Building an Ark

Danny Fekete · 09-12-2011, 09:20 PM

Hoyahoy, friends.

My Windows 7 desktop slideth into ruin, and like many of yours, I suspect, it contains a calibre library that represents several days worth of careful cataloguing and customizing. I still have the ability to access and copy my files, so I was hoping you could tell me how (or show me where to learn how) to back up my metadata, custom columns, plugins, etc.

My metadata.db file is safe (as are, of course, the books themselves); would folks in the know be willing to tell me what else I need to secure before I reformat and reinstall?

Thanks heaps, hey.

- Danny

PeterT · 09-12-2011, 10:09 PM

standard advice would be to copy the entire directory structure where your calibre library is.

It's self contained and when you reinstall calibre, you can just tell the new database wizard to use an exiting database at the location you specify.

Halo · 09-13-2011, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

standard advice would be to copy the entire directory structure where your calibre library is.

It's self contained and when you reinstall calibre, you can just tell the new database wizard to use an exiting database at the location you specify.

He says he already has his library. He's asking where his calibre application settings, preferences, and plug-in files are stored so he can back those up too. Unfortunately, I don't know where calibre stores that information.

kovidgoyal · 09-13-2011, 01:46 AM

Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre config directory

travger · 09-13-2011, 07:59 AM

Eh-hm, it seems he needs to know what files to save from Windows Explorer (probably Calibre isn't working).
And how to install fresh Calibre so that all books and settings and columns will be as in the old one.

I am too very interested in the right procedure.

mbovenka · 09-13-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travger

Eh-hm, it seems he needs to know what files to save from Windows Explorer (probably Calibre isn't working).
And how to install fresh Calibre so that all books and settings and columns will be as in the old one.

I am too very interested in the right procedure.

Copy the Calibre config directory (as shown by Kovid's hint) off somewhere safe. Install new Calibre and copy the contents of the backed-up config dir back to the new config dir.

That's pretty much what I do to keep my 3 copies of my ebooks in sync (one on my NAS, one on a small USB disk and one on a USB stick that goes with me everywhere) that all have Calibre Portable installs on them.

I use a filesync tool, but it's effectively the same.

Halo · 09-13-2011, 11:08 AM

In case your calibre isn't working, the path on Windows 7 (at least for me) is C:\Users\owner\AppData\Roaming\calibre. Replace "owner" with your login name.

Danny Fekete · 09-13-2011, 11:55 AM

(Don't fight; everyone's been helpful!)

Thank you all very much for your responses. As Halo inferred, I can't follow up Kovid's hint because my desktop is convinced that the running of applications is passé---thanks very much for spelling out the path for me. Travger understood my question precisely; thank you for communicating it more clearly, and BIG thanks to Mbovenka for the process. As soon as I'm back at my desktop, I'll do a trial run migrating my collection to my laptop and report back.

Again, I'm terribly grateful for everyone's help.

- Danny

user_none · 09-13-2011, 12:22 PM

Kovid's answer is the standard answer to where the config info is stored because different OSs use different locations. Different versions of Windows even use different locations. The location is dictated by the OS and how it's configured so it can easily vary from user to user.

cybmole · 09-15-2011, 01:54 AM

TIP in windows 7, explorer, you also need to enable "view hidden files" in folder view options, before you can see the appdata folder.

PeterT · 09-15-2011, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybmole

TIP in windows 7, explorer, you also need to enable "view hidden files" in folder view options, before you can see the appdata folder.

You can also justy type %APPDATA% into Windows 7 explorer

dwig · 09-15-2011, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybmole

TIP in windows 7, explorer, you also need to enable "view hidden files" in folder view options, before you can see the appdata folder.

This applies to a wide range of Windows versions, not just Win7.

09-12-2011, 09:20 PM	#1
Danny Fekete Electronic Education Buff Posts: 84 Karma: 31076 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen3, iRex DR1000s, Sony Reader PRS 650	Building an Ark Hoyahoy, friends. My Windows 7 desktop slideth into ruin, and like many of yours, I suspect, it contains a calibre library that represents several days worth of careful cataloguing and customizing. I still have the ability to access and copy my files, so I was hoping you could tell me how (or show me where to learn how) to back up my metadata, custom columns, plugins, etc. My metadata.db file is safe (as are, of course, the books themselves); would folks in the know be willing to tell me what else I need to secure before I reformat and reinstall? Thanks heaps, hey. - Danny Last edited by Danny Fekete; 09-12-2011 at 10:35 PM. Reason: Spelling. Ugh.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Building for OS X	rhaleblian	Calibre	7	09-17-2011 11:40 AM
Free Book (noDRM) - Noah and the Ark	koland	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	0	09-12-2011 10:46 AM
DR1000 Building Hello World 4.0	otromanolo	iRex Developer's Corner	54	04-17-2011 06:38 AM
Free (Kindle UK) Children's Bible Stories - Noah's Ark	arcadata	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	0	12-28-2010 05:37 AM
The Ark	PDS	Reading Recommendations	0	04-15-2009 06:18 AM

09-12-2011, 10:09 PM	#2
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,262 Karma: 78869092 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	standard advice would be to copy the entire directory structure where your calibre library is. It's self contained and when you reinstall calibre, you can just tell the new database wizard to use an exiting database at the location you specify.

09-13-2011, 01:46 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,144 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Preferences->Miscellaneous->Open calibre config directory

09-13-2011, 07:59 AM	#5
travger Evangelist Posts: 485 Karma: 270594 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: palm tx, Windows7, Galaxy A5	Eh-hm, it seems he needs to know what files to save from Windows Explorer (probably Calibre isn't working). And how to install fresh Calibre so that all books and settings and columns will be as in the old one. I am too very interested in the right procedure.

09-13-2011, 11:08 AM	#7
Halo Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 72130 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle DX 1st Gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen	In case your calibre isn't working, the path on Windows 7 (at least for me) is C:\Users\owner\AppData\Roaming\calibre. Replace "owner" with your login name.

09-13-2011, 11:55 AM	#8
Danny Fekete Electronic Education Buff Posts: 84 Karma: 31076 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen3, iRex DR1000s, Sony Reader PRS 650	(Don't fight; everyone's been helpful!) Thank you all very much for your responses. As Halo inferred, I can't follow up Kovid's hint because my desktop is convinced that the running of applications is passé---thanks very much for spelling out the path for me. Travger understood my question precisely; thank you for communicating it more clearly, and BIG thanks to Mbovenka for the process. As soon as I'm back at my desktop, I'll do a trial run migrating my collection to my laptop and report back. Again, I'm terribly grateful for everyone's help. - Danny

09-13-2011, 12:22 PM	#9
user_none Sigil & calibre developer Posts: 2,487 Karma: 1063785 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida, USA Device: Nook STR	Kovid's answer is the standard answer to where the config info is stored because different OSs use different locations. Different versions of Windows even use different locations. The location is dictated by the OS and how it's configured so it can easily vary from user to user.

09-15-2011, 01:54 AM	#10
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	TIP in windows 7, explorer, you also need to enable "view hidden files" in folder view options, before you can see the appdata folder.

Advert

Advert