Changing Library Folder

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by cybmole

i tried the obvious - make a calibre library 2 folder & copy everything into it, then point calibre at that new folder - but it says no books!

This is both the obvious and easiest way. As long as you copied everything into it including the metadata.db file then went to the library icon on the top row to choose that library (see attached) it should work.

Good Luck

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

This is both the obvious and easiest way. As long as you copied everything into it including the metadata.db file then went to the library icon on the top row to choose that library (see attached) it should work.

Good Luck

hmm - i see that metadata.db is a hidden folder so it's easy to miss.

I tried again & it worked, as you say.

so I'm puzzled as to what I did different before - oh well - probelm solved - thanks.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by cybmole

hmm - i see that metadata.db is a hidden folder so it's easy to miss.

It's a file, not a folder, and mine isn't hidden

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Starson17

It's a file, not a folder, and mine isn't hidden

damn - you're right :-)

the .db icon is kinda washed out in Win 7 but looking more closely, the file name is not greyed out so it's not hidden.

[polly]

Originally Posted by Starson17

Taking another tack on an area of the code I know about, is it likely that the leftovers previously were involved in a Merge operation?

I'm thinking of cases where you might be checking books before a Merge: a book might be open in a reader (perhaps to check contents) then the record for that book is Merged into another record - or Windows has the source folder open (perhaps by clicking the Open folder button or using "O"). In both cases, Calibre would be unable to delete the folder and leave it hanging around. DB integrity checks would show nothing and all would appear correct during use, but the leftover folder/files would remain after a library Move.

For what it's worth, not a chance. Some of these hadn't been touched since last November. And in my case, the problem wasn't that some extra stuff got left behind and copied over, but rather that some stuff that was supposed to move didn't.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by polly

in my case, the problem wasn't that some extra stuff got left behind and copied over, but rather that some stuff that was supposed to move didn't.

Hmmmm. So what did the library look like once it was moved? Did it have references to books that didn't exist, or was it internally consistent? If it was consistent, do you know if those books were correct in the library before the move?

Also, I see you were attempting to combine 3 libraries. Am I correct that you moved one, and then used "Copy to Library" for the books in the other two, and didn't attempt to "move" the last two libraries into the same folder?

[polly]

Originally Posted by Starson17

Hmmmm. So what did the library look like once it was moved? Did it have references to books that didn't exist, or was it internally consistent? If it was consistent, do you know if those books were correct in the library before the move?

Overall, the library looked the same after as before. Then I noticed that a few of my old entries were missing their covers. All of the records appeared to still be in the library after the move, but some were missing covers, some were missing books, and some were missing both.

All of the metadata, ratings, tags, and collections moved for those records. When I looked where the library used to be, I can see the missing files.

The library is internally consistent and the books were correct before the move. I only add a few books at a time and make certain they're correct before adding more.

[/QUOTE]Also, I see you were attempting to combine 3 libraries. Am I correct that you moved one, and then used "Copy to Library" for the books in the other two, and didn't attempt to "move" the last two libraries into the same folder?[/QUOTE]

Not quite. I was attempting to move three separate libraries and keep them separate. I've wanted to move them all into one master Calibre folder for awhile now, but not badly enough to go change the path for the shortcuts to them. With Calibre now supporting multiple libraries, it seemed like a good time to do housekeeping. I probably should have followed my normal method of copying, pasting, and rerunning setup to point Calibre to the proper folder, but tried the new feature instead. Oddly enough, my old main library still shows up as an option and is the default when Calibre opens. That library also shows all of the records, metadata, etc., but is missing most of the books and covers.

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by polly

Overall, the library looked the same after as before. Then I noticed that a few of my old entries were missing their covers. All of the records appeared to still be in the library after the move, but some were missing covers, some were missing books, and some were missing both.

When you wrote "books" above, can I substitute "formats?" Sorry to be pedantic, I just want to be sure I understand. I use "book" to mean a record that appears on one line in the GUI. I use "format" to mean an EPUB, PDF, etc. file stored within a book/record.

All of the metadata, ratings, tags, and collections moved for those records. When I looked where the library used to be, I can see the missing files.

This statement is why I think you meant you lost formats, not books. If you lost an entire record, you would have lost the metadata with it. Did I understand that correctly?

The library is internally consistent and the books were correct before the move. I only add a few books at a time and make certain they're correct before adding more.

And if I understand this, you lost formats, and the destination library (after move) had no indication that you ever had those formats. Correct? And as far as you could remember, the Library (before the move) had those formats? And after the move they were left in the original Library location?

