Calibre just destroyed my hard drive data

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

One of the first things that any Windows owner should learn is never keep anything important in Desktop.

I agree, but it extends beyond Windows users. I can't see the desktop background on my roommate's G5.

[Visuddhi]

There are many people out there who can just about use a computer, and feel that they have better things to do than spending time learning more about them (im thinking of people like my mother). And they will do exactly what they shouldn’t do with computers, but would none the less get pretty upset if they lost their photos.

To be honest I would not have expected calibre to be able to delete files that are not specifically related to it, and I guess many people would think the same.

So how about having a standard calibre for ‘my mother’ which can use safely (without having to carefully read documentation), and then an addon which allows all the powerful functions of calibre? People would then have to install that before the program is capable of deleting their HD. This extra step should be enough prevent illiterate users making mistakes, and at the same time allow power users to do what then need.

[darthyoda6]

Yes, but even power users still have that oops moment. I think in Windows 95 I deleted the Windows directory at least 5 times cause I meant to delete the files on the floppy disk but forgot to switch to the disk first. At least I finally learned to double check which directory I was in before I ran deltree.

As for the dialog, I was thinking of the PowerArchiver shareware( at least I think PowerArchiver). Have a 10 second timer and mix the order of the yes no buttons.

[Worldwalker]

What is it with computers, anyway, that makes people not only unwilling to learn how to use their tools, but proud of doing so?

I've never heard anyone brag that telephones, dishwashers, wood chippers, or especially cars are "too hard" for them to use, nor that they intentionally don't bother to learn how to use them (though the way some people drive, I wonder sometimes). I set up and installed a new cuckoo clock yesterday and I'll tell you, it was more complicated than building a new computer! But I can't imagine someone acting other than ashamed that they couldn't figure out what to do with those parts, or how to unhook the shipping tie-downs or follow the instructions. Why is it with computers, and apparently computers alone, that people seem to expect admiration for not knowing how to use their tools?

We now have computers that are far more powerful than the supercomputers of the Cray-1 era. But the average user can't tell. They're not doing more than computers did a decade or two ago, because all of that power goes to making their screens prettier, like Romper Room, and catering to the deliberately ignorant among their users. We have dumbed down computers so much that most of their potential is wasted.

I've never thought I was outstandingly smart. People act as though I am, though, because I can identify things (birds, flowers, cars, etc.), because I have a wider vocabulary than comes from "Jersey Shore", and because I know how to use the tools I deal with on a regular basis -- including computers. This is sad. We should be smartening up people, not dumbing down the world they live in.

Really, when we get to the "ideal" level where everyone is reading only picture books and using tools made like Busy Boxes ... then what? I haven't heard of any great scientific advances made by the ignorant, the complacent, nor kindergartners. Why should we want to turn ourselves into them -- and do so at the cost of the power and flexibility of the tools we use?

Mind you, I'm not saying that tools should be made deliberately user-hostile. But their focus should be on doing what they do as well as possible, not on making it easy for people to use them without any mental activity whatsoever. Ignorance is not a virtue. Not even where computers are involved. And the sooner we remember that, instead of acting as though it is, the better the chance to save our entire society from the encroaching flood of voluntary stupidity.

Go read the "The Amazon Kindle is a type of what?" thread if you want to be thoroughly scared. The Marching Morons are among us.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by Visuddhi

There are many people out there who can just about use a computer, and feel that they have better things to do than spending time learning more about them (im thinking of people like my mother). And they will do exactly what they shouldn’t do with computers, but would none the less get pretty upset if they lost their photos.

I know many such people, and my experience is that they are typically much more conservative than the typical know-it-all power user. They actually read warning messages. They know their limits and tread carefully. It's true they often don't understand the warning, but they almost always say "No" when a program asks if they are sure they want to delete something, unless they are absolutely certain they know what's being deleted.

