Removing Mobi Books from Calibre? Yes or No?

[BetterRed]

FWIW: I exclude .caltrash folders and full-text-search.db files from backups.

BR

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

FWIW: I exclude .caltrash folders and full-text-search.db files from backups.

BR

Dont know how to do that.

May try and Remove

ORIG AZW3 13
ORIG EPUB 1524
ORIG MOBI 73 ?

But dont now if I gain anything?
Will let the caltrash files delete themselves later.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by theducks

NOT FROM A BACKUP. The whole purpose of a Backup is a frozen view in time.

But if I do a backup in 2 weeks time they will be gone?

[Quoth]

You can remove them now via the Calibre option "Restore" in remove books. It deletes or restores or does nothing, it's cal trash management.

[MRM66]

After all your helpful replies I got rid of all my mobis and upgrded Calibre
Something I have been nervous about for ages.
Really pleased.
But I keep thinking should I get rid of any of these also...

AZW3 2685
ORIG AZW3 13
ORIG EPUB 1524
ORIG MOBI 73
PDF 14

Or leave well alone?
And if so, which ones do I really not want?
What do I type in to find them?
Is it the same as removing the Epub?

I value this forums help.

[DNSB]

I would leave the PDF alone for now. I would suggest selecting all the ePub books and then using the remove files of a specific format from selected books, selecting and removing the ORIGINAL_* books. You could also remove the AZW3 books from your ePub books if you no longer want/need them. This would leave you with your ePub files.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I would leave the PDF alone for now. I would suggest selecting all the ePub books and then using the remove files of a specific format from selected books, selecting and removing the ORIGINAL_* books. You could also remove the AZW3 books from your ePub books if you no longer want/need them. This would leave you with your ePub files.

Thanks
But what do I type in the search box?
Also select all the epub books?

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by theducks

Do you really need the space?


FWIW I Keep track of the original format in a custom column. I don't clean out that.

Am here agan lol
How do I do that?
It seems a good idea.

But not created a custom column for ages.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by MRM66

After all your helpful replies I got rid of all my mobis and upgrded Calibre
Something I have been nervous about for ages.
Really pleased.
But I keep thinking should I get rid of any of these also...

AZW3 2685
ORIG AZW3 13
ORIG EPUB 1524
ORIG MOBI 73
PDF 14

Or leave well alone?
And if so, which ones do I really not want?
What do I type in to find them?
Is it the same as removing the Epub?

I value this forums help.

As you keep coming back to this I suspect you really do want to get rid of at least some of them.

I would delete the ORIG formats. The easiest way to do that is:

1. Make a backup of your library in case something goes wrong.
2. Open the "Formats" section of the tag browser (the pane on the left).
   
   
3. Click the ORIG format you want to remove. A green plus sign will appear and all books having that format will be listed in the book list.
   
   
4. Press CTRL-A to select all the books.
5. Right click on the ORIG format and select "Remove ORIG ...". In this example it is "Remove the ORIGINAL_EPUB" from selected books".
   
   
6. Answer the "Are you sure" question.
   
   
7. The format is deleted.
   

Note: while preparing this post I found a bug in the current calibre version where the tag browser formats list isn't cleaned up after deleting formats. I submitted a fix to Kovid for the next release. In the meantime you can "force" a cleanup by typing E (for edit metadata) then immediately pressing OK.

EDIT: The fix is now in calibre source and will be in the next release/preview.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by chaley

As you keep coming back to this I suspect you really do want to get rid of at least some of them.

I would delete the ORIG formats. The easiest way to do that is:

1. Make a backup of your library in case something goes wrong.
2. Open the "Formats" section of the tag browser (the pane on the left).
   Attachment 209015
   
3. Click the ORIG format you want to remove. A green plus sign will appear and all books having that format will be listed in the book list.
   Attachment 209016
   
4. Press CTRL-A to select all the books.
5. Right click on the ORIG format and select "Remove ORIG ...". In this example it is "Remove the ORIGINAL_EPUB" from selected books".
   Attachment 209017
   
6. Answer the "Are you sure" question.
   Attachment 209018
   
7. The format is deleted.
   Attachment 209019

Note: while preparing this post I found a bug in the current calibre version where the tag browser formats list isn't cleaned up after deleting formats. I submitted a fix to Kovid for the next release. In the meantime you can "force" a cleanup by typing E (for edit metadata) then immediately pressing OK.

EDIT: The fix is now in calibre source and will be in the next release/preview.

Thanks
Got halfway and chickened out lol
I seem to have 2 Formats Lists to pick from.
When I add a book to calibre I add all the details
Edit Metadata
Custom Metadata
Formats

So some are still saying Epub.Mobi in the box there. Most of my 4000 books
Too many to type te change to just EPub

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Thanks
Got halfway and chickened out lol
I seem to have 2 Formats Lists to pick from.
When I add a book to calibre I add all the details
Edit Metadata
Custom Metadata
Formats

So some are still saying Epub.Mobi in the box there. Most of my 4000 books
Too many to type te change to just EPub

That EPUB.Mobi is a custom column. Once you clean, that may need to be regenerated (if the way it was populated was not from a formula)

The real Formats is the upper one. It is a list style with only 1 value per line.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Thanks
Got halfway and chickened out lol
I seem to have 2 Formats Lists to pick from.
When I add a book to calibre I add all the details
Edit Metadata
Custom Metadata
Formats

So some are still saying Epub.Mobi in the box there. Most of my 4000 books
Too many to type te change to just EPub

I would remove the custom formats column. It doesn't tell you anything that the standard formats column doesn't. Even worse, because you must maintain is manually it can be wrong.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by chaley

I would remove the custom formats column. It doesn't tell you anything that the standard formats column doesn't. Even worse, because you must maintain is manually it can be wrong.

Remove by deleting it from the list?
To create it I always type in what format the books are
They were mostly Epub.Mobi.
Now they only want to be Epub.
But won't it still show in the books details?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by MRM66

Remove by deleting it from the list?

Remove it using Preferences / Add your own columns.

To create it I always type in what format the books are
They were mostly Epub.Mobi.
Now they only want to be Epub.
But won't it still show in the books details?

If you delete as I suggested then it can't show in book details. However, the standard Formats data does show in book details, providing you more accurate information, unless you have turned it off in Preferences / Look & feel / Book details. I suspect that your custom formats column already contains incorrect information.

All that said, I think you should do what you are comfortable with. None of us are you and none of us do things in exactly the same way.

[MRM66]

Originally Posted by chaley

Remove it using Preferences / Add your own columns.

If you delete as I suggested then it can't show in book details. However, the standard Formats data does show in book details, providing you more accurate information, unless you have turned it off in Preferences / Look & feel / Book details. I suspect that your custom formats column already contains incorrect information.

All that said, I think you should do what you are comfortable with. None of us are you and none of us do things in exactly the same way.

Thanks for helping
I have deleted the Epub.Mobi column I created in formats.
just left with EPub.
So the box is empty in the ones that I created
Yes its possible the custom formats have incorrect info. But Amazon adds details and I delete reviews etc and keep the book details
Amy happy with that.
Just the new books I now buy,have EPub in the box now.

PS. Chaley looks like you live near me !