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eReader not authorized to open this book

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
November 4, 2017
76 replies
124695 views

When I download a book from my public library I can open it in digital editions 4.5 but when I transfer it to my device (kobo) and try to open it on the kobo it says "This book is protected by DRM. Because you previously deauthorized your eReader, you need to re-import the book using Adobe Digital Editions." I tried erasing authorization and setting git up again but it still won't work. Erased and downloaded a new edition of ADE, that didn't work either. Tried different books and libraries but still have problem. Called kobo and after troubleshooting with them they say it as ADE problem. Please please please help! Thank you!

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Correct answer kirsten5FD5

This thread is old but incase anyone is suffering from the same problem here in January 2023. I have finally figured out a hack to get my Kobo to work.

For the record, I have tried everything: De/Re Authorizing, deleting books, overdrive account vs adobe account, etc. I couldn't use ADE V3 as my Mac is running 64 bit and it's not supported. I thought I was hooped until I came across this in my hours of searching:

Download another random book. One you HAVE NOT had on hold (this is important because this seems to effect books on hold more than anything). Just choose something random.
Load the random book + the book you want into ADE at the same time.
Profit!

I don't know if it's a bug with holds or what, but so far this has worked for me for my last 3 books!

Hopefully this helps someone.

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J

Jim27210386157f

Participant

I think I have a solution.

My Kobo was working fine until I was promppted to use "Sync". I clicked on "YES" and once sync was complete I got the error above.

I read this thread and a number of others and could see that people were getting various results.

I ended up dumping all of the D--R--M content from the device, loading it in to Calibre, then converting to Mobi. I then sent the converted books to the device and now they work fine. My understanding is the kepub is a better format for this purpose, but I have not tested it. I can though attest that simply converting the files to mobi, works.

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Trudy21154936cc8u

Participating Frequently

Thanks to everyone who has continued to post on this thread. I posted here in 2021 right after I got my Kobo ereader. At that time, I was able to resolve the issue with Adobe digital by using Overdrive for my Adobe ID. This worked until November 18, when I could no longer use Adobe digital without getting the dreaded error message again. I very seldom have to use Adobe as my Kobo has been good with directly downloading books via Wifi with the Overdrive system at the library here. But there are some books that must be too old (2005 and 2012 were the last two I had that wouldn't work without Adobe). I tried all the newer fixes listed here, but nothing worked for me. You'd think that Adobe and Kobo could learn to work together, but this blog post has been around since 2017, so guess that is not an option! I have completely stopped using Adobe digital, and if in the future I come across a book that won't download under Overdrive, I will just have to read it in my browser using the library website. Not ideal, but easier than the frustration! Thanks to all for all your suggestions!

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ttloop

Participating Frequently

As I have posted before, ADE 3.0 works with my Kobo aura.

K

Kate27181768v02t

Participant

Same issue here and I've also tried deauthorising and reauthorising laptop and kobo device, unistalled adn reinstalled ADE and search Adobe Digitial Editions sucks so I know I'm not alone. It's never been a great interface but this is horrible.

D

Donna248271052pne

Participating Frequently

After gviing up and buying a new kobo, I then got an email alert to this forum, saying that downloading mulitple books seemed to solve the problem. I tried again with the old kobo and guess what - NO PROBLEMS! I wonder if I just needed to wait for my library/overdrive/adobe digital editiona to fix some software issue? Anyway, I now have a spare ereader.

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MargrietD

Participant

I found the cause of this problem. On my e-reader there is a folder called: D:\.adobe-digital-editions and in it a file called activation.xml. This seems to contain the authorization for the book. When I copy a borrowed book onto my e-reader, I notice that the system date of this .xml file doesn't change. And when I then open the book on my e-reader, the cover is black and I get the error message about the authorization. When I then download the .pdf version of the same book and copy it to my e-reader (duplicate file, not overwrite), I see the date and time of the activation.xml change to today. From that moment on the .epub file will open, even though the cover is still black.

So, check the date of the activation.xml file before you eject the e-reader and copy the .pdf book to your e-reader until the date and time changes to the current date and time.

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LeBrie2566858142uv

Participant

How did you get a .pdf copy of the book from your library to try that fix? When I go to Overdrive, I only see 'download EPUB file' as an option.

C

Christopher25231107kml7

Participant

I randomly started having this problem on my Kobo e-reader. After much frustration I deleted ADE 4.5.11 and installed ADE 2.0 (on a Mac) and that solved the issue.

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ttloop

Participating Frequently

Older versions of ADE seem to work. I've been using 3.0 for some time now.

D

Donna248271052pne

Participating Frequently

My Mac wouldn't allow me to install older versions of ADE. In the end after
over a week of emailing Kobo and getting nowhere, I decided to just buy a
new reader. Not the outcome I wished for but didn't want to waste any more
time sadly

P

Pam2490795279k9

Participant

Hi,

I had this problem also, the issue is with Libby (Overdrive) and not with Kobo, but neither Libby or the library seem able to fix this.

I changed to a different library, one that uses the borrowbox app and this works perfectly fine.

