Possible to see which epub files on PC are returned library books w/o opening each?

4691mls · 02-22-2016, 07:10 PM

I don't know if this is just a Sony thing or if it's the same for all epub readers/software. If it turns out to be just Sony, moderators please move to appropriate forum.

Until recently I hadn't had a reason to look in the folder on my PC (Windows 7) where epub files were stored. I have now discovered that when I return an Overdrive library epub using the Sony software, the book disappears from the Sony program but the actual epub file is not deleted from the computer. These epubs are still in a folder on my PC, mixed in with my purchased books which are still active and viewable in the Sony software.

In the future I will plan to delete each library book's file once I've returned the book. However, for now I have a LOT of these returned/expired epub files and I would like to get rid of them.

The only way I know to determine if a file in the PC's epubs folder is a returned/expired library book is to go into the folder and try to open an epub file. If it's a returned book, I get an error message. If it's an active book, it opens in the Sony software. Unfortunately, it would be quite time-consuming to do this for each individual book as there are a few hundred files in this folder!

Does anyone know a way to determine if an epub file on the PC is an expired file without actually trying to open it?

gweeks · 02-23-2016, 08:35 AM

It works the same way with Adobe Digital Editions and library books. I started always making sure I delete the book when I return it to the library.

Greg

PeterT · 02-23-2016, 10:32 AM

My experience with ADE and Library books is that it shows how much time is left on the loan or the word Expired when the loan is up. Then it's relatively easy to right click look each Expired book and select the delete option.

AnemicOak · 02-23-2016, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4691mls

The only way I know to determine if a file in the PC's epubs folder is a returned/expired library book is to go into the folder and try to open an epub file. If it's a returned book, I get an error message. If it's an active book, it opens in the Sony software. Unfortunately, it would be quite time-consuming to do this for each individual book as there are a few hundred files in this folder!

Does anyone know a way to determine if an epub file on the PC is an expired file without actually trying to open it?

None that I'm aware of.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

My experience with ADE and Library books is that it shows how much time is left on the loan or the word Expired when the loan is up. Then it's relatively easy to right click look each Expired book and select the delete option.

That doesn't actually delete the book file though, just removes it from the library screen.

rem736 · 02-23-2016, 05:19 PM

you could try the file date as a way to cut down. for instance, if your default loan period is 2 weeks, then you know that anything older than 2 weeks would have expired already.

AnemicOak · 02-23-2016, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rem736

you could try the file date as a way to cut down. for instance, if your default loan period is 2 weeks, then you know that anything older than 2 weeks would have expired already.

Except remember, his purchased books are mixed in with the expired loans.

Terisa de morgan · 02-23-2016, 06:11 PM

I agree with Peter. If you open ADE, the expired books are there (not removed, of course, but that's what the OP wants). At the bookshelf, without trying to open there.

4691mls · 02-23-2016, 07:17 PM

My current idea is to print a list of the epub files in the directory on the PC and compare against the files in the Sony Reader for PC software - anything that's on the PC but not showing up in the Reader software is probably safe to delete. This will still take a while but would be faster than attempting to open each individual file.

I wish I'd known when I first started reading library books that they don't get deleted, I would have started deleting them myself way back then!

Jeff L · 02-24-2016, 05:16 AM

With ADE, the problem is even worse.

ADE not only keeps the file in its own program directory, but there's a second copy in the system temp folder.

Barty · 02-24-2016, 09:30 PM

It's really poor design that ADE puts your purchases and loans in the same folder, then does not remove the epub when the loan expires. Also it only uses the book title for file name. Bad doggie.

AnemicOak · 02-24-2016, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff L

With ADE, the problem is even worse.

ADE not only keeps the file in its own program directory, but there's a second copy in the system temp folder.

Not that I've ever seen.

GeoffR · 02-25-2016, 11:50 AM

I'm using ADE 1.7.3 so I don't know if later versions work exactly the same way ...

When I download a book the .epub file is stored in "My Digital Editions/" and a record is added to "My Digital Editions/manifest.xml". When I delete a book the record is removed from manifest.xml but the .epub file remains.

So to see if an .epub file is from a deleted book, check if it is mentioned in manifest.xml. E.g. on Linux this command run from within "My Digital Editions/" will list all the .epub files that belong to deleted books:

Code:

for F in *.epub; do grep -q $F manifest.xml || echo $F; done

4691mls · 02-25-2016, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I'm using ADE 1.7.3 so I don't know if later versions work exactly the same way ...

When I download a book the .epub file is stored in "My Digital Editions/" and a record is added to "My Digital Editions/manifest.xml". When I delete a book the record is removed from manifest.xml but the .epub file remains.

So to see if an .epub file is from a deleted book, check if it is mentioned in manifest.xml. E.g. on Linux this command run from within "My Digital Editions/" will list all the .epub files that belong to deleted books:

Code:

for F in *.epub; do grep -q $F manifest.xml || echo $F; done

The Sony manifest file seems to have retained xml's for every book I've ever read

Jeff L · 02-26-2016, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff L

ADE not only keeps the file in its own program directory, but there's a second copy in the system temp folder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Not that I've ever seen.

