Moving Calibre Library from Windows 7 to Windows 8 - json code issue

DramaQueenLucy · 11-12-2013, 12:50 AM

I have moved my library all around to various laptops/desktops to have a back up of my library but never from a windows 7 computer to a windows 8 computer. The problem is that I transferred everything just fine but the computer assigned the json file to some icook program that isn't even downloaded to the computer, ugh! So the question is how can I change the assigned program to open the file to Calibre and not the stupid icook program?

eschwartz · 11-12-2013, 01:15 AM

JSon code shouldn't need to be opened, calibre will read the file directly for anything it needs to do. File associations like you are thinking of will only be used to determine what program to manually open and edit said file. And it is a bad idea to try editing any of that stuff yourself, unless you REALLY know what you are doing.

JSon is not an ebook filetype, so you don't need to touch it anyway. I assume you are speaking of the metadata_db_prefs_backup.json file? calibre uses that as a backup of database preferences, and will handle it all by itself.

Nevertheless, if you are determined to open it, you can manually choose how to open any file; directions are here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...a-type-of-file. Open it in Notepad or any other Text Editor.

As a general rule, though, NEVER open or move or edit anything in the Calibre Library folder, since it may severely mess up your library. calibre expects to be solely in charge of anything you do there, and if you want to use your ebooks, you should let calibre handle it. Read an ebook? Fire up calibre, locate the library record, and click view. Transfer an ebook to your device? Use calibre send to device. Edit the metadata? Tell the new metadata to calibre. That's what it's there for, and it really does do the best job anyway.

DramaQueenLucy · 11-12-2013, 01:32 AM

I don't want to mess with it at all it is so not my thing. Here is the stitch: I downloaded Calibre to the new laptop (windows 8) everything went fine. I had all my files saved on a portable hard drive. Copied and pasted everything into the Calibre folder but nothing shows up in the program. That is a new one to me this method has always worked in the past. So I went looking to find out why it was happening. Nothing worked and my library still wasn't showing up in Calibre. I even uninstalled and reinstalled just to be sure that it wasn't a glitch of some kind still nothing worked. It was suggested to me that the problem might be in that json file that shows icook when you look at it. It is the only thing that is different so I figured it must be the problem. BTW when I double clicked the icon it took me to the icook program only a blank page. See below:

DoctorOhh · 11-12-2013, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DramaQueenLucy

I had all my files saved on a portable hard drive. Copied and pasted everything into the Calibre folder but nothing shows up in the program. That is a new one to me this method has always worked in the past. So I went looking to find out why it was happening. Nothing worked and my library still wasn't showing up in Calibre.

If calibre is opening without a library then click on the library icon choose Switch/create library leave the top option selected and browse to the directory that contains your metadata.db file and click OK.

eschwartz · 11-12-2013, 02:02 AM

DoctorOhh is right. When you first install calibre, it will create and open a blank library. You must manually switch to your old library, and afterward, calibre will default to opening the last used library. Switch to the location of the Calibre Library folder on your external hard drive or wherever it is now located, and use that folder as your library.

On the calibre manual, at: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq....ter-to-another

Quote:

How do I move my calibre library from one computer to another?

Simply copy the calibre library folder from the old to the new computer. You can find out what the library folder is by clicking the calibre icon in the toolbar. The very first item is the path to the library folder. Now on the new computer, start calibre for the first time. It will run the Welcome Wizard asking you for the location of the calibre library. Point it to the previously copied folder. If the computer you are transferring to already has a calibre installation, then the Welcome wizard wont run. In that case, right-click the calibre icon in the tooolbar and point it to the newly copied directory. You will now have two calibre libraries on your computer and you can switch between them by clicking the calibre icon on the toolbar. Transferring your library in this manner preserver all your metadata, tags, custom columns, etc.

DramaQueenLucy · 11-12-2013, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoctorOhh

If calibre is opening without a library then click on the library icon choose Switch/create library leave the top option selected and browse to the directory that contains your metadata.db file and click OK.

Yeah, unfortunately I already tried that and it was a no go. Just for giggles I tried again since the re-install and it still didn't work, sigh. It says that it already contains the new library. I'm going to back it up on my old PC again maybe it is something in the transfer. I've done it once already but this time I'll save it to a disc or use another portable hard drive.

