.acsm file format converter??

Report · Oct 21, 2008

I paid for an ebook in the .acsm ( Adobe Digital Edition) format and did read it very well and it wont load into my sony reader as I only have the 500 not the new one. Is there any way to change the file format to either .pdf or .txt??? Because I would really like to read this book.

Thanks for any replies.

Report · May 19, 2009

I'm annoyed, because the ebook I bought listed the format as ".pdf" only--not "Digital Editions .pdf" or ".acsm," etc. I like to convert my ebooks for use on whichever device I choose after I legally purchase them, which is not possible with a Digital Editions ebook. Once I've purchased a legitimate copy of an ebook, I should be able to use it as I please for my own use. The book was expensive for an ebook, also. I contacted the vendor, twice, but they never responded to me. I'm not interested in using Digital Editions for my purchased content. So, I've now paid too much for a book I'm not allowed to read as I see fit. This is very frustrating. I've learned my lesson, however. Before I purchase from an ebook vendor, I contact them first to make sure the book I purchase isn't locked by Digital Editions first. If so, I don't purchase it. If there were a way to "unlock" my purchased ebook (so it would be accessible as a standard .pdf), I'd have no problem with Digital Editions.

Report · Jul 06, 2010

This infuriates me as well; I made the mistake of purchasing one of my grad school business texts as an eBook and downloaded it to my work computer. I thought I would be able to print it and bring it with me on my commutes, doing laundry, etc. I paid as much for it as a real book and can't do sh*t with it. I know you can "authorize" a computer, sure, then I could read it at home that way. IF I WANT TO SIT IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER/DEVICE all day. I do not like reading texts on screen, period, if they are over 5 pages. We also retain less information from texts that are read on screen as opposed to printed out so maybe for light reading I wouldn't care but for academic reading, this is completely absurd to be stuck with something that only opens in DE that I cannot take with me, write notes in, etc. Furthermore, this text for whatever reason blocked printing directly through the DE interface as well. I HATE DE and am starting to wonder about the publishers choosing to use this format! This whole mobile book reading is crap. I will never, EVER purchase a DE "eBook" again for my work or grad school needs.

Report · Jul 08, 2010

I'm angry too, but in a more constructive way. I bought my two ADE textbooks from eBooks.com. I complained and asked for a refund, they answered yesterday saying I will get refunded (when?).

As for ebooks, I am much wiser now. From now on, I will purchase ebooks only via my iPad. That way, I know they will be compatible. So far, I was successful with the Amazon Kindle app, the Kobo app and the iBooks app from Apple. If and when Adobe writes apps for the iPad, I will have a look again.

And, of course, the iPad can read garden variety PDF files (i.e. not screwed up by DE), which is great for professional publications like scientific papers.

As for you study books, I remember being a pennyless student not so long ago and share your frustration. You should discuss this with your school librarian. I think they can loan ebooks to students. But I think your best bet is still second hand paper textbooks.

Manny in Canada

emmanuelm@rogers.com

Report · Jul 13, 2010

This system adobe has sucks! I am in the same boat and trying to get a refund.

Report · Dec 25, 2010

I do not EVER buy any ebooks that require ADE. I have one ebook in my ADE library and it was b/c I was a newbie to ADE. It was a $30 mistake but I learned my lesson. In fact, just now I was looking to buy an iphone ebook and noticed that it required ADE, even though the publisher promotes it falsely as PDF (falsely b/c it does not behave like PDFs are expected to when the dread .acsm is attached to it). Well needless to say, I won't be buying this ebook and the publisher and author have lost another sale from me- I don't buy hardcovers either. This .acsm thing is a disaster for law abiding readers and I imagine for publishers and authors too. There are better ways to prevent crookedness than to penalize law-abiding people.

Report · Sep 15, 2009

I've just bought a Sony PRS-505 and loaded Adobe Digital Editions within the last few days. Regrets - I have a few ...

Decided to pick up a "free" book from Adobe which resulted in a file URLLink.ascm being placed in "My Documents". Tried "Add to Library" in DE but the .ascm file does not show in DE. Further to this, having read Jim Lester's comments (seems to be the mainstay of this forum), I tried to go into "Read" mode in DE. I cannot do it. Clicked the "Read" icon and tried Ctrl+l. Should I uninstall DE and re-install and, if I re-install will I have to authorise the computer again.

Please advise - thanks

Report · Sep 15, 2009

As mentioned in multiple places in this thread. Double click the .acsm file to open it in ADE and your eBook will be downloaded.