On the up side, if you leave the book for a few days that you downloaded from Libby (Overdrive), sometimes it opens up without any problems (don't know how but just greatful I get to read the book allbeit a few days late)

D

Donna248271052pne

Participating Frequently

Thanks for the response, unfortunately I have to use overdrive with my
library and I can't change libraries as it's linked to the area I live in.
I'll maybe try and leave the book for a while - did you leave it on the e
reader in Adobe Digital editions?

Thanks
Donna

D

Donna248271052pne

Participating Frequently

I can't believe that no one from Adobe or Kobo can help out on this. I tried downloading versions ADE 2 and 3 but they won't run on my mac. I've done all the suggested changes and still the same. The first book I downloaded from my library worked fine. It's almost as if these big companies just build in obscelesence so we have to keep buying more and more while perfectly useable devices end up in landfill. If anyone has any other more recent suggestions, I'd be very grateful.

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Pam24276956bhyp

Participant

Can I just comment on what a bunch of bull this is? I've read through three pages of people having issues with this. I was able to download and read several library books the normal way, and the last one I did I ran into this error. I went so far as to completely reset my device and after over an hour, somehow I got it to work.

I've just downloaded my next book, ready to rock and roll with it, and SAME ISSUE. I have verified that the same overdrive is verified on ADE, my Kobo as well as the book itself. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME. I've now been working the problem again for another hour and a half to no avail. I do not want to reset my e-reader again as it causes issues and requires firmware updates etc. My Kobo is pretty old (I think it's a touch) so I can't do the Overdrive download straight to my e-reader or I would definitely skip this ADE bull. This is absolutely ridiculous.

I have not tried the downgrade to ADE 3.0, because I can't get a link to it! It's no longer on the Adobe website, or at the very least I can't get it in Canada. I have found it on 'other' sites, but I'm not about to download a .exe file from some site I don't know and double click on it in hopes that it's actually ADE 3.0. Why have they not fixed this issue yet???? Sure my Kobo is ancient but this was working fine until recently! I just had to vent. I've tried many of the solutions here, and I'm inclined to think that rolling back ADE would actually work, if I could only find a bona fide link to it, but even that they seem to have taken away (May, 2022). Sincerely, sad and bookless.

R

robertl10364170

Participant

I also live in Canada. This works for me: http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/digitaleditions/ADE_3.0_Installer.exe

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Pam24276956bhyp

Participant

Thanks, it looks like this might actually work. I did try going to the 'wayback machine' and was able to grab a copy, but then it requires me to downgrade my Microsoft .Net.

Anyway, perhaps I'll try that. In the meantime, I decided to try ADE on my Mac instead to see if I might have more luck there but then the book gives me an error that the book is already lent out, so I tried to 'return' it to get a fresh copy, but now I'm way back in the holds line so I screwed myself over there. This is so beyond frustrating. Now I wait for my turn to roll around again. Or maybe just bite the bullet and upgrade my ereader to something newer so I can avoid ADE but that is such a garbage solution. Spend another $200 to read your free books. I might just end up forgetting e-books altogether.

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Joseph23560670b7ht

Participant

I had the same problem. Using Calibre, install their Kepub plug in and convert your books to Kepub. It worked for me.

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Bruno23854402tcf3

Participant

I resolved uninstalling Adobe digital editions 4.x and downgrading to Ade 3.0

Steven Mills

Participant

I have an older Kobo (the Kobo Glo) and I ran into the same issue as you. I followed all the troubleshooting steps online and ran into the same problem no matter what I did. I finally fixed it; here's how:

1) Open ADE 4.5

2) Remove your computer's authorization

3) Uninstall ADE 4.5

4) Go to https://www.adobe.com/support/digitaleditions/downloads.html, scroll 2/3 of the way down the page, and click on the download link for Adobe Digital Editions 2.0.1

5) Install ADE 2.0.1 after the file downloads

6) Remove the "problem" book from ADE

7) Download the book again from the public library's website

😎 Double-click the book you downloaded in step 7

9) When prompted, authorize your computer for ADE

10) Click on "all items" in ADE

11) Plug in your Kobo to the computer

12) Drag and drop your book onto your Kobo device when it pops up in ADE

13) Safely eject your Kobo

14) Your book should work properly on your Kobo now.

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Lin23196299mll8

Participant

Thank you very very much for your detailed description, Steven. I have a Kobo Glo and your instructions are what finally made my Kobo work again.

Steven Mills

Participant

I'm so glad that this helped you, Lin!

M

Mick22898525hojo

Participant

I suspect there are different problems with different types of Kobos. Mine is an old one - a Kobo Glo. It does not work with the newish 'OverDrive' system, used by many libraries. But with my library I can still download ePub versions. After much trying I found that the Kobo Glo also does not work with Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) version 4.5. To go back to an earlier version of ADE, you must first de-authosie the computer and the Kobo using ADE Version 4.5. Then Uninstall ADE v4.5, find an earlier version of ADE to install (ADE v3.0 is on the Adobe website - today at least). Then authorise both computer and Kobo under ADE Version 3.0. And if you are lucky, it might now allow you to read library epub books again! I did this all under Windows 11.

T

ttloop

Participating Frequently

You are probably correct. I have a Kobo Aura and have always found success
with ADE 3.0.

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