Moved library but not all columns

[scarlettruin]

My laptop had a hard drive failure a couple of weeks ago, so I had to get a new hard drive, meaning everything was lost. Luckily my calibre library was in a cloud, so it is still there. I downloaded calibre onto my fixed laptop and it worked, but not all the custom columns have come with it - only about half have. Is there anything I can do to get all my columns back? I used them a lot and spent ages categorising ebooks.

Thanks!

[theducks]

Custom Columns are part of metadata.db

So the Big question:
How did you 'recover'?

If you re-imported (via Add books), you got what you saw (and there is a good chance you stomped upon the files that could have helped )

metadata_db_prefs_backup (in the root of the library) helps restore the structure <<
metadata.opf in each book folder helps Populate that structure
Any change to the data or structure causes a background job to keep the metadata.opf current

[scarlettruin]

Originally Posted by theducks

Custom Columns are part of metadata.db

So the Big question:
How did you 'recover'?

If you re-imported (via Add books), you got what you saw (and there is a good chance you stomped upon the files that could have helped )

metadata_db_prefs_backup (in the root of the library) helps restore the structure <<
metadata.opf in each book folder helps Populate that structure
Any change to the data or structure causes a background job to keep the metadata.opf current

Thank you for the reply

I didn't do it via 'add books'. I went to 'create a new library' and used the url of the old library on my dropbox,

[theducks]

Originally Posted by scarlettruin

Thank you for the reply

I didn't do it via 'add books'. I went to 'create a new library' and used the url of the old library on my dropbox,

Sorry, I don't do 'cloud', so I can't answer if you did it OK
(BTW Cloud/NAS/Network share is not officially supported per the FAQ. Some work, others are a ticking time bomb, at least 1 is a disaster)

I just copy the Library Folder to my PC. Then point Calibre to that folder (AKA Library name)

[scarlettruin]

Originally Posted by theducks

Sorry, I don't do 'cloud', so I can't answer if you did it OK
(BTW Cloud/NAS/Network share is not officially supported per the FAQ. Some work, others are a ticking time bomb, at least 1 is a disaster)

I just copy the Library Folder to my PC. Then point Calibre to that folder (AKA Library name)

Okay - the metadata.db files are still there - how do I use them? Do I just click on the file or do I have to do it through the calibre programme some how?

[scarlettruin]

I've just looked and the calibre library is how it was in April 2015 - anyone know why this might be and how to fix it please?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by scarlettruin

Okay - the metadata.db files are still there - how do I use them? Do I just click on the file or do I have to do it through the calibre programme some how?

Just o be clear: That metadata.db is NOT the (has date before your new library) one being used by your current Library

Everything makes up the set; You can't mix pieces.

Why not create a new empty folder on your PC. (the folder name will be for the New Library)
Then just copy the entire dropbox folder that contains that Metadata.db to that folder. Then start Calibre. Create/Switch: use existing:<the new folder>

If success, keep it
If just as bad delete the new one

[BetterRed]

@scarlettruin - if the modified date on the metadata.db file at Dropbox is April 2015, that suggests to me that it's a backup of your library as at that date. If you've subsequently added columns, changed metadata, and added books then they won't be there.

It's probably too late now, but, if you want to maintain an up-to-date backup at Dropbox, I would recommend you periodically (e.g. daily or at least weekly) update the backup (with calibre closed) with changes you've made to your live library using a file synchronising utility, once you have an created an initial copy there it wont take long to update it - typically a few minutes. And do the same with the configuration data, then you won't lose your settings, plugins etc.

Some people do maintain there live libraries on Dropbox, but as theducks pointed out it's not supported and fraught with dangers. It's my observation that the people who do keep there live libraries in the cloud tend to very computer literate.

BR

[dwig]

Originally Posted by scarlettruin

Thank you for the reply

I didn't do it via 'add books'. I went to 'create a new library' and used the url of the old library on my dropbox,

Very bad !

NEVER actually use a "backup" for anything except to create another backup. Since the "cloud" was your only backup you should have made a local copy of that on you fixed machine before ever attempting to actually use either, and only one of, the local copy or the "cloud".

Before you attempt any further recovery, make a backup of the current state of the cloud to give you some ability to return to this state if the recovery attempts make things worse. As you fix things, make new independent backups periodically. You don't want to get 90% back to your desired state and then have the next "fix" step destroy everything.

[scarlettruin]

Okay - I'll go with that in future. I've got a USB to sata adapter coming today, so hopefully I can recover my old info off my old hard drive.

[scarlettruin]

Thank you all for your help! I used the adapter and managed to retrieve all my info from my old damaged drive, but I'm grateful for all of your comments and patience with me - I know I'm not exactly tech-savvy!