Report · Sep 16, 2009

To : Jim Lester

Thank you for your prompt reply. I have now downloaded the book to PRS-505 but I had to do this in a different way.

Tried double-clicking the .acsm file in "My Documents" which, of course, just resulted in thw Windows dialogue saying this type of file not recognised. So I dragged and dropped the .acsm from "My Documents" into ADE and from there transferred to PRS-505.

I'm obviously still not sure how to use ADE but have a workable solution.

Thanks again

Report · Sep 16, 2009

Removed duplicate message

Message was edited by: adenovel

Report · Jul 06, 2010

Jim, no thanks for the condescending tone. We are asking why ACE books cannot be read by other apps like, e.g., Acrobat Reader. I will save you the answer: it's because Adobe said so. Period.

I posted today a new thread on the same subject, with emphasis on the the misleading use by Adobe of the name "PDF" and the file extension ".pdf".

Report · Apr 15, 2010

ive pretty much had the same problems accecpt when i click on the ascm file and it go into abode digital editions and its says Error getting license.. Server communication problem: E_ADEPT_10 ... i dont know want that means put ive everthing to get it working and it wont .. can someone help me please or tell me want im doing wrong

Report · Feb 24, 2011

Yes i had got this also, what you need to do is right click on you time in the right hand corner of comp, go to adjust time settings make sure time and date are correct and away you go,took me four days to figure that out LOL,

Hope it helps

Report · Jul 24, 2010

I purchased an ePub format ebook to use with the reader i have on my phone, and can't get it to work, it comes up with the .acsm file for me to download, which i understand is just the key to let me download the real book. my question is can I get this to work with my phone's reader?

Report · Dec 29, 2010

paconyc99, I hear you. I purchased an ebook as well last week and I STILL can not get the book to open. I have created a thread here at Adobe

E_LIC_NO_DISTRIBUTION_RIGHTS

Where the error message I am getting is

Error getting license
License server communication problem: E_LIC_NO_DISTRIBUTION_RIGHTS

I've got no response yet. I have authorized my PC as well. The .acsm is not blocked as one poster suggested. I renamed the My digital Editions/restore folder to restore2. I dragged and dropped the .acsm file onto the ADE. I double-clicked the .acsm file -- ADE opened with the same error each time. I opened IE8 and dragged the .acsm file onto the browser, ADE opened and gave me the same error. I can not get this file to open and I don't know why. Is my copy of ADE unlicensed or something? I contacted Simon & Schuster.com where I purchased the book in effort to find out if THEY are the ones causing the licensing error. No word from them yet.

I really don't know what to do. I will never purchase another ebook if it requires ADE to read/open/unlock (whatever) it. It's like I've purchased something from one place and someone from another place is telling me I can't have it.

I'm seeing so many posts here at Adobe alerting them of this issue -- not being able to read/open .acsm files. While I understand the protection, I agree with you that those of us who have legally made a purchase should be able to have what we have paid for. If I am purchasing a book online, it's because I want quick access to it, otherwise, I'd just wait for it to be shipped via snail-mail.

Report · Jan 03, 2011

I just tried to help a patron download several different .ascm files from our OverDrive ebook library to her MacBook. I have helped her before and when we clicked on the ascm file it would open and download the book. Today when we tried it would bring up ADE but it wouldn't actually open up and download any of the ascm files on her Mac. We didn't get an error message of any kind. When I tried to add it through add to library it wouldn't let me click on any of the .ascm files only pdf. Her version of ADE was authorized and her computer was connected to our wifi network.

Help.

Thank you.

Report · Jan 09, 2011

CAT509

I have exactly the same problem. If you ever get it figured out let me know. Mine was working perfectly and then just suddenly quit. Drats!

This Overdrive outfit is supposed to get back to me in the next few days. If they have a solution I'll let you know. From past experience with Adobe it may be as simple as deleting a preference file.

Report · Jan 11, 2011

Cat509,

As I said in an earlier eMail, I too had exactly the same problem. Here is how I resolved it. First I deleted ADE. Then using Finder I went to the Library>preferences and found an Adobe preference file with the extension .plist. I deleted that file also. Then I re-installed ADE from the Adobe website and guess what....success!

Try it and see if it works for you.

Report · Jan 11, 2011

I was hoping that this would work, because I had not deleted that file in the

library preferences. So I deleted the ADE and that other file with the.plist

extention. I reinstalled ADE and tried to download a book and once again it did

not show up. I even tried to put the .acsm file on the desktop and opened ADE

and tried to add item. The .acsm file is not recognized as a file to import. I

even tried to drag and drop it and it would not work either. The ADE is set as a

default to open the .acsm files and still no go.

