Help splitting Library onto USB sticks, please

LisaAlissa · 05-15-2016, 04:52 PM

The PC where my Calibre Library is located is starting to show signs of instability, so I've disconnected it from the Internet. I need to copy/backup the library but it is too large for the available USB sticks. I have 16 GB USB sticks, and the properties of the Calibre Library shows it in excess of 22 GB.

i'm not sure how to approach this. Clearly I need to split the library, so that I can get it onto the USB sticks. I don't want to delete the Library from the PC, until I'm sure I've got it somewhere else and that I can access it.

Do I want to install Calibre Portable on the USB sticks?

How can I determine how much can go on each USB stick--so that I know how big each split library should be? And is there a way to tell how big a split Library will be before creating it?

How can I split the library so that I can then use the export function to move a split library piece onto a stick? (Or is there a better way to do this?)

I'm probably missing other things I need to consider or do as I try to remove my library to another device. So any advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks for reading.

LisaAlissa

theducks · 05-15-2016, 05:17 PM

I would use
Create Library With the Borrow Structure option
to make an empty Library on each USB stick

So I don't miss any
I would Select a bunch (A-M, M-Z) of AUTHORS in the tag browser
(green plus)
Select ALL results (ctrl-A)
Right click: copy to Library: <USB stick #>

repeat for the second group

Remember to copy your User configuration folder

to bad, Export All Calibre data can't offer a Spanned Volumes Zips

dwig · 05-15-2016, 07:17 PM

I could be done any number of ways.

theducks' method will create two separate functional libraries, one on each stick, than can then be imported into a single library on a second computer or used as-is as two separate libraries. This works whether you are moving the library to a new machine or simply using libraries on the sticks with the old failing machine.

A second method could be use if you are either moving the library to a new machine or wanting to create a backup archive while you still use the library on the old machine. This method would be to manually copy roughly 1/2 of the folders in the calibre library onto one stick and the other half along with the files at the top level of the library folder onto the second stick. You would have to manually create an empty library folder on the new machine, or the old one after losing its library to a data error, and then copy the contents of each stick into that library folder before the library can be accessed. You should also copy the applications settings to a separate folder on one of the sticks.

05-15-2016, 04:52 PM	#1
LisaAlissa Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: iPad, iPhone,	Help splitting Library onto USB sticks, please The PC where my Calibre Library is located is starting to show signs of instability, so I've disconnected it from the Internet. I need to copy/backup the library but it is too large for the available USB sticks. I have 16 GB USB sticks, and the properties of the Calibre Library shows it in excess of 22 GB. i'm not sure how to approach this. Clearly I need to split the library, so that I can get it onto the USB sticks. I don't want to delete the Library from the PC, until I'm sure I've got it somewhere else and that I can access it. Do I want to install Calibre Portable on the USB sticks? How can I determine how much can go on each USB stick--so that I know how big each split library should be? And is there a way to tell how big a split Library will be before creating it? How can I split the library so that I can then use the export function to move a split library piece onto a stick? (Or is there a better way to do this?) I'm probably missing other things I need to consider or do as I try to remove my library to another device. So any advice will be gratefully received. Thanks for reading. LisaAlissa

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05-15-2016, 05:17 PM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,832 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	I would use Create Library With the Borrow Structure option to make an empty Library on each USB stick So I don't miss any I would Select a bunch (A-M, M-Z) of AUTHORS in the tag browser (green plus) Select ALL results (ctrl-A) Right click: copy to Library: <USB stick #> repeat for the second group Remember to copy your User configuration folder to bad, Export All Calibre data can't offer a Spanned Volumes Zips

05-15-2016, 07:17 PM	#3
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718479 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	I could be done any number of ways. theducks' method will create two separate functional libraries, one on each stick, than can then be imported into a single library on a second computer or used as-is as two separate libraries. This works whether you are moving the library to a new machine or simply using libraries on the sticks with the old failing machine. A second method could be use if you are either moving the library to a new machine or wanting to create a backup archive while you still use the library on the old machine. This method would be to manually copy roughly 1/2 of the folders in the calibre library onto one stick and the other half along with the files at the top level of the library folder onto the second stick. You would have to manually create an empty library folder on the new machine, or the old one after losing its library to a data error, and then copy the contents of each stick into that library folder before the library can be accessed. You should also copy the applications settings to a separate folder on one of the sticks.

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