Not able to open library books on my Kobo Glo: "Oops! This document couldn't be opened"

Report · Feb 27, 2016

I am able to read library books in ADE 4.5.1.133054 on my Macbook running OSX 10.11.2, and I have no problem transferring files to my Kobo. But when I try to open them on my Kobo, I get the message: "Oops! This document couldn't be opened" due to DRM issues.

My Macbook and Kobo both have the same valid adobe ID authorization. I can also download and open Toronto library books onto my iPad and read them in the Overdrive app.

I have done a factory reset on my Kobo, ensured that the Kobo is running the latest version, uninstalled and re-installed ADE on my Macbook, deauthorized and reauthorized both my Macbook and Kobo. Nothing has worked.I am stuck!

The problem is recent. Previously I never had any difficulties transferring books from my desktop ADE to my Kobo and reading them on my Kobo. Do any readers out there have any suggestions? Thanks

Report · Apr 17, 2017

so I can access library books, or my kobo books, but not both?

Report · Apr 17, 2017

I just noticed this evening that ade is time stamping files 6 hours ahead of the current local time. I know some of the suggested solutions have mentioned to make sure the date and time on your kobo are correct, which I have done and they are - but if ade thinks it's 6 hours from now, maybe that's causing the issue?

Report · Apr 17, 2017

Hi Chris:

This is my first Only Ereader - Kobo Glo HD. and I have spent D A Y S - H O U R S trying to solve this problem, as I am Retired and I do like a Challenge - But this situation everyone is having is UNEXCEPTIONABLE in this day and age of Technology from what Forms I have been reading.

If the time difference is an area that has not been dealt with - when everyone including myself has uninstalled - installed - 3.0 - 4.5 - authorized - unauthorized - Deleted Device, etc.Many - Many - Many times.

WHY not change our Computers to 6 hours ahead and also change the time on our Ereaders to 6 hours ahead.

Do you not think that this might have a chance of fixing the problem? Why has not ADOBE given out this information seeing that SO many of us Ereaders need ADOBE to access out Library books that there is a Time Difference.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · Apr 18, 2017

I tried changing the time on my ereader to match, it didn't help.

Report · Apr 18, 2017

Hi Chris:

Did you not Read my latest reply - it reads - Hi Chris and EVERYBODY ELSE, etc. and follow 1-9.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · Apr 18, 2017

Yes I read it Rosalind. I had already tried copying the books to my ereader using the method you described, several times like everything else - it didn't work for me. Good for you though!

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Original Message -

Report · Apr 18, 2017

Hi Chris:

Real Sorry to hear it didn't work for you - I do hope that some others have better luck with what I have written.

Well it is working for now - but it seems that ADOBE has a habit to working one minute and not the next from what I have been reading on your Forum and other complaints - So I am not holding any hope for future Library downloads - because whatever ADOBE says IT IS NOT OUR MALFUNCTIONING EREADERS.

You would think that by now ABODE Head Office would have solved this problem; as it seems to have happening as far back as 2012 and continuing to today.

IT IS SO RIDICULOUS to read the Responses from ADOBE - so that we can proceed and troubleshoot the issue

They damn well know what the Issue/Problems are - as they have access to this Forum what everyone has been voicing.

That's it for me - I AM DONE - We all have tried everything ADOBE has told us to do to no Avail.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · Apr 18, 2017

So finally, I have an open library ebook on my ereader! Sorry to say, I did several things at once, so not sure if it was one or the other or a combination that finally solved the issue for me. But this is what I did.

In ADE I unauthorized my computer, then closed ADE. Using file explorer, I deleted everything adobe related from the ereader. I also deleted the "my digital editions" folder from my computer, as well as any individual files I could see related to the latest ebook I had downloaded. Then I uninstalled and reinstalled kobo desktop. While that was syncing, I logged into OverDrive and downloaded my borrowed book again. I had deleted enough stuff that I had to authorize my computer with ADE in order to download it. I authorized my computer using my OverDrive account rather than my Adobe ID. Then I closed ADE, connected my ereader, and let it sync with kobo desktop. When that was complete, back to ADE. It wouldn't even recognize the ereader. So I tried using file explorer to drag the ebook onto the kobo, and of course I couldn't open it. But after removing the ebook from the ereader, and then connecting the ereader to my computer, ADE found the ereader. I authorized it, and then copied the ebook to the ereader using the opposite mouse click to get the drop down to select copy to kobo rather than just dragging it. And here I am reading "Furiously Happy."