Any other suggestions?

Sandy Scott

"I am a green e-mail! My presence on the Internet does not harm our

environment."

Report · Jan 12, 2011

Thanks for the info!

Cat509

Report · Jan 04, 2011

When I download books from overdrive on loan from the library they go to the computer fine. I use sony library to sync and put on a PRS 600. The problem is that only the most recent book can be read. The others indicate -protected content- At times I am able to return or delete the last book and read another but other times not. I can read all these on the computer no problem. I want to be able to take several ebooks with me and read as I choose. Why can't I?

Report · Jan 07, 2011

ADE is CRAP!

Every time I open the software...It downloads ANOTHER copy of the ebook. You can't stop it. The menu doesn't show and you can't right-click on anything to cancel it.

I just want to read a couple of chapters and get on with my work. 20 friggin' minutes to jerk around is NOT in the software description. Every time this happens I'm going to rant here.

ENJOY!

What were they thinking? These jack-wagons! Don't even get me started on why I HAVE to use a Mac! I was more productive on my Commodore 64 in 1982!

Downloads done. Gotta run. C U L8R!!

Report · Jan 11, 2011

Last year I borrowed an ebook or two from my local library and read them on my pc. This time the only way I could read the ebooks from my library was to download Adobe Digital Edition. The ebooks are still epub/pdf files, but with this acsm attached.

Although my library says that Nookcolor can read their epub and pdf file books, I was having trouble doing so. The ebooks wouldn't open. BandN told me to download Adobe DE, upload the ebook to DE, attach my nook, then drag the ebook to my Nookcolor. I did this and now I am able to read epub/pdf books with the acsm extension on my Nookcolor.

Try this and it should solve your problem. Any acsm ebook you want to read on your reading device will have to be uploaded to DE and drug to your reader after attaching it to your pc/laptop.

Hope this helps.

Sonya

Report · Jan 11, 2011

My problem is with a mac computer. I have perfect success using the PCs to

download books to ADE. I decided to delete ADE and start all over again. I was

hoping that this would work, because I had not deleted that file in the library

preferences before. So I deleted the ADE and that other file with the.plist

extention. I reinstalled ADE and tried to download a book and once again it did

not show up. I even tried to put the .acsm file on the desktop and opened ADE

and tried to add item. The .acsm file is not recognized as a file to import. I

even tried to drag and drop it and it would not work either. The ADE is set as

a default to open the .acsm files and still no go.

Any other suggestions?

Sandy Scott

"I am a green e-mail! My presence on the Internet does not harm our

environment."

Report · Jan 12, 2011

Sandy.....mine is a MAC also (Macbook Air).

When you try to add a book to your ADE library are the ACSM files there but grey'd out or simply not there at all? Before I did all the reinstallation mine were there but grey'd out. Once I finished the installation process they were black the way they were supposed to be and I could work with them. My library (Overdrive sponsored) kept telling me I had not downloaded the files altho I could see them plainly on my computer.

I'd suggest one more thing and then I'm out of ideas. Try deleting and re downloading the ACSM files. OOPs. I guess you already tried that. I also renamed the import.log to delimport.log so it wouldn't be a factor but I could still get it back later. I don't think that that had any effect on anything. I renamed it back to import.log after things started working again.

One other thought. When I download the ACSM files they show up in two places. One. of course, is my download folder and the other is in Safari's download folder. I could either in ADE. Probably not anything you didn't already know but I thought I'd mention it.

I know how you feel when there is no one who seems to be able to help you out. Frustrating as the devil. Adobe seems silent about these problems. Overdrive doesn't seem to take the problems seriously and seems to think the problems are the patron's problems. Many times they are probably right, but not always! I think they need to do a much better job at solving problems.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. If you get it resolved will you let me know 'cause I'm certain the problem will come up again especially since Adobe has, according to rumor, pretty well washed its hands on this product.

Dick L.

Report · Jan 12, 2011

Thanks for your replies. If I get this figured out I will definitely let you

know. I have uninstalled and reinstalled so many times the ADE and .acsm files

I am not sure of the orders. I guess I can try it again and hopefully I will be

able to do this. This is such ashame because working on a PC the files load in a

matter of seconds.

Thanks for your help and always looking for another option.

Sandy Scott

"I am a green e-mail! My presence on the Internet does not harm our

environment."