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When I download a book from my public library I can open it in digital editions 4.5 but when I transfer it to my device (kobo) and try to open it on the kobo it says "This book is protected by DRM. Because you previously deauthorized your eReader, you need to re-import the book using Adobe Digital Editions." I tried erasing authorization and setting git up again but it still won't work. Erased and downloaded a new edition of ADE, that didn't work either. Tried different books and libraries but still have problem. Called kobo and after troubleshooting with them they say it as ADE problem. Please please please help! Thank you!
This thread is old but incase anyone is suffering from the same problem here in January 2023. I have finally figured out a hack to get my Kobo to work.
For the record, I have tried everything: De/Re Authorizing, deleting books, overdrive account vs adobe account, etc. I couldn't use ADE V3 as my Mac is running 64 bit and it's not supported. I thought I was hooped until I came across this in my hours of searching:
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I had the same issue - I tried de-authorizing and re-syncing with Adobe 4.5 and didn't work.
I unistalled 4.5 and installed 3.0 from the link
http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/digitaleditions/ADE_3.0_Installer.exe
Signed in with my adobe ID, authotised mycomputer, downloaded the book from my library using RB Digital website and library logon, transferred the book from my pc to the kobo clara hd reader via usb and everything worked no problem. I also saw the default instruction book appear as well which did not happen with 4.5
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I am having the same problem and I am using a Mac. I tried downloading ADE 3.0, but is not compatible with the most recent version of Mac OS.
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I've spent two hours deauthorizing and reauthorizing both my laptop and my KOBO, still not working. And I'm tech savvy. ADE has to be the single worst design in the history of digital technology. It's awful.
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A librarian at my local library tried her best to help but eventually had to give up. It isn't a Kobo issue. It's an ADE issue. Unfortunately, if you have MacOSCatalina like I have, you can't download ADE 3.0 again and ADE 4.5 won't allow for transfer of library books to the Kobo Glo. Very annoying. I'm sure that if Adobe wanted to, it could resolve the issue but since this is free software Adobe doesn't feel a need to support its users.
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I had the same problem! But when I tried to take the book out with overdrive it said the book wasn't available in my region (I live in Canada)? So maybe check to see if the file is available in your country because it worked just fine with another book. 🙂
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It seems my Kobo issue is exactly as described above in 2017, yet in 2021 neither Adobe nor Kobo could advise me to uninstall latest upgraded ADE and use version 3.0. After 3 days trying, in the end a simple resolution (well working so far). Can Adobe not fix this issue in newer versions of ADE?
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This is still an issue for me. My authorized (and un-authorized and factory reset and re-authorized) Kobo won't let me read a book from my library. Honestly, I would have less of a problem with this DRM nonsense if it actually worked, but locking me out of a book I legitimately check out of the library is absolutely ridiculous.
Adobe, when the solution to a problem winds up being "install an older version of the software," that's a problem that shouldn't take 4+ years to fix.
As a piece of software for library management, Adobe Digital Editions is about as good as a torn shoebox. If your goal is to prevent piracy, you have to make the non-piracy options viable. This is how things work.
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THIS JUST IN!
I finally got it to work by authorizing my computer's ADE (4.5.11) and Kobo with OverDrive instead of my Adobe ID. So, deauthorize your stuff and try to re-authorize using something other than your Adobe ID. If you've aready imported the books into ADE, you'll have to return them and check them out again so you'll import them with authorization from your new authorizing account (whatever you've chosen).
Adobe is still the enemy here, and I do not forgive them for making legally free access to information difficult for anyone.
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Hear, hear!
In Adobe Digital Editions, deauthorize your device and computer. Then go to Help -> Authorize to re-authorize, but there should be a drop-down menu next to "e-book vendor" that may have Adobe ID selected, but you'll be able to choose another account (OverDrive, Google, Books-A-Million, etc) and use your login for that account to authorize. Then authorize your device and import your library ebook.
This must be a freshly-checked-out library book, because if it's already been imported into AED with your previous authorization, it won't work.
But assuming there isn't yet another problem lurking somewhere (I wouldn't put it past them), this should work. It worked for me.
Let me know if you've got other questions, of course.
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I'm sorry, that's the limit of my knowledge. I agree that it's very frustrating. Reading ebooks from the library is such an exciting prospect, but I've got to say that I've had an issue each time I've tried to load one through Adobe Digital Editions. It would be nice if Adobe realized that problem solving and providing support for their free software is just as important to building a positive view of their brand as doing so for their paid software. Not to mention the educational implications of making library books accessible for those who may not have other means of access. But this complaint is a drop in the ocean.
Good luck, Lindsay.
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My problem is exactly as the original poster LizM described back on Nov. 4, 2017. I was however, able to check out a book from our local library through the OverDrive app on my android phone, and it appeared on my Kobo Clara and opened just fine. The problematic books that won't open on my Kobo Clara are the books with DRM I have downloaded from Internet Archive/Open Library. I am print-disabled, and there are many books that I would like to read that cannot be purchased in the US as an ebook. Sending imploring emails to publishers over the years has been ineffective. Because Open Library has scanned some of these books, I bought a Kobo Clara to be able to read them more comfortably. Interestingly, I can open the problematic book on my computer and on my phone -- just not on my Kobo Clara. Tonight I will see if my PC will allow me to download ADE 3.0. I have tried just about everything else.
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Follow up to my previous post:
Nope, my PC running Windows 10 doesn't support ADE 3.0. I can't use my Kobo Clara to read Internet Archive/Open Library books, the purpose for which I purchased this eReader.
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Alleycat, thanks. I will try ADE 2.5 on my Windows 10 PC.
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I use ADE 4.5 with another trick I read a while back on this forum: If the epub book doesn't open om my Kobo H20, I download the PDF of the same book from the Internet Archive. Then I transfer the PDF to my eReader and the epub AGAIN, making two DUPLICATES (do not overwrite) of the same title.
After this, the first epub still won't open (cover is black) but the second epub and te PDF will open without a problem. This trick is less invasive then installing a new version so I would suggest people try this first. Not sure if this will work always but it has worked for me several times now.
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MargrietD, Thank you! Downloading the PDF first and following your directions worked. I am elated.<3