Using prior version of Calibre eBook reader

[wildchild1954]

I have installed the updates for Calibre ever since they changed the ebook viewer to the current version. I want to know if there is any way to get back the prior version that had the control panel that would open along the side. I had no problems finding or using what I needed in that but the new reader just confuses the heck out of me. So what I want to know is if there is any way to reinstall JUST the prior ebook viewer. Help would be greatly appreciated.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

I have installed the updates for Calibre ever since they changed the ebook viewer to the current version. I want to know if there is any way to get back the prior version that had the control panel that would open along the side. I had no problems finding or using what I needed in that but the new reader just confuses the heck out of me. So what I want to know is if there is any way to reinstall JUST the prior ebook viewer. Help would be greatly appreciated.

The current version of Calibre has the toolbar for the Viewer. You just have to go into the settings and enable it.

[wildchild1954]

That new toolbar does nothing but confuse me. I can't find some of the things I want either. So all I want is the prior ebook viewer back. Otherwise I like the newer versions of Calibre!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

That new toolbar does nothing but confuse me. I can't find some of the things I want either. So all I want is the prior ebook viewer back. Otherwise I like the newer versions of Calibre!

What exactly is the problem? You can configure the toolbar to how you want it. The thing is to get used to it. You will eventually.

[wildchild1954]

I haven't seen one single thing that tells me how to configure the toolbar. I also haven't seen anything that allows me to highlight more than one page at a time, which is something I really need to be able to do. I happen to be 66 years old and all of this crap is hard for me to unerstand so knock off the attitude please. You tell or show me where the instructions are for configuring that toolbar and maybe I'll be able to do it. I already know how to configure the old toolbar which is why I wanted it back!

[gbm]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

I haven't seen one single thing that tells me how to configure the toolbar. I also haven't seen anything that allows me to highlight more than one page at a time, which is something I really need to be able to do. I happen to be 66 years old and all of this crap is hard for me to unerstand so knock off the attitude please. You tell or show me where the instructions are for configuring that toolbar and maybe I'll be able to do it. I already know how to configure the old toolbar which is why I wanted it back!

The new toolbar is the same as the old one.


bernie

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

I have installed the updates for Calibre ever since they changed the ebook viewer to the current version. I want to know if there is any way to get back the prior version that had the control panel that would open along the side. I had no problems finding or using what I needed in that but the new reader just confuses the heck out of me. So what I want to know is if there is any way to reinstall JUST the prior ebook viewer. Help would be greatly appreciated.

I'd suggest trying to configure the new viewer to your liking (it's far better), but if you absolutely cannot abide it, here's what I did for some time.

- Download the portable version of Calibre 3.48. Extract it wherever. Don't bother opening it; you're just using the viewer.

- In your main Calibre, go to Preferences > Interface > Behavior and on the right side uncheck the "use internal viewer for..." whichever formats you primarily use.

- Go find a book in your library that uses that format, and use the "Open containing folder" button. (You might need to use Preferences > Interface > Toolbar & menus to add it somewhere if it's disabled.)

- Assuming you're using Windows, right-click the eBook and Open With > Choose another app. There's an option somewhere to choose another application on the computer. Use that, then navigate to the folder where you extracted the portable version of Calibre. Look for an ebook-viewer.exe and pick it. Also make sure that "use this to always open [format]" is selected.

(Don't know procedure for other OSes, sorry.)

- Test that it works.

Unfortunately, updating Calibre will change the file associations so you'll have to repeat this every time. Which is another good reason to get used to the new version.

[wildchild1954]

Well, I have to admit that your use of the screenshots allowed me to set the preferences up my way. What I still can't figure out how to do is set it up so that I can start highlighting on one page and just hold the right mouse button down until I reach the end of what I want highlighted. It just keeps stopping at the bottom of that first page shown. I know in the old version there was a scroll type image in the upper right corner and depending on how that was set (I can't remember any more!) you either stopped at the bottom of each page or just kept highlighting until you reached a page break or you stopped. That's the ability I need back now.

[Brett Merkey]

in the old version there was a scroll type image in the upper right corner

That was called the "flow mode" toggle. I don't know if that feature is in the new viewer.

[gbm]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

Well, I have to admit that your use of the screenshots allowed me to set the preferences up my way. What I still can't figure out how to do is set it up so that I can start highlighting on one page and just hold the right mouse button down until I reach the end of what I want highlighted. It just keeps stopping at the bottom of that first page shown. I know in the old version there was a scroll type image in the upper right corner and depending on how that was set (I can't remember any more!) you either stopped at the bottom of each page or just kept highlighting until you reached a page break or you stopped. That's the ability I need back now.

That's easy two ways to configure it.
using the toolbar:

using preferences:



bernie

[wildchild1954]

Neither one of those methods will allow me to right-click at the beginning and then scroll past the end of the page while holding the right mouse button down, and then releasing it at the end of my desired area of highlighting. No matter which method I use to open flow mode the highlightlighting just stops at the end of the page. If you can connect to my computer and set it up for me I would love you forever!! (In a platonic, friendly manner that is!)

[gbm]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

Neither one of those methods will allow me to right-click at the beginning and then scroll past the end of the page while holding the right mouse button down, and then releasing it at the end of my desired area of highlighting. No matter which method I use to open flow mode the highlightlighting just stops at the end of the page. If you can connect to my computer and set it up for me I would love you forever!! (In a platonic, friendly manner that is!)

Use the mouse wheel or the down arrow on the keyborad. You should be using the left mouse button unless you have a left handed mouse.

bernie

[BetterRed]

There's also a shortcut (default is Ctrl+m) for toggling between Paged and Flow modes.

whinge(){

In the new viewer I never know if I'm in in Paged or Flow mode. If I get up-close-and-personal with my monitor and peer real hard I can see the faintest of lines around the icon. The old viewer was the same, but it had slightly bigger icons and there was no dark mode so the faint lines were a slightly easier to see.

It would be better if the toolbar icon toggled between a page and scroll icon or better yet have 'Page' or 'Flow' alongside the button, like the three blue bars icon has 'Filter' or 'Highlight'.

}

BR

[wildchild1954]

Told you I'm getting too old for this! I'm a verteran and you would think after all that marching I would know my left from my right!! It is the left mouse button I'm using. I'll try the two methods you've suggested there.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by wildchild1954

Told you I'm getting too old for this! I'm a verteran and you would think after all that marching I would know my left from my right!! It is the left mouse button I'm using. I'll try the two methods you've suggested there.

In Windows 4:12 selecting text with the mouse or keyboard across section/chapter boundaries doesn't work for me either.

But I'm not convinced it worked in 3:48 either.

BR