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Original Message -

Report · Apr 18, 2017

Hi Chris:

VERY Glad that at least there is now 2 of us that are able to read a Library book on our Ereader.

I do hope there are Others that read our Blogs and had equal Success.

Very Nice Chatting with you - Have a Nice Day.

Regards Rosalind.

Report · Apr 23, 2017

Hi Chris:

One more time - I finally figured out the Op's - It seems that ADOBE blocks SOME books that are DRM.

DRM means that the Books CAN NOT BE COPIED - but can be read on the Computer.

(Digital Rights Management or DRM is a scheme that controls access to copyrighted material using technological means. It may refer to the usage of proprietary software, hardware, or any type of content: music tracks, video files, ebooks, games, DVD movies, emails, documents, etc. DRM is all about copyright protection.)

Mine was M.C. Beaton - Death of a Village - I read most of the others on my Computer and was getting tired of doing that and searched and searched different sites and found - DRM does not allow to be COPIED.

So in most cases it is not ADOBE - but the Book we are trying to Download to our Library to read on our Ereader - not on our Computer.

Hope that is some help to you.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · Apr 17, 2017

Hi Chris:

I just noticed that my Latest Reply was 3 hrs. back - so you must be in Western Canada, which puts a difference slant on just changing 6 hrs. ahead Computer & Ereader.

For the TIME DIFFERENCE from ADOBE - we would have to find out what TIME ZONE ADOBE was Operating from to then do the TIME Change on Computer & Ereader.

My Sister & B/L live in Bali, Indonesia and there TIME ZONE is Hong Kong,Beijing - a day ahead.

That is something I am going to fine out Tomorrow and them I will change my Computer & Ereader over, as I am expecting 2 Books from my Library to come available in the next few days and see if that works.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · Apr 18, 2017

Hi Chris: AND EVERYONE ELSE who is having Problems/Issues downloading Library books to their Ereaders (Mine is a Kobo Glo HD Ereader.

I just found out something I never knew or was told about how to transfer my Library books to my Ereader other than picking up and dragging into my Ereader AND THIS WORKED for me.

1. Download Books to Bookshelf from your Library - I think most people have no trouble doing this part..

2, Install Ereader with USB cable.

3.Click on HELP to Authorize your Computer.

4.Then Click on your Ereader and when it is highlighted - click on the (GEAR) to the Right and a Menu says - Authorize Information.

5. If your haven't already Authorized you Ereader it will pull down a Menu to put in your ADOBE ID - WHICH SHOULD BE THE SAME AS YOUR COMPUTER ADOBE ID - and a Menu come down saying - Device Authorized

6.Then RIGHT Click on a Title Book in the Bookshelf - This brings down a Menu - Read

- Copy to Bookshelf

- Copy to Computer/Device - Computer

- Kobo Reader

7. Click on Kobo Ereader (Or what your Ereader is)

8. Then Sync your Ereader to Download your Book

9. This should work??

10. ALSO - when you Right Click on the Book Title - the Drop Down Menu - you should Explore what else it says.

Good Luck Everyone - I do hope this is New Information for Everyone.

Also - as in a earlier comment - I AM NOT going to change my Computer or Ereader to a different time, as I think this is the solution to our problems/issues.

Regards - Rosalind

Report · May 14, 2017

I too have tried everything on this thread multiple times without success ... hours of effort wasted! The curious thing for me other than the fact this has been going on for years now without a fix is that my wife and I have KOBO's of the same vintage. Her's got the disease about 6 months ago and mine didn't. We are running the same software versions on our KOBO's. We use the same Adobe ID on ADE for library downloads of EPUB's. Her KOBO is authorised on her account only with the same ID as her authorised computer. Mine is authorised on her account (as well as another account with a different Adobe ID) and we use the same computer authorized on her Adobe ID for downloads. Mine works on both ADE version 3 and 4.5.4 her's doesn't work on either ... we just keep getting the infamous "oops" message. Her KOBO works fine for other books purchased from KOBO so it seems that the ADOBE/Overdrive/KOBO engineers need to get their heads together to determine who owns this issue!!

Report · May 17, 2017

Something definitely needs to be done about this issue. Mine is a Kobo/ADE issue. No reason fo this much problems to transfer a book to read. Still having major issues!

Report · Jun 05, 2017

The newest Kobo update fixed the problem.

Report · Jul 20, 2017

This is all relating to Kobo e-readers, but what about the unlucky ones (me...) who are still using Sony PRS-T1 e-reader? Is the only solution to buy a new e-reader and pray that it will work then???

