Unable to Add Books

[abradaxis]

Using Windows 7 Professional and the latest version of Calibre, I am unable to load books from my download folder to Calibre. This is a new problem. Tried to uninstall and reinstall Calibre.. same problem. Tried shutting off my virus software... same problem. Any assistance greatly appreciated. I miss my ebooks!!

[BetterRed]

Please provide details of error messages and how you are trying to add the books

BR

[abradaxis]

Thank you for your effort to assist me. There are no error messages. Calibre just hangs with the "Adding Books" window showing 0 percent, and nothing more happens. The books are being added by pointing to the downloaded files, where Epub format books have been downloaded. As mentioned previously, I have been running Calibre for many years now, and this is the first time that it has failed. Also as mentioned, I stopped my antivirus software before attempting the adding of books, with same result. Any additional information needed, please let me know.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by abradaxis

Thank you for your effort to assist me. There are no error messages. Calibre just hangs with the "Adding Books" window showing 0 percent, and nothing more happens. The books are being added by pointing to the downloaded files, where Epub format books have been downloaded. As mentioned previously, I have been running Calibre for many years now, and this is the first time that it has failed. Also as mentioned, I stopped my antivirus software before attempting the adding of books, with same result. Any additional information needed, please let me know.

A test: Move one (or more) books to your 'documents' folder and try to add from there.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by abradaxis

<snip>

The books are being added by pointing to the downloaded files, where Epub format books have been downloaded.

<snip>

Where do you do the "pointing to downloaded files", in a file manager then double click or Send to, or in one of the calibre Add Books options dialogues?

If via one of the Add Books options, which one?

Try this: copy an ePub to your desktop, and then drag and drop it into the calibre Book list. Why to the desktop - because it will preclude any other windows that might obscure an error message when you do the drag-n-drop.

BR

[abradaxis]

I moved them to the documents folder, with the same results (a hang). But when one goes to "Add Books," a window opens allowing you to point to the location of the epub file. So before you actually hit the open button you are pointing to the location and file you want to open. I really feel that there is something about my software that is hanging up program. I was excited when someone suggested that it was an overactive or overly aggressive virus program, but turning off the antivirus program produces the same hangs.

[abradaxis]

When I elect to add books in the tab at the top of the program, a file window opens, showing me a layout of files and folders. I point to the download section of my pc at which point all the recently downloaded (epub) files are displayed. I point to the one I want (my problem of a hang happens no matter which epub file I point to), and I hit open, at which point the adding window stays open until I close out the program. I have been using the same operations to add books for years now, and have never had this problem before. I've updated the program with new versions many times, and never had this problem. Which is why I think it is something in my operating environment which is causing Calibre to hang.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Try this: copy an ePub to your desktop, and then drag and drop it into the calibre Book list. Why to the desktop - because it will preclude any other windows that might obscure an error message when you do the drag-n-drop.

Did you try this ?

I've had instances of error message pop-ups being hidden behind a File (Windows) Explorer window - IIRC the messages related to possible duplicates. So, calibre was waiting for a response to an error message I couldn't see. And I couldn't move the window obscuring the message because it didn't have keyboard or mouse focus.

Originally Posted by abradaxis

When I elect to add books in the tab at the top of the program, a file window opens, showing me a layout of files and folders. I point to the download section of my pc at which point all the recently downloaded (epub) files are displayed. I point to the one I want (my problem of a hang happens no matter which epub file I point to), and I hit open, at which point the adding window stays open until I close out the program. I have been using the same operations to add books for years now, and have never had this problem before. I've updated the program with new versions many times, and never had this problem. Which is why I think it is something in my operating environment which is causing Calibre to hang.

Which window stays open? This one?



BR

[abradaxis]

Yes, that is the window, but it does not say "adding metadata." It says "adding" with the only option at the bottom being to "abort."

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by abradaxis

Yes, that is the window, but it does not say "adding metadata." It says "adding" with the only option at the bottom being to "abort."

I suspect the presence of 'adding metadata...' may depend on the Add Books setting of where calibre gets the metadata - file name or file content - and maybe the file type.

Can you click the Abort button and does it work?

In a previous post you say that window you said the adding window stays there until you 'close out the program' - how do you do that.

Twice already, I have suggested you try the drag-and-drop, from the desktop, method of adding a book - this is the third time I'm asking. I already explained the rationale for that suggestion.

BR

[abradaxis]

Mystery solved. Thanks to all!! And thanks to another post elsewhere in the Forums that suggested the problem resulted from an anti-piracy setting from Acronis True Image software. If it is on your pc, you have to disable the anti-piracy software setting in order to add books to Calibre. Probably a new feature since I have had Acronis and Calibre on my pc for many years now. Leave it to one piece of software getting in the way of another, without first warning the user when installing. But at least the problem of adding books has been addressed; now to finding out if any of the other processes of Calibre have also been compromised. I appreciate all the help from those who have contributed.