That library also shows all of the records, metadata, etc., but is missing most of the books and covers.

To be certain I understand - you mean "That library also shows all of the book records, metadata, etc., but is missing most of the formats and covers within the book records." Correct?

Hmmmm. If I understood it, I'm having trouble thinking of a way that this could occur. I suppose we chalk it up to a fluke and wait to see if it happens again to anyone. Thanks for the info.

[polly]

Originally Posted by Starson17

When you wrote "books" above, can I substitute "formats?" Sorry to be pedantic, I just want to be sure I understand. I use "book" to mean a record that appears on one line in the GUI. I use "format" to mean an EPUB, PDF, etc. file stored within a book/record.


This statement is why I think you meant you lost formats, not books. If you lost an entire record, you would have lost the metadata with it. Did I understand that correctly?

Yes, you can assume I meant formats. I also usually refer to a book as everything appearing on one line of the GUI, but was trying to be clear. All of my books transferred over, but sometimes the line was missing the formats, the cover, the comments section, or some combination of the above. The series and tags information all came over intact. For books with multiple formats, it was all or nothing.

And if I understand this, you lost formats, and the destination library (after move) had no indication that you ever had those formats. Correct? And as far as you could remember, the Library (before the move) had those formats? And after the move they were left in the original Library location?

Also correct. All of the books (records) transferred. I'm certain that those formats were present before the move. I always have Calibre insert the metadata at the beginning of a format, so I also assume that Calibre was aware of those formats. On those rare occasions that I have a book without any formats, I use empty as one of the tags.

To be certain I understand - you mean "That library also shows all of the book records, metadata, etc., but is missing most of the formats and covers within the book records." Correct?

Hmmmm. If I understood it, I'm having trouble thinking of a way that this could occur. I suppose we chalk it up to a fluke and wait to see if it happens again to anyone. Thanks for the info.

No, that was the interesting part. My main library has 174 authors right now. About sixty of them had folders left behind. Most of these were empty folders, sometimes all of the books for an author and sometimes a random assortment. Sometimes it left formats and covers behind completely and sometimes a copy was present in both the old library and the new library. With Calibre's drag and drop utility, it was easy enough to drop formats and covers back in again.

One other question now. Once I had everything moved, I clicked on the arrow next to the book icon and used Calibre to delete the old library. For good measure, after I closed Calibre, I deleted the folder where that library had lived. The next time, it started in the old, empty library. I ran the Welcome Wizard and pointed it to the new location. Calibre still started in the old, empty library. I tried closing Calibre and using Explorer to delete the folder where my old library lived. Each time I start up Calibre, it recreates that folder again and I'm back in the old, empty library again. How do I convince it to routinely start in my main library?

[miguel_roboso]

And I am back...didn't try it as soon as I received the reply...but now there is no drop-down menu on my library icon...
what can I do to move the library?

edit: sorry, the drop-down menu disappears when my kindle is connected, is it normal?

[itimpi]

Yes - once a device is connected, Calibre has created the 'ondevice' column to show you what books are on the reader. It cannot handle switching libraries while in that state without getting confused which is I guess why the option is removed. Whether that restriction might be removed in the future I do not know.

[kueriou]

Originally Posted by itimpi

Yes - once a device is connected, Calibre has created the 'ondevice' column to show you what books are on the reader. It cannot handle switching libraries while in that state without getting confused which is I guess why the option is removed. Whether that restriction might be removed in the future I do not know.

Yes, I hope this menu function can be sorted. This really startled me, and had I not searched like a madman through the forums and found this one last post I'd have filed a bug report...

(Well, had the bug report section for Calibre's site not said "Database disk image is malformed")

[travger]

Originally Posted by Starson17

Hmmmm. If I understood it, I'm having trouble thinking of a way that this could occur. I suppose we chalk it up to a fluke and wait to see if it happens again to anyone. Thanks for the info.

Happened to me. Description of the mess is very familiar.

In my old library lots of folders had only opf file left, but lots of book folders did contain formats and covers, while book entry did not see them. Can't remember now what the state of the new library was (I managed to forget having created it...and used them both...).
I did not have any library files open.
I don't even remember now which option I checked - but certainly not empty library.

[Garviel Loken]

Thank you so much!!! I spent ages looking for the answer. I registered so that i could thank you!!

dont know if you'll even know about this

[mcinnisbrandon34]

• Click the library button at the top
• Select the location