ADE quits unexpectedly, each time I open a library EPUB book

[Michael_Begg]

I just downloaded Adobe Digital Editions to read a library e-book on my Mac. I created an ADE id as well. When I opened ADE, I found the ADE help EPUB doc, and had a quick look at it. That document opened fine with just a double-click. I then double-clicked the ACSM file I had downloaded from my library. ADE created the EPUB file and added it to my ADE library--and crashed immediately, only giving me an "ADE has quit unexpectedly" dialogue box. I opened ADE again, and saw that the library book was in the list, next to the ADE help guide. I right-clicked the library book, and selected "Read". The program quit unexpectedly again (well, not as unexpectedly as the first time, from my point of view, but perhaps twice as frustratingly).

I have tried three other things, with no success:

1. Double-clicking the ACSM file in my Downloads folder. This only duplicated my first failure: ADE opened again, displaying a second copy of the book--but crashed immediately. I then looked in the "Digital Editions" folder the program created, and saw two versions of the EPUB file. (Each is 5 mb in size, compared to the 2kb ACSM file.)

2. I opened ADE from my Applications folder, then selected File > Add to library > and chose the EPUB file. This added the book to my shelf in ADE yet again, this time with a "20 days" tag in the corner, showing how long I can have the book out from the library. I then double-clicked the book in ADE. ADE quit unexpectedly.

3. I went back to the Digital Editions folder in my computer's hard drive and right-clicked the EPUB file. I selected "Open with ..."  and then clicked iBooks. The iBooks program refused to open the book, saying that it was corrupt.

So it may just be that my library has given me a glitchy ACSM file. But since the file is apparently a protected EPUB document, not an open one, it may also be that iBooks can't open it at all. It also occurs to me that something I did has caused the ACSM file to become corrupt. (I did download the ACSM again, with the same results as above, on all steps.)

In case it matters: I have been using Overdrive on my iPad to read books from my local library. I haven't tried to open this EPUB book in Overdrive on the iPad yet, because I don't have the iPad with me at the moment.

Any suggestions you can give would be welcome.

[dominic_michael · Accepted solution]

Please try the below steps.

• Take backup of the My Digital Editions folder under "C:\Users\<USERNAME>\Documents" and delete it.
• Relaunch ADE and verify whether the issue is still reproducible

[sparkygirl24]

I am having the same issue - is there similar instructions for Mac?

[Michael_Begg]

Sparkygirl, you might want to try uninstalling the version of ADE you are using, and then installing version 3.0. My library wrote to me and said that some of their ACSM files are not yet compatible with the newer versions of ADE. (A link to version 3 is available from ADE's main download page, but here is a direct link to the page for version 3: Adobe Digital Editions downloads.)

[sparkygirl24]

Did this and it worked. Thanks all!

[Violet Vancouver]

I had similar issues and I've been trying things for three days.  Digital Editions (old version) worked fine on my old Mac, but new mac (Version 10.9.5) and new ADE (Version 4.0) kept crashing whenever I tried to download a book from the B.C. library.  Finally figured out a solution.  Here's what worked for me.

1. Delete all digital edition files (use "Find" to trash all files and then empty trash).

2. Download Adobe Digital Editions 3.0 (just google this and you'll find the download)

3. Open ADE Version 3.0 (above).

4.  Deauthorize the computer (on a mac - CMD, Shift, D).  You'll get a prompt asking if you want to deauthorize the computer.  Click yes.

5.  Authorize computer (under Help window when ADE is open).

6.  Go ahead and download book from library (or wherever).

Mine seems to be working fine now.

Good luck.

[Guest]

Thank you Violet, this worked great! 

[Guest]

Violet - I spent the last couple of hours trying to search for a solution and yours is the only one that worked! Thank you!!!!

[Guest]

Thank you SO much! I've spent the last 3 hours trying resolve this problem and your solution worked

[sergiog86261188]

Thank you!!! It worked!!!

[christina63bigred]

Hi Violet. How do I use find? I have been trying to download a book to my nook and I keep getting the same error message.I am losing my mind and about to return it. PLEASE help. I'm a new mac user and not sure how to do a lot of things yet.

[allexs49295353]

Violet Vancouver! You are the best!

[laurav54530502]

Violet,

this did not work for me, I get the following error message when I try to download a book from my library (EPUB):

Error getting License. License Server Communication Problem:

E_LIC_ALREADY_FULFILLED_BY_ANOTHER_USER

thanks

[nchitren001]

Bless you, Violet! After 2 days of trying everything, your suggestion worked! Your directions were fantastic and still work in 2020! Thank you!

[christina63bigred]

Hi Domonic. I'm a new mac user and I'm not sure how to follow your directions. Can you give me more of a step by step?

[Michael_Begg]

Thanks. That was a good suggestion. It didn't solve the problem, but it eliminated one possibility. It seems that the problem is either due either (a) to the original file from the library being corrupt, or (b) to the library file's lack of compatibility with ADE version 4.0.2. I have uninstalled ADE and installed version 3. For unrelated reasons, I can't test this particular file, but I suspect that is the answer.

[Keny Woo]

Some issue here. I tried to open the same file via the Windows version of ADE 4 and it works (which means the original file is not corrupt). So apparently this is a Mac only issue.

[0cw22]

Hi,

I'm having the same issue with downloading EPUB library books. I deleted ADE 4.0 and installed 3.0, but that did not help. When I try to download a library book I get this message, "E_ACT_NOT_READY".

Does anyone know how to fix this?

Thank you!!