Calibre no longer permits the type of problem the OP faced here, because it prohibits creating a library if the folder (like the desktop) is not empty. I'm sure if you want to create a patch for a "simple mode" it will be considered, but I don't see the need.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

Oh, good, the non-developer's here! I am completely unsure as to what you mean by the paragraph I have quoted and pasted . . . pasted the clown's face on the paper in the scrap book with the other meat so that it matches the same color as . . . the paragraph. For that matter, I am unsure as to what the word carrot means. I have been thinking and thinking about this and I believe it means to die a horrible death after swallowing handfuls of enormous diamonds, as in this sentence: He has swallowed handfuls of enormous diamonds and now lies carroted.

Actually, I believe I'm referring not to the Teleport Question but rather to the Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron Solution, since as everyone knows, a teleport is a tiny yet convenient garage in which one parks one's telephone when one is not sailing it on the airwaves, which travel into the radio and are then consumed in enormous handfuls by . . . by . . . my mother is very fond of her telephone port. So am I am fond of her teleport phone and the airwaves and the . . . telephone parking on the clown face head.

I am unsure as to your question, or if it is one or many of them.

You have given us much to ponder...

Okay! All done!

[PhM]

I would propose a much simpler way to avoid this kind of issue: remove the "Delete Library" command.
Apparently (I never tried the command; I did not even notice it existed) all it does is to wipe the folder and all sub-folders.
On most systems, there is an OS command to do that....

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by Harmon

You have given us much to ponder...

You seem to be talking about food for thought. Yes, I do enjoy transforming my thoughts into food and having it materialize on people's tables, and also projecting my thoughts as fur.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by PhM

I would propose a much simpler way to avoid this kind of issue: remove the "Delete Library" command.
Apparently (I never tried the command; I did not even notice it existed) all it does is to wipe the folder and all sub-folders.
On most systems, there is an OS command to do that....

There is a create library command. Many users don't understand where that library is created or any of the the behind-the-scenes library structure, so they wouldn't know what to delete via the OS. They might well delete the wrong library.

This issue was addressed long ago by preventing users from creating libraries in folders that have content, so unless they manually add content to the library, there's no problem deleting libraries created since that change.

[jackastor]

Originally Posted by dz1

Just had a very bad experience using this Calibre program. I have been using it for years to convert files without having any problems until now.

It happened when I ran the program and clicked on the "books" menu button at the top of the screen. A drop down menu appears with various options. I picked the option that says delete library > desktop. The next thing i know is the hard drive starts making noises for about a minute. I think to myself it's just getting rid of all the books i have accumulated, which is what i expected it to do. So then i go over to my desktop and see this [edited] Calibre program has deleted nearly everything i had on my desktop irrespective of whether the files were ebooks or not. Nearly all my photos, videos, music, data etc were gone. I look in the recycle bin and they're not even there. All gone in an instant.

After i recovered from the shock i downloaded a free hard drive recovery program from the net and set about trying to recover all the stuff that was gone. I got back most of what calibre deleted.

I wanted to warn people about the behaviour of this program and would like to know if there are any alternatives to using this program.

It happens. Some programs when they do a delete delete the entire contents of the folder. Its unfortunate that it happened. But some times we learn from our mistakes. I would suggest that you pick a folder in your documents section and or a different place of your choosing. And only place your calibre files there. The other thing I recommend is to not store your important files on your desktop, this makes things very cluttered. That said I assume your reason was for ease of use, and I cannot find fault in that. The last thing I am going to recommend and strongly do, is that you purchase a cheap back up drive to back those pictures and files up that you need. The reason is if your hdd had crashed instead of being affected by simple human error you would not be recovering the files that you lost. I have seem countless people bring computers in for repair tell the tech, go ahead do what you need to do. When they get their computer back they complain they lost all the files they had on there. Its important to back that up especially if it holds memories as pictures tend do or your important tax documents are there as well.

BTW you are not the only person who has done something like this, There are lots out there that have done similar things. I understand your thinking that specifically book files and only book files should be deleted, but most programs just delete the entire directory its a more efficeint way of doing things.





Good Luck..


regards jack

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Oh for crying out loud. Couldn't you have just let this contentious thread die?

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Oh for crying out loud. Couldn't you have just let this contentious thread die?