Adobe lost the plot? Still can't open ebooks purchased on other machines.

[_Cezary_Raczko_]

I have ebooks from various different sources and I'm not able to re-download them (Amazon no longer carries Frommers guides in ebook format, Frommers don't sell them directly either and Adobe killed their own store) and since I downloaded them all on a machine that I have since replaced I can't read them!

Today the Digital Editions was officially released and guess what. I tried opening all of my ebooks and this is what I see: "This document cannot be opened on this machine. Please contact the site where you obtained the document to download another copy."

For months the FAQ for the Digital Editions Beta claimed that a future version will enable DRM support for books purchased on other machines. To add insult to injury, not only is the official version still crippled, they've removed any mention of DRM support for books purchased on other machines from the official FAQ.

But hey, soon this piece of garbage will be adware (see the 'Is Digital Editions free for me and my customers to use?' topic in the faq: http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/faq)...

[_John_Mercovich_]

I bought two ebooks from Amazon, one in 2003 and the other in 2004. I still have the receipts to prove I am the owner of these books. My computer hard drive crashed in 2005. My son was able to copy the files to my new computer but apparently missed some special code to open the files. That hard drive is long gone. The files have never opened since then. Amazon says they were only guaranteed for 30 days and no longer support your format apparently as they push Kindle these days. It is unlikey I will ever buy an ebook again. I hope this serves as a warning to anyone considering a purchase of an ebook. As with most security devices, they simply keep out the honest people. I bet a hacker could open the books quickly. I get scant consolation seeing Adobe stock trading @ 21.06 down from its 2007 high of 48.47. Maybe if the stock price approaches zero Adobe will wake up and actually care about their customers or be taken over by another company that understands customer service.

John

[kylepounds]

I bought $350 worth of ebooks from ebooks.com and I can't open any of them on the computer I BOUGHT THEM ON. I can open them on Digital Editions but that is useless because I need to open the PDF files so I can convert them to a format that my bebook can read.

[_Strannik_Zipper_]

My old laptop crashed, was getting old, etc. So I got a new one and put the backed-up ebooks (expensive digital edition PDFs from Amazon) on the new machine. Same problem - error message says to re-download the PDFs, but that is not possible. I am locked out of the books I paid for and am out $$$ the money I paid, plus the money I will have to spend AGAIN to get this content in some other form (probably dead-tree). I will never buy an adobe/digital edition/pdf/ebook again. Adobe loses to any and all competitors in this arena as far as I'm concerned.

[_Empar_Sicroff_]

Activation Error Message

I have been unable to read the ebook that I recently purchased because when I open Adobe Digital Editions I get the following error
E_ADEPT_CLIENT ActivationServiceInfo EXCEPTION Error%20#1009 RESP

This has been a problem in two computers using windows XP. I am located in the US.

[_fionayeo_]

When you migrate your ebooks to a new computer, you first need to activate the Adobe digital editions on the new computer. Currently using Adobe reader 7.0 and sharing my ebooks on 3 differnt comps with no issue. Basically what you need to do is (on your new comp), activate it by going into Adobe reader:

File -> Digital Editions -> Authorise Device

Thereafter, it will bring you to an adobe website whether you have to sign in with your Windows .Net passport (which is basically your hotmail/msn login if you are using it). Make sure that you use back the same .Net passport account as your old computer. Once logged in, click on authorise device and you should see your new comp name listed there together with your other old comps.

By the way, once you authorise, you cant just go to your folder and click on the book to open it that way. You have to manually add it into your digital edition in Adobe Read by going to File -> Digital Edition -> My Digital Editions. From there click on the ADD FILE option and browse to your folder and add in the books one by one.

Disclaimer: This works for me using Adobe Reader 7.0. Even on Vista, I read somewhere that this version is the most stable for ebooks portability and I always stick to this version of reader whenever I want to migrate to a new comp. The way to authorise and add files in may vary in a newer version of Adobe reader but just try to play around and see. Not sure if it will work for a different version though.

[Guest]

J have activated my Digital Editions on the new PC with the same ID. But when I try to open my eBooks I even get the Error #2038.

[bradjo]

fionayeo said, "When you migrate your ebooks to a new computer, you first need to activate the Adobe digital editions on the new computer"

I authorised my new computer it still will not allow me to view the PDF's. Instead I get a re-download from the source error message. The book, an Amazon pull, is impossible to re-download. I very carefully backed up the original PDF and in fact have several backups of the file. None will open on another computer. So it's not the file that's corrupt it's the DRM.

That is why so many people are so very angry. Most of us were very early adopters and now we are being punished for that. For most of us the problem isn't a lack of simple computer savvy, we DID authorize our new platforms, but a problem with the DRM no longer recognizing the old content!