Should have clarified. Using ADE 2.0.1 on Windows 10.

The 2nd copy of the file appears in:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\Digital Editions

The first part of the path corresponds to the %TEMP% environment variable. On my machine, this has been the program's behaviour since ADE 1.7 on Win XP.

theducks · 02-26-2016, 09:55 AM

Jeff L

IMHO Anything left in that Temp is subject to cleanup

(does the Windows cleanup tool find those?)

You might check the folder permissions, they may be incorrect and the program can not clean up after itself

02-22-2016, 07:10 PM	#1
4691mls Wizard Posts: 2,776 Karma: 30081762 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1	Possible to see which epub files on PC are returned library books w/o opening each? I don't know if this is just a Sony thing or if it's the same for all epub readers/software. If it turns out to be just Sony, moderators please move to appropriate forum. Until recently I hadn't had a reason to look in the folder on my PC (Windows 7) where epub files were stored. I have now discovered that when I return an Overdrive library epub using the Sony software, the book disappears from the Sony program but the actual epub file is not deleted from the computer. These epubs are still in a folder on my PC, mixed in with my purchased books which are still active and viewable in the Sony software. In the future I will plan to delete each library book's file once I've returned the book. However, for now I have a LOT of these returned/expired epub files and I would like to get rid of them. The only way I know to determine if a file in the PC's epubs folder is a returned/expired library book is to go into the folder and try to open an epub file. If it's a returned book, I get an error message. If it's an active book, it opens in the Sony software. Unfortunately, it would be quite time-consuming to do this for each individual book as there are a few hundred files in this folder! Does anyone know a way to determine if an epub file on the PC is an expired file without actually trying to open it?

02-25-2016, 11:50 AM	#12
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	I'm using ADE 1.7.3 so I don't know if later versions work exactly the same way ... When I download a book the .epub file is stored in "My Digital Editions/" and a record is added to "My Digital Editions/manifest.xml". When I delete a book the record is removed from manifest.xml but the .epub file remains. So to see if an .epub file is from a deleted book, check if it is mentioned in manifest.xml. E.g. on Linux this command run from within "My Digital Editions/" will list all the .epub files that belong to deleted books: Code: for F in .epub; do grep -q $F manifest.xml \|\| echo $F; done Last edited by GeoffR; 02-25-2016 at 01:43 PM. Reason: spelling of manifest.xml*

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02-23-2016, 08:35 AM	#2
gweeks Fanatic Posts: 502 Karma: 3367460 Join Date: Apr 2007 Device: Rocket, Nook ST, Kobo WiFi, Kindle PW	It works the same way with Adobe Digital Editions and library books. I started always making sure I delete the book when I return it to the library. Greg

02-23-2016, 10:32 AM	#3
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,256 Karma: 74007256 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	My experience with ADE and Library books is that it shows how much time is left on the loan or the word Expired when the loan is up. Then it's relatively easy to right click look each Expired book and select the delete option.

02-23-2016, 05:19 PM	#5
rem736 purpose priority passion Posts: 645 Karma: 9002000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: socal, usa Device: sony prs-350, b&n ngp, rM2, kindle scribe, boox poke5	you could try the file date as a way to cut down. for instance, if your default loan period is 2 weeks, then you know that anything older than 2 weeks would have expired already.

02-23-2016, 06:11 PM	#7
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,279 Karma: 11768331 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	I agree with Peter. If you open ADE, the expired books are there (not removed, of course, but that's what the OP wants). At the bookshelf, without trying to open there.

02-23-2016, 07:17 PM	#8
4691mls Wizard Posts: 2,776 Karma: 30081762 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: US Device: ALL DEVICES ARE STOCK: Kobo Clara, Tolino Shine 2, Sony PRS-T3, T1	My current idea is to print a list of the epub files in the directory on the PC and compare against the files in the Sony Reader for PC software - anything that's on the PC but not showing up in the Reader software is probably safe to delete. This will still take a while but would be faster than attempting to open each individual file. I wish I'd known when I first started reading library books that they don't get deleted, I would have started deleting them myself way back then!

02-24-2016, 05:16 AM	#9
Jeff L Zealot Posts: 117 Karma: 584308 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: San Francisco Device: Kindle	With ADE, the problem is even worse. ADE not only keeps the file in its own program directory, but there's a second copy in the system temp folder.

02-24-2016, 09:30 PM	#10
Barty doofus Posts: 2,529 Karma: 13088847 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	It's really poor design that ADE puts your purchases and loans in the same folder, then does not remove the epub when the loan expires. Also it only uses the book title for file name. Bad doggie.

02-26-2016, 09:55 AM	#15
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,967 Karma: 55705602 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Jeff L IMHO Anything left in that Temp is subject to cleanup (does the Windows cleanup tool find those?) You might check the folder permissions, they may be incorrect and the program can not clean up after itself

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