Error message on my Kobo Aura HD e-reader: "your e-reader is not authorized to open this book"

Report · Feb 14, 2021

Hi, I am used to reading ebooks in epub format with Adobe Digital Editions on my Kobo Aura HD e-reader but with the last 2 books I downloaded from my local public library (I already read other ebooks from that public library with no problems before) I get the following message: "your e-reader is not authorized to open this book. This book is protected by Adobe Digital Rights Management (DRM). As you previously unauthorized your e-reader, you have to re-import the book using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE)."

I already tried this:

I uninstalled ADE on my computer, removed the authorization both on my computer and e-reader and then authorized them both again, I logged out from my e-reader and logged in again, removed the ebooks downloaded both on my computer and e-reader and downloaded them... I also cleared / emptied my history on my computer...

I have done all this several times but with no success: the error message still remains!

I contacted Kobo support: they had no solution and re-directed me to overdrive but my public library does not use this service and it is not included on my Kobo.

Then I contact Adobe via chat and the agent re-directed me here...

I am tired of all this. Who can help me?

Thanking you in advance.

Report · Feb 14, 2021

I had this same issue last night, amongst other issues. I keep clearing all my downloaded books, cleared my authorizations (which I had to do by editing the registry because ADE gives me an error every time I try to deauthorize anything), cleaned the registry and my entire computer of anything having to do with ADE. Restarted computer. Re-downloaded ADE. Authorized computer and Kobo. Downloaded library book from library. Added to my ADE library. Added to Kobo. Open Kobo - same error. Did it ALL over again. But this time when I added the book to my ADE, it made 13 copies of it! Even though I had cleared all of my drives, temp folders, cache and registry of all ADE files and all book files.
So unbelieveably ridiculous that this software has so many errors and no actual fixes. I ended up downloading ADE 3.0 and things seem to be working fine. I shouldn't have to resort to outdated software in order to be able to read a libary book. So my only suggestion after trying all of the other fixes is to try ADE 3.0 which may not have the same functionality as 4.5, but at least I can read a friggin book again! Good luck!

Report · Feb 15, 2021

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I tried all this (with downloading ADE 3.0) and I have a new error now: error check activation... In this version, I cannot see where I would be able to unauthorize my computer and re-authorize it again either. So it seems that there is no solution to my problem!

Report · Mar 10, 2021

Hi

Have you managed to get a resolution to this problem? I am having the exact same issue tonight but it worked fine less that three weeks ago. I even get the same error message using ADE 3.0 as yourself. Saw a help topic saying to deauthorise on the Kobo device rather than on ADE directly, but no didn't work. Finally I even went back to a book that I had downloaded and read months ago but now wont open! My kids love reading the books from the library, it has been an amazing tool during this time, they are so disappointed tonight that we can't start a new book and I am feeling so let down by ADE as there seems to beso many people enountering this problem. 😞

Report · Mar 11, 2021

Hi to all,

I have exactly the same problem. Must be an error in the Adobe software, before everything worked out fine.

Sorry I can't help you. I'm looking forward to an answer from Adobe.

Report · Jan 01, 2022

Did anyone get help with this error? I have a new Kobo Clara HD that gives me a "eReader is not authorized error" when I try to open library books not included in the Kobo lexicon. Kobo tells me that my reader is fine.