Problems with DOC format

[cns1000]

Hi

I have installed Calibre 3.48.0 on Windows 7 and set up a server with a large number of books which I have been accessing using both local and remote connections online, via an Android tablet. Everything has worked great so far, in terms of adding and accessing books.

One small problem I am unable to figure out: this has to do with books that are in DOC format when I add them. It seems I am unable to read them remotely. The server directory for the book, when I open it, shows the .doc file and the OPF file. When I try to open it remotely, I use Download and Read and then get the message "Failed to load book manifest". Which is not unusual; usually I just view details and open the associated ZIP file to get access to the book. In this case, however, the details show a 404 error, i. e. Not found in the library, though it is in fact in the library.

I have no trouble opening the book in doc format when I access it from the server computer itself, i.e. the Windows 7. The error on the tablet reads "No EPUB format for the book in the library".

I am not sure why it is looking for EPUB when the metadata on the server indicates that the format is actually DOC.

The download log shows that it is trying to open a file named auithorname.epub (where authorname is the contents of the Author field). That is not what it should be looking for.

Other DOC files I have added on the server have gotten stored as ZIPs and I have no problem opening them on the tablet using WinZIP.

I have the feeling this might have something to do with the OPF file contents, but I have tried it with numerous files with the same result. I thought it might have to do with not having a configured DOC file viewer on the tablet, but there is one actually, WPS Office, which is shown as the default app when I use a File Manager program to list DOC files.

Any suggestions as to how to get the DOC format files to open on the tablet using the server interface ?

Thanks in advance for your attention to this
Charles

[cns1000]

I might add that if I try on the server to convert any of the books that have this problem, I get the message "Could not convert the book because no supported source format was found." And in editing metadata, although DOC appears as the format, it appears with a "?" beside it.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks
Charles

[cns1000]

I can get to read any of these texts on the tablet if I save the original doc file on the server as a PDF and then add it to Calibre as a PDF; the PDFs can be opened remotely with no problem. Just not sure why that should be necessary.

Thanks

[davidfor]

For calibre to convert DOC format to other formats, you need to install the Microsoft Doc Input Plugin. And this needs a tool from Microsoft to do part of the conversion. The details of this are in the first post of the thread. I don't know if this will solve the problem with reading them through the server.

But, if you can, it is better to use DOCX. The support for this is built into calibre and it works better than the above plugin.

[cns1000]

Thanks for the reply !

I do have wordconv.exe on my system (it is no longer available through the Microsoft web site, apparently). I don't see how to install it as a plugin, however. If I go to the plugins menu, it is not listed, and if I select Load Plugin from File, it seems to want a ZIP file as input and will not accept the EXE file. Any suggestions on this ?

Thanks again

Charles

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by cns1000

I do have wordconv.exe on my system (it is no longer available through the Microsoft web site, apparently). I don't see how to install it as a plugin, however. If I go to the plugins menu, it is not listed, and if I select Load Plugin from File, it seems to want a ZIP file as input and will not accept the EXE file. Any suggestions on this ?

You do not install wordconv.exe as a plugin. If it is already on your PC then go to the second step in the installation and install the Microsoft Doc Input Plugin. After the plugin is installed, you configure it by telling it where the wordconv.exe file is.

[cns1000]

Found it, thanks ! This is I presume the David Ignjic one. It does work and I am able to read the results on the tablet. Only remaining issue is that I don't seem to be able to configure it to point permanently to wordconv.exe; the default path it shows is incorrect and I have to enter the correct path each time. Which might be ok so long as I could select all the .doc files in my library at once and bulk convert them. Would that work ? Or am I missing something about the customization ? When I click the Customize option, it says the plugin does not need to be customized.

Alternatively I suppose I could just copy the EXE to the directory the plugin thinks it should be in.

Thanks again for your help !
Charles

[cns1000]

Question answered ... I guess the plugin remembers the last place the EXE was opened from.

Thanks !

[davidfor]

The conversion options are stored for each book when you do a conversion. The default options can be changed through the preferences. If you set the correct path there, it should be used for all future conversions. Go to the "Input options" and select the DOC Input plugin there.

[cns1000]

Great ! Thank you for the assistance !