I’m trying to open a project created in KiCad v4. It contains a lib file describing certain components, and as I’ve opened it with a text editor, it does contain a lot of definitions, I assume using the proper syntax. However, when I open the schematics, it is filled with a lot of question marks referring to unknown symbols. The lib file itself is detected, but KiCad claims that it’s empty, no component definitions are recognized.
What can I do to alleviate the problem?
Fortunately I never experienced v4 so this may be caca advice but have you tried registering and converting that old LIB format library from the symbol library manager? As a project local library that is.
Yes, I’ve tried. It converted the library to the new format, definitions are there, but KiCad still complains that it’s an empty lib, and the question marks are still there.
I seem to recall that v5 (and maybe v4) libraries comprised two files, a .lib and a .dcm. Is the latter lost?
There are a bunch of things that can go wrong during import of old projects, but I have not seen it yet that KiCad thinks a library is empty while it is not. What is the file size of that library?
The first time you open an old project, it should trigger a “rescue” process, and that should get you through the conversion. Did you go through the rescue procedure?
Is it possible that you moved the symbols from that library to some other library, and then left the library empty long ago?
The easiest way to diagnose / repair is if you zip up and upload the KiCad V4 project here. (from before an attempted conversion).
DCM file was there too.
The rescue procedure has indeed started, and managed to rescue a few components that I have expected to fail, because they were not defined in that particular lib. But KiCad has not managed to rescue those described in that lib.
SOLUTION:
Finally, the problem has been solved by brute force. I’ve opened the project using Kicad v5, and saved it. This new project could be opened with the current version of KiCad without any issues.
Thanks for the help, both of you! I still do not know what was going on though 
I had the same problem and it lingered for several version’s but I was able to take care of it… After growing tired of repeating my Edit/solution, I created an App to do it…
The main problem that I saw was the Kicad did Not update the correct path’s in the Mod, Sym and Lib files (mostly because I have my parts/etc in custom folders).
Re-constructing the Build-Paths (via the menu selection) did not Fully take care of the problem).
The App does nothing more than simple Search and Replace so, you can do similar with most any Text-Editor.
I found several lingering old not-updated links so, I included them in the App’s pull-down menus (screenshot below shows some of the bad links…).
You don’t need my App (and, it’s executable is for Mac only so, not posting it).
ADDED: Clarifying… Find a Good Link from a newly created project and copy it for pasting into bad Mod, Sym and Lib file’s… Do in Bulk or single files as needed…
I recall that Wayne Stambaugh himself declared that KiCad should be able to read old projects.
And therefore, if something such as path translation goes haywire, it should probably be reported as a bug so it can be fixed in KiCad itself.
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