Can't open library books on my Kobo

Report · Nov 27, 2022

I suddenly cannot read ebooks from my Library on my Kobo Clara 2E. I download the book onto my Mac and then Adobe Digital Editions, transfer it to my Kobo and get the following message:

Your eReader is not authorized to open this book

This book is protected by Adobe Digital Rights Management (DRM). Because you previously deauthorized your eReader, you need to re-import the book using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). Please visit help.kobo.com for more information.

I have tried de-authorizing and re-authorizing both my computer and Kobo, resetting my Kobo and starting again. I tried setting the "ebook vendor" to Adobe ID and I've also tried it with Overdrive, but neither of them work. I'm going around in circles and nothing is working and I am losing it! It worked before, and I can't figure out what I've done wrong to mess it up 😞 Help!

Report · Nov 28, 2022

Nos pasa a muchos y nadie lo soluciona. Conclusion: ADE es una basura y
KOBO otra basura mayor. Su servicio de asesoramiento no existe. CONSEJO: no
comprar un KOBO

Report · Nov 28, 2022

Ugh...that is depressing and frustrating. I wish I knew that before I bought the Kobo specifically to get library books haha :'( But thank you for the answer, I appreciate it! So ridiculous!

Report · Dec 18, 2022

I have been having this problem on and off for a couple of years now, sometimes I fluke it and it works. I love the Kobo it's the digital editions that is not working with Kobo

Report · Dec 23, 2022

I have the same problem. New Mac, new kobo

Report · Jan 11, 2023

Same here! I just bought a kobo Libra 2.

When I try to import the books borrowed from the library "onleihe" with ADE, I can read in my macbook but I can't open it in my kobo. It said:

Your eReader is not authorized to open this book

This book is protected by Adobe Digital Rights Management (DRM). Because you previously deauthorized your eReader, you need to re-import the book using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). Please visit help.kobo.com for more information.

But I bought some books from Google and import it with the exact same way. It works.

Anyone know how to fix it? The reason why I bought kobo is I thought I could read books from the library.

Report · Jan 11, 2023

Yes, 100% the same for me. I literally bought the kobo to take out library books and it's so frustrating that it doesn't work...

I actually have two library memberships, one that works with overdrive and the other does not (and needs AdobeDE). The one with overdrive works fine (as long as it's an e-book available via kobo), so at this point I've basically abandonned the other library account since it was so much of a headache and couldn't figure it out...

So weird that your Google book purchases work.

Report · Jan 15, 2023

I have been having problems where I authorize the device and when I connect it to my PC it shows its transferring but when I check on my Kobo under:

-settings

- accounts

- scroll to the second page it shows that Adobe is deauthorized. I cannot seem to change this. Stumped

Report · Jan 20, 2023

I just contacted my library and being that I have windows 11, and had downloaded Adobe Digital Editions 4.5.1.1, they suggested the following and it worked!

Uninstall ADE (4.5.11) from your device..
Go to ADE download: https://www.adobe.com/ca/solutions/ebook/digital-editions/download.html
Download instructions
Scroll down to Additional Download
Click Download Digital 3.0
Opens up a new page
There is a pop-up CLOSE it (don't click any option)
Click How do I download Digital Editions
Click Download the Digital Editions Installer
It takes you back to the previous page
There is another pop-up CLOSE it
Then click Download Digital 3.0
Another browser opens
Click Download

Also, ensure that you uninstall the computer from your Adobe account and then re-install it with the new Adobe Digital 3.0 or it will still give you grief. Hope this helps!

Report · Jan 20, 2023

So glad it worked for you and that your library was helpful! Unfortunately I have a newer Mac and this doesn't seem to work. After I was finally able to dig up and install a version of ADE 3.0 for Mac, when I open the program it says I have to update it to the latest version and won't open. If anyone has had success with ADE 3.0 with a new Mac, please help a girl out hahah!

Thanks again so so much for the help though and hope you enjoy your boooookksss!! 🙂

Report · Mar 08, 2023

Hi!

I have also been having this issue and it is driving me insane as well. Kobo has sent the following to me as a troubleshooting solution, but it happens everytime I use ADE and overdrive.

Verify authorized accounts
- eReader > ADE > Gear > Authorization Information
  + on the eReader : Settings > Account
- Computers ADE > Help > Authorization Information
Clear eReader
- Connect the eReader to the Computer
- Select CMD + SHIFT + D
- Back up everything from the eReader to a Folder in the computer
- Open ADE and deauthorize the eReader
- Close ADE
- Once everything is backed up, delete all the folder/files in the eReader
- Eject the eReader safely
- Setup the eReader
Clear ADE and rebuild activation

Continue with the following steps:

Backup the Registry Key
- Navigate to the following Folder: /Users/[Your user account]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions
- Copy and Backup Folder/Digital Editions
Change ADE library name
- Navigate to FOLDER “/Users/[Your user account]/Document/Digital Editions”
- Right-click on FOLDER /Digital Editions, and select Rename
- Change name to “Digital Editions – OLD”
Delete the Activation.Dat Folder
- Open ADE
- To deauthorize ADE, select CMD + SHIFT + D
- Select Erase Authorization and close ADE
- Right-click on /Users/[Your user account]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions and “Move to Trash”
Uninstall and clear installation of ADE
- Uninstall ADE:
  - Navigate to FOLDER /Applications and Right Click on “Adobe Digital Editions” and choose “Move to Trash”
- Clear temporary files on the computer:
  - Cache:
    - Navigate to FOLDER /Users/[Your user account]/Library/Caches/
    - Select All (CMD + A), Right Click and “Move to Trash”
  - Logs:
    - Navigate to FOLDER /Users/[Your user account]/Library/Logs/
    - Select All (CMD + A), Right Click and “Move to Trash”
- Reboot the computer
- Download and install ADE, open ADE and authorize the computer
- Connect and authorize the eReader
- Re-download the ACSM file and open it with ADE
- Transfer the books to the eReader using ADE

Report · Mar 14, 2023

I fought for months with my old Mac and ADE before I finally discovered that ADE 3.0 would work, but a newer version would not (so I downgraded to ADE 3.0 on my old Mac). I have recently upgraded to a new Mac, and I can not run ADE 3.0 on it. I have kept my old Mac specifically so I can still get library books onto my Kobo. Very frustrating.

