive and named it "BOB", which is different from the NEW library name.

2- I can sort the NEW library by FORMAT so that I can identify all those books without something in that column.

3- If I move all those books into another library called "NO FORMAT" library, can Calibre then look at each book in the "NO FORMAT" library folder and pick that matching book out of the "BOB" library (from the flash drive) and copy it over, so the process can be automated. I really don't want to try to find 600 bad formatted books by hand, item by item. Any thoughts?

If not, then I would have to create/Switch <path to the BOB library on the flash drive. Select the books: Right click: Copy to NEW library.

HOW TO GET ADDITIONAL HELP:
Is there any way we can contact Kovid Goyal and ask him for his input? That would really help us tremendously!

Why are you making things over complicated with all these shuffles.
No need to sort: Just Search (highlight mode is off: Searches ONLY show results, not blue bars)

Adding actions : Merge determines what happens if the book info exists in The target when you use Copy To Library.

Copy to Library PUSHES books into another Library. It does not query (details) of the target other than a book exists there (actions then prevail)

My main Library contains Empty Books (just the metadata) for books I wish to get.
When I get the book, I start with it in My 'Intake" Library, where I touch it up to my preferences, add missing metadata.
When I am ready: I switch Calibre from my Main to Intake: Select those I have Ready: Copy to Library: <Main> Delete after copy
Because I have Empty books (place holders) , I sometime see a Duplicate warning (I check the Log before continuing) My actions are set to Merge

As to Kovid, he checks here all the time, but usually allow us helpers to take care of the more basic (not obscure error messages) issues .

You Know, it may be simpler.
MERGE those Libraries, then Use Find Duplicates Plugin to identify more than 1 record for a book.
You resolve each group (pair): Delete one of them, merge into the first selected, or do nothing (you can View either befor deciding)