DoctorOhh · 11-12-2013, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DramaQueenLucy

Yeah, unfortunately I already tried that and it was a no go. Just for giggles I tried again since the re-install and it still didn't work, sigh. It says that it already contains the new library. I'm going to back it up on my old PC again maybe it is something in the transfer. I've done it once already but this time I'll save it to a disc or use another portable hard drive.

In that case it seems as if you may have copied everything except the old metadata.db file. All of your author folders and books have been copied, correct? If so grab up the original metadata.db file (not dated 11 Nov 10:40pm) and copy it over to the new machine.

Here is the full section of the FAQ on moving libraries between computers.

Edit: Just to be clear the problem you are experiencing has nothing to do with the json file or icook.

itimpi · 11-12-2013, 02:23 AM

Calibre needs full access permissions to its library folder and contents. Pending on how the transfer was done the permissions might have been changed. It might be worth checking that all the files in the new library give Calibre full access rights.

eschwartz · 11-12-2013, 02:31 AM

The current metadata.db is 126 KB, which is about the size of a brand-new db so that's probably the problem.

If that DOESN'T work, try this: http://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq....n-app-is-blank

Quote:

The list of books in calibre is blank!

In order to understand why that happened, you have to understand what a calibre library is. At the most basic level, a calibre library is just a folder. Whenever you add a book to calibre, that book’s files are copied into this folder (arranged into sub folders by author and title). Inside the calibre library folder, at the top level, you will see a file called metadata.db. This file is where calibre stores the metadata like title/author/rating/tags etc. for every book in your calibre library. The list of books that calibre displays is created by reading the contents of this metadata.db file.

There can be two reasons why calibre is showing a empty list of books:

Your calibre library folder changed its location. This can happen if it was on an external disk and the drive letter for that disk changed. Or if you accidentally moved the folder. In this case, calibre cannot find its library and so starts up with an empty library instead. To remedy this, do a right-click on the calibre icon in the calibre toolbar and select Switch/create library. Click the little blue icon to select the new location of your calibre library and click OK.
Your metadata.db file was deleted/corrupted. In this case, you can ask calibre to rebuild the metadata.db from its backups. Right click the calibre icon in the calibre toolbar and select Library maintenance->Restore database. calibre will automatically rebuild metadata.db.

You could also just open a new library, then import directly from the broken library. Assuming all books were copied over properly, it should act the same as a save-to-disk.

The books are organized as folder=book, each file=different format, which is what save-to-disk does anyway. All metadata gets read from metadata.opf, so that's good.

If you have custom columns, set those up first, so the import adds the data for those columns in.

DoctorOhh · 11-12-2013, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

The current metadata.db is 126 KB, which is about the size of a brand-new db so that's probably the problem.

My point exactly.

@DramaQueenLucy if my advice doesn't work follow eschwartz's advice. Either method (unless we are both making incorrect assumptions) should get you back to where you want to be.

Good Luck.

BetterRed · 11-12-2013, 06:06 AM

The icon for that iCook program that's associated itself with JSON files, is a bright shiny red apple. If you don't know what "iCook" is then it probably shouldn't be there - and it may be indicative of something you'd rather not have.

The json file in the library is not the only json file that calibre uses, there are several in the config directory, some plugins create them too. if iCook can read json files, it can probably write them too.

I would run some standalone malware scanners such as MalwareWareBytes, Trend Micro Housecall, McAfee Stinger etc

The CEO of Apple is Tim Cook. No... I'm not blaming Apple, malware writers and distributors have a warped perspective on life.

BR

theducks · 11-12-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetterRed

The CEO of Apple is Tim Cook. No... I'm not blaming Apple, malware writers and distributors have a warped perspective on life.

BR

Apple has finally found a way to take over M$

DramaQueenLucy · 11-12-2013, 12:33 PM

Thanks for the help and advice. I still don't know what happened. However, once I copied and pasted everything again it transferred correctly it did take a bit for me to get it into the new download of Calibre.

JSWolf · 11-12-2013, 12:43 PM

I've recently installed the 64-bit version of Calibre on a laptop running Windows 8.1. I had no problem access the existing libraries. Doesn't matter what .json is assigned to. Calibre doesn't care and it works just fine.

