Is there an option for Calibre to not rename Kindle book files?

[htm]

Originally Posted by davidfor

When you add a book to calibre it copies the book to the library directories and names the book based on the books metadata. When you send a book to a device, the destination, directory and name, is set using the "save template". This is set in the preferences. There is a default on the "Sending book to devices" page of the preferences. But, you can configure the driver for the device and configure a template specific to the type of device. Hopefully you will be able to get them to match what is used for the sdr folders.

Thanks, David! I'm only in "trouble" with the batch of books I had on my kindle for the couple years I didn't know about Calibre. I'd rather not change the behavior for all future books, and I tend to lose mods like that when I move computers or reinstall stuff.

Turns out there were only 30 books I really wanted to preserve the highlights and notes for, so I spent a few hours importing to Calibre, copying to kindle, then dragging over my old .sdr folder and renaming the files. In all but 2 cases it worked.

Time to move on! Thanks for the suggestion though!

[htm]

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

You already got the answer to your question. Calibre has an incredible template system that allows the file name when sent to the device to be in just about any format you desire. Created on the fly from any field. The file name when sent to the device is predicable and customizable.

I've never used it, but it seems to me that you ought to be able to use the GetFileName plugin to grab your original filename on import to calibre then use the column name where the original filename is stored in the send to device template and end up with the same filename on your Kindle as you started with.

Thanks for the links! Yes, someone else pointed this out. I decided to do it manually for the handful of books I needed to save notes and highlights for.

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

I'm going to guess most folks aren't annoyed because they process their books first via calibre, then use calibre to transfer them back to their kindle. Once the books are processed as desired is when the folks start reading / highlighting and adding notes to these books. I imagine once on the device the highlights and notes will all follow the new filename?

Unfortunately for you, you chose to process a library of books that you already had notes and highlights on and then resent those books to your Kindle. Thus the problem that exists for you often is never seen by other Kindle users.

Good luck

Well, I didn't exactly *choose*. I just had a Kindle before I knew about Calibre. I'm doing exactly as you say for all my future stuff.

In all, this was an interesting exercise in trying to figure out how these filenames work, and what goes on in the sidecar folder.

I'll be interested to see what happens when Amazon renames my files later. I've seen it do that before. I download an .azw3 book, but sometimes it gets converted to a .kfx file (which Calibre is very puzzled by). I just restore my old file now because I don't want Calibre to be puzzled.

I also notice Amazon will add strings to book names (like "B0000323"). Not all the time. I'm hoping it doesn't cause a file/sidecar name mismatch which causes notes and highlights to get lost.

Thanks for the help everyone! This is really an awesome forum!

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by htm

I download an .azw3 book, but sometimes it gets converted to a .kfx file (which Calibre is very puzzled by). I just restore my old file now because I don't want Calibre to be puzzled.

For info of why calibre is "puzzled by" .kfx books check out this thread.