how to select different viewers?

[crane3]

Calibre 5.38

I updated to ver 5.38. Selected "view" down arrow & was shown a list of viewers to use for reading the epub with freda+ at the top; freda+ is the system default for epub files. I then selected FBreader which was newly installed from the MS store since it is at ver 2.xxx & listed(?) at the store in 2/11/2022. Previous ver was at the 0.xx beta stage & so wanted to take a look.

The UI has epub unchecked so that, in theory, Calibre would have just loaded freda+ for the viewer; did not happen the 1st time after installing 5.38 as I got a list of apps to select. Problem is that it won't happen again. I would like to be able to use a list for selecting various readers to try out! It was possible but do not know what or how it got working.

Any ideas or did just happen to use a "beta" something or other?

[kovidgoyal]

That's windows selection dialog, not calibres. If you want to chosoe multiple viewer sin calibre use the open with functionality. Right click the view button, choose view specific format and click open with

[crane3]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

That's windows selection dialog, not calibres. If you want to chosoe multiple viewer sin calibre use the open with functionality. Right click the view button, choose view specific format and click open with

Thank you. However, the windows selection of "open with" does not appear for me again(?). Found that the right-click for the cover does show up as "open cover with" as well as the details have the "open details with".

Did try the right-click on the title of a book & see 'open containing follder' which showed the book title listing; then right-click the book title & the windows selection popped up where I selected FB2; so successful with the workaround(?).

Perhaps the right-click on the View button for the "open with" got delisted somehow? I do like the use of the default viewer but sometimes the "grass is always greener elsewhere", maybe.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by crane3

...

Perhaps the right-click on the View button for the "open with" got delisted somehow? I do like the use of the default viewer but sometimes the "grass is always greener elsewhere", maybe.

You maybe looking in the wrong place, see ==>> Configuring and using Calibre's built in Open With - MobileRead Forums

BR

[crane3]

Thanks BetterRed. After some trial & errors, I did see that you meant the "detail" epub part of the screen that has the cover.

The addition of epub readers did not appear for me for the ms store app readers, even freda+ did not appear as a selection. The "open with" is the built-in 'open with' & the search function did not include the ms store but just amazon & google places.

Using the shortcut of "o" to get the containing folder of the book, the "open with" is the windows version as it not only has both freda+ & fbreader listed but the "search" includes searching the ms store. Will use this method as it does look like ms is doing the apple way in hiding where the ms store apps are installed. Also some apps' blog page does not have any way to get/install their app outside of the ms store, just like apple.

[BetterRed]

@crane3 - find a shortcut for the app, e.g. in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\

And then get Calibre->Open With to use that in its Choose a Program->Browse computer… dialogue, viz:



BR

[crane3]

Thanks BetterRed. I found where the ms store installed their ms store apps. I had 'changed' the location years ago from C:\program files\WindowsApps to F:\WindowsApps as I had to change the security for access & away from the system drive. ms store apps now installs in the original C:\ during one of the win 10 updates........The start menu in program data doesn't list either freda+ or fbreader.

Created a shortcut to the desktop then moved to a folder for some apps because I don't want a cluttered desktop. The browse for an epub viewer now find the FBreader. I can do it for the surface go which is running win 10 and believe that it will work better on the tablet than freda+.

[crane3]

Originally Posted by crane3

Skipped stuff.........

Created a shortcut to the desktop then moved to a folder for some apps because I don't want a cluttered desktop. The browse for an epub viewer now find the FBreader. I can do it for the surface go which is running win 10 and believe that it will work better on the tablet than freda+.

For the ms store install on the desktop with win 10 pro, it works.

For my windows tablet with win 11 pro, it doesn't as the "error" claims that the path is too long to create a short cut. Then checked the win laptop with win 11 Home, error says a dll is missing which looks to be a vc runtime....

So, it looks like a GOTCHU with win 11 in doing the right-click on 'epub'. Unless it works with someone else's computer with win 11.