DramaQueenLucy · 11-12-2013, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've recently installed the 64-bit version of Calibre on a laptop running Windows 8.1. I had no problem access the existing libraries. Doesn't matter what .json is assigned to. Calibre doesn't care and it works just fine.

I'm not the most computer literate person around. I don't know what the problem was. It works now and thats all that matters, lol.

11-12-2013, 12:50 AM	#1
DramaQueenLucy Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Oklahoma Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3G First Generation	Moving Calibre Library from Windows 7 to Windows 8 - json code issue I have moved my library all around to various laptops/desktops to have a back up of my library but never from a windows 7 computer to a windows 8 computer. The problem is that I transferred everything just fine but the computer assigned the json file to some icook program that isn't even downloaded to the computer, ugh! So the question is how can I change the assigned program to open the file to Calibre and not the stupid icook program?

11-12-2013, 01:15 AM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85397180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	JSon code shouldn't need to be opened, calibre will read the file directly for anything it needs to do. File associations like you are thinking of will only be used to determine what program to manually open and edit said file. And it is a bad idea to try editing any of that stuff yourself, unless you REALLY know what you are doing. JSon is not an ebook filetype, so you don't need to touch it anyway. I assume you are speaking of the metadata_db_prefs_backup.json file? calibre uses that as a backup of database preferences, and will handle it all by itself. Nevertheless, if you are determined to open it, you can manually choose how to open any file; directions are here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/w...a-type-of-file. Open it in Notepad or any other Text Editor. As a general rule, though, NEVER open or move or edit anything in the Calibre Library folder, since it may severely mess up your library. calibre expects to be solely in charge of anything you do there, and if you want to use your ebooks, you should let calibre handle it. Read an ebook? Fire up calibre, locate the library record, and click view. Transfer an ebook to your device? Use calibre send to device. Edit the metadata? Tell the new metadata to calibre. That's what it's there for, and it really does do the best job anyway. Last edited by eschwartz; 11-12-2013 at 01:54 AM.

11-12-2013, 01:32 AM	#3
DramaQueenLucy Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Oklahoma Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3G First Generation	I don't want to mess with it at all it is so not my thing. Here is the stitch: I downloaded Calibre to the new laptop (windows 8) everything went fine. I had all my files saved on a portable hard drive. Copied and pasted everything into the Calibre folder but nothing shows up in the program. That is a new one to me this method has always worked in the past. So I went looking to find out why it was happening. Nothing worked and my library still wasn't showing up in Calibre. I even uninstalled and reinstalled just to be sure that it wasn't a glitch of some kind still nothing worked. It was suggested to me that the problem might be in that json file that shows icook when you look at it. It is the only thing that is different so I figured it must be the problem. BTW when I double clicked the icon it took me to the icook program only a blank page. See below: Last edited by DramaQueenLucy; 11-12-2013 at 01:34 AM.

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11-12-2013, 02:23 AM	#8
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Calibre needs full access permissions to its library folder and contents. Pending on how the transfer was done the permissions might have been changed. It might be worth checking that all the files in the new library give Calibre full access rights.

11-12-2013, 06:06 AM	#11
BetterRed null operator (he/him) Posts: 20,997 Karma: 27620706 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sydney Australia Device: none	The icon for that iCook program that's associated itself with JSON files, is a bright shiny red apple. If you don't know what "iCook" is then it probably shouldn't be there - and it may be indicative of something you'd rather not have. The json file in the library is not the only json file that calibre uses, there are several in the config directory, some plugins create them too. if iCook can read json files, it can probably write them too. I would run some standalone malware scanners such as MalwareWareBytes, Trend Micro Housecall, McAfee Stinger etc The CEO of Apple is Tim Cook. No... I'm not blaming Apple, malware writers and distributors have a warped perspective on life. BR

11-12-2013, 12:33 PM	#13
DramaQueenLucy Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Oklahoma Device: Kindle Paperwhite 3G First Generation	Thanks for the help and advice. I still don't know what happened. However, once I copied and pasted everything again it transferred correctly it did take a bit for me to get it into the new download of Calibre.

11-12-2013, 12:43 PM	#14
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 76,395 Karma: 136466962 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've recently installed the 64-bit version of Calibre on a laptop running Windows 8.1. I had no problem access the existing libraries. Doesn't matter what .json is assigned to. Calibre doesn't care and it works just fine.

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