Report · Mar 25, 2023

Hello, I have the same problem with Kobo Clara 2E (Win10) and borrowed book. The ADE 3.0.1 version does not work. The ADE version 4.5.11 does not work.

I have tried a thousand ways and reinstallations for weeks.

I am frightened to see this problem mentioned for years on the forums.
Could Adobe tell which ADE version to install, and where to find the .exe file?
If there is no solution, can Adobe tell us clearly and possibly explain why?
Nervous breakdown looms!....

Report · Mar 25, 2023

It is crazy it's been 4 years that I have had this problem, after
contacting Kobo they suggested IDE 3: but that no longer works I think Kobo
needs to find a solution it's them selling the books.

Report · Apr 01, 2023

The same problem here. Halfway a borrowed book from the library it stops. I had to reauthor. But in windows re-authoring, remove authoring for KOBO is totally greyed out.

What worked for me are the following two posts,. I did them together, so I don't know which one did the trick:

I am glad that it works. BUT.... the KOBO reader has only greyed out options if you want to deauthor/reauthor it.... Clearly not working good.
Adobe, you are so big. Help us and get the bugs out of your ADE!

Report · Aug 10, 2023

Hey everyone, I have a happy update for anyone who still needs to hear this months later! I saw someone post this on another similar thread and I tried it today and I CANNOT BELIEVE IT ACTUALLY WORKED. I am in shock! And it was oh so very very easy!

So apparently the problem is with the EPUB format book which will not download onto your Kobo/ereader on its own. To fix this, you simply have to transfer a PDF book onto your ereader at the same time as the EPUB book. I'm pretty sure any PDF book (maybe any PDF?) will work. And that's it. It just magically works!

For reference I used ADE version 4.5 or whatever the most recent version for Mac is (re-downloaded it today), and I am using a newer Mac that couldn't download ADE 3.0 previously. I really hope this helps!!!!!!! 🙂

Report · Nov 22, 2023

After months of authorising/deauthorising my kobo and computeer , my wonderful library team have come up with this hidden fact : Windows 11 won't work with Adobe so , if you have a laptop or computer which is window 11 yout Adobe won't work!! I took o9nboard the info from my local library and tried downloading my library bookks on the old Windows 10 laptop - no problems at all !! I can't believe I have spent months trying to sort this problem and all the time it is an incompatability with Wi8ndows 11 and Adobe which neither will admit to. If you have an old laptop like me which is Windowews 10 you will find there is no problem at all in downloading and reeading your library books.

Report · Nov 22, 2023

Unfortunately I was still using my windows 10 laptop when my problem was
occurring, I haven't even bothered trying my new laptop because when I
inserted my Adobe photo shop elements it crashed my 6 hour old laptop. It
is so annoying when you have purchased software in the past it will no
longer work, same happens with my older version of Microsoft office .

Report · Dec 04, 2023

Hi! I wrote this above, but I found a weird and simple workaround fix for new Mac + Mac OS and the latest version of ADE, maybe it might work for windows too? Worth a try?

Apparently the problem is with the EPUB format which will not download onto the Kobo on its own. To fix this, you have to transfer a PDF book onto your ereader at the same time as the EPUB book. I'm pretty sure any PDF book (maybe any PDF?) will work. And that's it. I hope it helps and would be curious to know if it works for PC too!

Report · Jul 01, 2024

After struggling to borrow library books with my old KOBO Glo, I discovered that not downloading updates from KOBO, and then using ADE to download any old public domain book (I use "David Copperfield"), then downloading the desired book with ADE allows both to open. Then I read the desired book. If it doesn't work, repeat the same process after re-setting the reader to factory settings. Convoluted, but it works for me.

Report · Aug 14, 2024

Yo uso un KOBO Aura y no puedo usarlo por este problema, me podrías ayudar? saludos.

Report · Aug 22, 2024

2024....AFTER ABOUT 3 HOURS TOTAL OF TRYING TO GET IT TO WORK IT FINALLY DID!!! OMG IM SO HAPPYYYYY THANK YOU!

Report · Aug 22, 2024

Yayyyy, amazing!!!! 😄

Report · Aug 22, 2024

I have a Kobo Glo. Solved the problem a year or two ago by clearing and
resetting to factory default. Then I loaded all the current software.

I only use the epub book mode (from public library), so I download a non
copyright book, like David Copperfield to Adobe D.E., followed by the book
I want from the library. I then open both in ADE, then download to KOBO,
the non copyright one first. They both will open in KOBO.

For subsequent use, NEVER update KOBO. Just open ADE and download the non
copyright, followed by the desired book, then download the open books to
KOBO. If you do update KOBO, you'll be back to square 1, and have to reset
and start over.

Sounds crazy, but updating KOBO is a kiss of death, and downloading the
public domain book first seems to get the software in a receptive mode.

This works for me.

Jack

Report · Aug 22, 2024

Yeah those two things seem key! 1) avoid updating if you can and, 2) uploading both the book you want along with something else like a PDF or a non-copyright book etc.

Adobe Community

Can't open library books on my Kobo