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lauries17438022
Participant
December 27, 2015
Question

ePub book won't open

  • December 27, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 10296 views

I downloaded an ePub book from my library. It downloaded in .acsm format and demanded that I download Digital Editions to read it, which I did.  It won't open the book, however.  Error message: "Error! Check Activation."

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3 replies

AbuTim
AbuTim
Participant
September 10, 2017

OK: This problem has been going on since Dec. 2015, and the issue is, as the discussion header says, "Not Answered". The suggestions from the Community point to a variety of slash-and-burn directions (e.g., you must deauthorize your whole ADE setup and remove a Library file). Is it because ADE is a "free" (but essential for using certain document files) app that nobody at Adobe has stepped in and tried to find the kinks in the code that may have led to this impasse?

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briank99751229
Participating Frequently
December 9, 2016

Success!!!!!

None of the prior steps helped me at all.  However, what I just did that worked was to delete ALL versions of ADE on my computer and reinstall version 4.0.

I had updated from v3.0 to v4.5.2 to deal with the ASCM files type but got in the same endless loop of failure to authorize or failure to connect to authentication server, both errors (falsely) suggesting I was not connect to the internet.

The registry editing, DE-authorizing/re-authorizing, shutting down windows firewall/Norton antivirus etc. just cycled me through these error messages without solving the problem.

I don't even know when v4.0 was downloaded or if it was automatic at some point, but by uninstalling v3.0 and v4.5 and selectively installing v4.0 everything worked the way it should.

I must say I found the chat people with whom you connect when you click the Help tab in ADE was worthless (actually worse than worthless since the snarkily pointed out it was free if necessary software and therefor not supported) and the Forum articles simply cycled me through useless and sometimes scary (deactivating all my PC's security features) steps without resolving the problem.

V4.0 works as it should.   Now I just have to figure out how to assure it will not auto-update and put me back in server failure hell.

Hope this helps others.  Good Luck out there...

lindat99044596
lindat99044596
Participant
December 9, 2016

Thank you briank99751229 for posting how you resolved the issue.  :-)

I experienced success similar to mattsplatt007.

To get ADE working with Library downloads, I had to deauthorize and completely uninstall all versions of Adobe Digital Editions, and ensure that the registry was clean (delete HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adept registry keys).  After that with a clean install and authorization of ADE 3.0.1, I was able once again to download books from my Library into ADE and then transfer these to my Kobo Glo eReader.

lindat99044596
lindat99044596
Participant
December 10, 2016

I believe I might have discovered the reason why people with existing ADE 1.7.2 installations have suddenly become unable to download EPUB eBooks from the library.

The reason is a recent change in the .acsm file in the <operatorURL> stanza from http:// to https:// secure socket layer communication.

This change must have been implemented on the servers which provide the library eBook lending service and create the .acsm files.  My guess is that ADE 1.7.2 does not support https:// communication.

This change in communication protocol would explain why many people using ADE 1.7.2 have suddenly experienced problems downloading library EPUB eBooks.

With the recognition of this change in mind, I deauthorized ADE 1.7.2 and completely uninstalled it including deleting the registry key

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adept".

After this I was able to install ADE 3.0.1, authorize it, and then proceed to successfully download a book from the libary using these new .acsm files that contain https:// in the <operatorURL>.

Now that I have a workaround for this change, I am able to again read library EPUB eBooks on my KOBO eReader.

I think it would be extremely helpful to Libraries and users if Overdrive were to announce this change.  Either that or restore the

old use of http:// instead of the new https:// in the <operatorURL>.

Nanaky
Nanaky
Participating Frequently
December 28, 2015

Macintosh:

  1. Open Adobe Digital Wditions.
  2. Press Command+Shift+D to deauthorize Adobe Digital Editions.
  3. Select Erase Authorization.
  4. Click OK and quit Adobe Digital Editions.
  5. Navigate to /Users//Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions and drag the activation.dat file to the trash.
    If you are using 10.7, see Access hidden library files | Mac OS 10.7 and later.
  6. Open Adobe Digital Editions and reauthorize.

Windows:

  1. Close all applications.
  2. Choose Start > Run.
  3. In the Open text box, type regedit and then press Enter. The Registry Editor opens.
  4. In the left pane of the Registry Editor, locate the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Adept
  5. Select the Adept key.
  6. Choose File > Export.
  7. In the Export Registry File dialog box, select Selected Branch under Export Range. Enter a name and location for the backup registry key, and then click Save.
  8. Right-click the Adept key and choose Delete.
  9. In the Confirm Key Delete dialog, click OK.
  10. Close the Registry Editor.
  11. Open Adobe Digital Editions and reauthorize.
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briank99751229
Participating Frequently
December 7, 2016

Now it won't allow me to re-authorize!!!

On a prior loop around this problem I used v3.0 to get authorization, which succeeded but then I got this error message.

So far this has been just one endless loop of error messages but I cannot get it to function properly.  Note that everything was working fine for ~18 months with the most recent download being about 2 weeks ago.  But, I have always received ePub files and suddenly this week, Overdrive which is the interface for our library, started serving up an ACSM file which will not work with v3.0.  I updated to v4.5.2 and started getting these error messages everyone else is noting.

Nanaky
Nanaky
Participating Frequently
December 7, 2016

You Error show a connection problem wiht server. Has you check if your secutry Programms anything blocked?

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