Calibre Corrupted File Experience

[frankdm]

I lost my hard drive. My notebook drive was rather small so I used an external drive to hold my several Calibre files. Before the crash I had no trouble using Calibre to read these databases.

This week I replaced the drive, downloaded Calibre, and tried to access my external drive Calibre files. When I tried to attach to each one, Calibre indicated they were corrupted and I couldn't attach. I tried rebuilding one of them, twice, but no luck. I installed the portable version of Calibre on my external drive. It created it's own Calibre database which I could attach from my notebook. But the portable Calibre also would not attach to the other Calibre files on the external drive.

I don't think this is a hardware problem. The external drive seems fine, and all of the original Calibre files on it have the same corrupted message.

In this description, windows 7 is the only operating system involved.

I had a related experience a few months ago. I had the Calibre files on a desktop and decided to move some of them to my notebook. I transferred one with a flash drive but when I tried to attach with the notebook Calibre, I got the corrupted file message. My solution was to create empty Calibre database on my notebook and copy the Calibre databases on the desktop to the notebook Calibre using the Calibre copy option. This was over a network. It took a while, but I got what I wanted.

In both that case and now, the problem seems to be that a Calibre database created with a particular download of Calibre is ok, but a new download of Calibre will no longer read the Calibre databases which were created with the previous download. Updating Calibre doesn't create the problem, only a new download. It's as if each download is somehow specific to the hardware or to the particular instance of the operating system.

Back to the present: I moved one of the Calibre files from the external drive back to the notebook. I can now attach to it. This database is identical to the one on the external drive which shows as corrupted. Repeated with a couple more databases. In each case, Calibre will attach on local hard drive but not on the external drive. Seems strange.

I will later re-copy the databases to external drive, this time copying to an empty Calibre database created with this Calibre download. My guess is that I will again be able to use the Calibre database on the external drive.

I'm writing this because I belived there is something in the Calibre code which creates the problem. Perhaps when a new Calibre program is downloaded it makes note of the hardware or perhaps the partiular instance of the Windows 7 operating system. Perhaps this can be corrected, or if not, perhaps a warning in the manual. (There may already be something there, but I couldn't find it.)

With some trouble my problem is solved but my experience may provide some help to others who receive corrupted file messages.

[PeterT]

Just curious about something. Your's is the second thread recently with someone with an external / portable drive and issues. I *think* the issue in both cases is NOT calibre, but rather the security settings on the files and directories on the drive.

If the drive is formatted with NTFS, Windows sets security attributes on each and every file and directory. These attributes are designed to protect data on NTFS file systems from being accessed on other computer systems.

There are steps that can be taken on the original system to allow Everyone access to folders, and on the new system there are steps you can take to change ownership of the data on the old system to match the new system.

[frankdm]

Thank you. I hadn't thought of security. I assumed that since the external drive was fine before my disk crash, it would be ok when I had the new drive installed. Any idea how I can check the security status? I'm not a newbee but I'm still pretty ignorant.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by frankdm

Thank you. I hadn't thought of security. I assumed that since the external drive was fine before my disk crash, it would be ok when I had the new drive installed. Any idea how I can check the security status? I'm not a newbee but I'm still pretty ignorant.

@frankdm - This should help you to follow PeterT's advice to grant full access to 'Everyone' ==>> http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...rmissions.html

If you want to get an understanding of Windows Security this is a reasonably good synopsis ==>> http://www.howtogeek.com/72718/how-t...e-permissions/

BR

[frankdm]

Eureka! It worked.

Thanks to both of you for your kindness in taking the trouble to help. The diagnosis of the problem from PeterT was right on. And the links from BetterRed was what I needed to apply the suggestion. The sevensforums tutorial is excellent. Rare to see such a clear explanation of a techy subject.

I hope I can return the favor some day. But I suspect in the tech area I'm too far behind to be of much help.

[PeterT]

Glad we could help out.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Glad we could help out.

The Windows Vista/Seven/Eight forums have many excellent tutorials that can be understood by non geeks - I use it a lot

Definitely worth bookmarking or whatever one does

BR