Can I make a duplicate copy of my Calibre Library

[Chuck Reid]

I am not very literate when it comes to computers.

Can someone please help?

I am wanting to make a duplicate copy of my Calibre without having to import all of the files into it again. I want to have 2 exact same calibre Libraries on my existing computer which has the calibre that I would like to copy onto a portable hard drive.

My operating system is Windows 7

[dgparryuk]

what you can do is rather than installing calibre to your computer use the portable version - and then copy the entire folder to the hard drive - and if you add more books - just copy the entire thing over...

i've just moved mine from an 32-bit install to a portable version so i can have a copy on my pendrive and am going to set up synctoy to keep them both in check

i can post more details if needed (ie step by step)

[pjmpjm]

Originally Posted by dgparryuk

what you can do is rather than installing calibre to your computer use the portable version - and then copy the entire folder to the hard drive - and if you add more books - just copy the entire thing over...

i've just moved mine from an 32-bit install to a portable version so i can have a copy on my pendrive and am going to set up synctoy to keep them both in check

i can post more details if needed (ie step by step)

Can you explain a bit more? And what's the advantage of the portable version of Calibre? Many thanks.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pjmpjm

Can you explain a bit more? And what's the advantage of the portable version of Calibre? Many thanks.

Portable calibre is a self contained package comprising the 32bit Windows version of calibre, the configuration data, and the libraries.

It can be 'installed' on a removable storage device (typically USB), and that device can be plugged into 'any' Windows computer - e.g. your home PC, your work computer (maybe), a friends PC, an PC in an internet cafe etc,

So you will have all the facilities of calibre on any machine - some features may have network issues, eg you might not be able to download metadata from a work computer because of corporate network management restrictions.

BR

[pjmpjm]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Portable calibre is a self contained package comprising the 32bit Windows version of calibre, the configuration data, and the libraries.

It can be 'installed' on a removable storage device (typically USB), and that device can be plugged into 'any' Windows computer - e.g. your home PC, your work computer (maybe), a friends PC, an PC in an internet cafe etc,

So you will have all the facilities of calibre on any machine - some features may have network issues, eg you might not be able to download metadata from a work computer because of corporate network management restrictions.

BR

Many thanks, BetterRed. Much appreciated.

[dgparryuk]

so what i've done is this...

a) installed Calibre Portable to my home computer
b) copied the library from the original install from my computer to the Portable version
c) copied the config folder from original to the portable version
d) set up microsoft synctoy to sync to my pendrive
e) set up synctoy on my work computer to sync from the pendrive

so if i change anything on the work computer - i run synctoy and that copies it back to my pendrive - then i get home and run it at home and it updates there too - so i have 3 copies of my library on the go at anyone time...

[fidvo]

Originally Posted by dgparryuk

so what i've done is this...

a) installed Calibre Portable to my home computer
b) copied the library from the original install from my computer to the Portable version
c) copied the config folder from original to the portable version
d) set up microsoft synctoy to sync to my pendrive
e) set up synctoy on my work computer to sync from the pendrive

so if i change anything on the work computer - i run synctoy and that copies it back to my pendrive - then i get home and run it at home and it updates there too - so i have 3 copies of my library on the go at anyone time...

There's one thing to keep in mind when using synchronization software: it works at the file level. It can't open your Calibre database and edit entries. It's all or nothing.

For example, if you add a new book to Calibre on one computer and another book to Calibre on a different computer, synctoy can't merge those two databases. It will copy the database that was updated most recently over the top of the other one, so you'll lose the entry for the earlier of the two books you added.

If you have two databases and only ever edit one of them, there's no problem because the sync will always be one way. But since you have two "editable" databases, you're going to have to remember to ALWAYS sync to the pen drive after making any edits on either.

I personally keep Calibre Portable on an external hard drive. Any edits I make occur on that copy regardless of which computer I'm at. I can then back it up at my leisure instead of worrying about whether I've made any changes to the database recently.

[Chuck Reid]

Can you please post step by step instructions. I have installed Calibre portable on my portable hard drive and I can see how to move files but how the heck to I copy the files.
My picture should be on front cover of computers for dummies. So frustrated....Thanks for the help.