[glenn_peoples]

Exactly bradjo. Those of us affected by this have activated everything when

required as required. The files are fine. Adobe is simply keeping us out of

them, and offering us a solution (re-download from source) that simply isn't

available anymore.

[lorenking]

Just to note: a year later and still no obvious solutions here, and for just those reasonably tech-saavy early adopters you'd think a company would want NOT to piss off. I've recently returned to some older and legitimately purchased pdf format ebooks, and now find them trapped behind this DRM clusterf**k. Much frustration.

[glenn_peoples]

Oh no. No. I've just gotten caught up in this and endured the realisation that incompetence is at work here. I bought e-books in an era when I could just open them in Adobe reader on my old PC. No usernames, no activation, nothing required. I've since re-formatted that old PC and now I have just tried to open my purchased e-books on my new laptop. I can't open them in reader. I had to install digital editions. I activated it as requested by adobe, creating an account. I still get "This document cannot be opened on this machine."

Adobe is killing itself and punishing its customers. I will never again purchase a pdf e-book or financially support Adobe until Adobe fixes this absurd problem. Adobe is stopping me from using resources that I have purchased.

I am now going to seek out pirated copies of the e-books that I have bought. Adobe, if you have a problem with that, have a good hard look at the cause of this. You.

[Guest]

If you lost access to the machine that you purchased the book on when using Content Server 3 (prior to this year), and you were not using Digital Editions 1.5 or greater to view content, then they keys to content are lost (as they existed seperately from the content), and there is nothing that Adobe can do to make the content viewable.

[glenn_peoples]

That is unbelievably frustrating. When I purchased the ebook on my old

PC there was no reference made to any key, no instruction about digital

editions, no warnings about using the book in other installations of

windows, nothing. It was just a download of a pdf file that opened

perfectly fine in acrobat reader.

[Alex_Ferenstein]

I suspect there's no more hated program on a modern PC than Adobe's Digital Editions. I own a ebook purchased from InformIT and ever since I (was forced to) upgarde(d) from Reader 7 to this tripe I've done nothing but regret that purchase. No more DRM'ed ebooks for me - f*** you Adobe.

[Mark_Hebert]

Hey guys, go to this thread:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/1231660#1231660

Read comment #10.  Sep 7, 2008 9:18 PM  in response to: (Clark_Kent)

Hope this helps.

I'm also trying to find how to create eBooks (I know Export to PDF but there is a whole universe of eBook formats and I need a guide to help), any books on the matter you know of?

[customer_lost_2]

This product is very very very bad. I just bought my first e-book and set up looked at the book on my work pc. Now I installed the software in my home laptop and suprise!!!: of course it doesn't work. The program asks me to set up/authorize the computer and I keep on getting the following message:

E_ADEPT_REQUEST_EXPIRED http://adeactivate.adobe.com/adept/Activate 2010-06-20T16:41:16-07:00%20(1277077276000)%20is%20before%202010-06-20T17:11:21-07:00%20(1277079081358)

It seems like the server is just not responding, but I just don/t care why it doesn't work, I need it to work!!!. Adobe people: customers are supposed to be able to read the books in up to 6 computers, GET IT TO WORK FAST or you will be quickly out of the market with this product (judging by the other comments posted here)

[Guest]

It's not working because the time on your computer is set incorrecty by a half hour 16:41 (your time) vs 17:11 (server time)

[customer_lost_2]

Thanks a lot for the advise! I checked the time in mi computer and it is OK (not 30 mins ahead or before the time in whatever time zone it is set).

IN any case, I tried changing the time (adding 30 mins to the time zone time), but it didn't work either. I still got the following message:

E_ADEPT_REQUEST_EXPIRED http://adeactivate.adobe.com/adept/Activate 2010-06-21T17:19:57-07:00%20(1277165997000)%20is%20before%202010-06-21T17:20:09-07:00%20(1277166009699)

Could a few seconds be the problem?

Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:12:13 -0600

From: forums@adobe.com

To: andres.a.m@hotmail.com

Subject: Adobe lost the plot? Still can't open ebooks purchased on other machines.

It's not working because the time on your computer is set incorrecty by a half hour 16:41 (your time) vs 17:11 (server time)

>

[glenn_peoples]

A year later and STILL no fix? That's worse than poor! Come on Adobe, LISTEN to us! I bought the e-book, I was not advised there would be any problems, then I upgraded (SUCH A BAD MOVE) to your new software, and now I am locked out of my book and you're still offering solutions that do not exist (re-download from Amazon, who no longer sell PDFs). Be reasonable, will you? Let us read our books!

[Guest]

Same here. Bought by e-reader Oct. 2009, first book downloaded ok and then nothing but problems so havn`t been able to use it. I would NEVER buy anything again that relied on Adobe to function correctly.