After buying a few ebooks recently, I converted them into epub files in ADE and copied them into Sony PRS-T1. SImilar to you all, I get the error: "secured by digital rights management". I tried updating the e-reader, converting the authorisation of my PC to my old Adobe account to see if my e-reader had maybe been connected to that account, but still no luck.

I have contacted our friends at Adobe support a few times, but they keep referring me back to these forums and quickly close the chat before I can answer.

Anyone else who can help me out?

Report · Jul 21, 2017

Have you tried ADE version 3? = has worked for me =i.e. can now read library book again.

=Admitedly yes with Kobo Touch

=includes updating no longer causes any problem.

Stephen

Report · Jan 12, 2018

I had all the same issues described in this blog, and I spent 2 days of agony to get my new Kobo Aura One e-reader to accept public library books.

Adobe Digital Editions required to download public library books and then transfer them to my Kobo. Couldn't get the Adobe account authorization to stick on the Kobo. Books downloaded appropriately to my computer and were visible in ADE. Computer was properly authorized, and I could read the books on my computer. Books appeared to transfer to the Kobe, but when disconnected from computer, the books were grayed out on the Kobe and wouldn't open with an error message saying the Kobe was not authorized to read said public library books.

I tried all the tricks suggested in this blog... reauthorizing both the computer and e-reader.... many times. Reset the Kobe to factory settings... many times. Returned books to library and downloaded again and again. Tried new books from library. Reloaded Adobe Digital Editions... version 4.5.7. Once I was able to get a single book onto the Kobe and able to read it.... not sure exactly what sequence of actions enabled it. But when I added another book... everything went blank again and the Kobe kept insisting that it was not authorized (even though on my computer, the ADE said that my Kobe WAS authorized.)

Eventually I got a new error message on the Kobe saying that it was not authorized because I had too many “devices” previously authorized. (I'm thinking that maybe every time I reset the Kobe to factory setting that the Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) was incrementing and the Adobe system assumed I had multiple devices.) An Adobe blog for this problem said I needed to contact Adobe for them to reset my account. Well, that was a nightmare in itself... almost 2 hours of “chatting” with 2 different individuals who must have failed 5^th grade spelling and grammar. They insisted that for proper authorization I should read Adobe on-line blogs. I insisted that I had spent hours doing just that and that the blogs told me to contact Adobe Customer Service to reset my account. Finally they did it... and I was able to authorize my Kobe.

But... there was still another problem lingering that I didn't mention previously... Remnants of previous books remained and showed up on ADE... by this time I had 12 books showing... all grayed out. (These are books that I had “returned” to my public library.) I had read another blogger who indicated that these remnants had a time stamp and that they would go away after a day or two... Yes, I agreed with that... otherwise I would have have maybe 20 “books” in the system. I finally figured out that these “remnants” were being re-entered from the Adobe “cloud-sync”. I knew this because I deleted all book remnants from “My Digital Editions” folder in my computer “Documents”. When I closed and then reopened ADE... they all came back. Deleted them once again and turned off my wi-fy. They didn't come back. I concluded I did not need Adobe's “Cloud-sync”..... Solution: ADE version 3.

Conclusion: Reset ADE account, delete all previous book references, delete all “Cloud-sync” folders, and install ADE 3.0.

Report · Feb 22, 2018

I do not think it's problem we have with ADE, but with KOBO. The library books are downloaded on the computer, but KOBO blocks the download to the e-reader, because they are in the business of selling their books. Sometimes after I bought books 3/4 times I can download the library books for a while. As if the "portal" would be left open.

Report · Mar 31, 2018

I've been fighting this for several days now too, with my new Kobo H2O Second Edition. It's really frustrating. I will badger Kobo.

Report · Dec 12, 2019

I didn't have any problem with my Kobo Aura. The problm described occurs only on the new ebook-reader Tolino Epos (bought end of novembre 2019).

So, after all, I don't think it is a Kobo problem, but the software earlier in line: ADE 4.5.10.

Report · Aug 09, 2020

I agree, it's not fair but i think it's true!

Report · Apr 22, 2018

Well that's super frustrating. I never used to have trouble downloading library books to my Kobo and now I can't. I don't ever actually buy books and went with a Kobo specifically because I could download the ePUB format. Ugh. What a pain in the rear. I guess I'll have to rely on audiobooks and Overdrive on another device. Kobo rendered useless.

Report · Oct 01, 2018

It's frustrating to see that this question was asked 2.5 years ago and the problem still occurs for some people. I got my Kobo for Christmas last year, so it's not even been a year. This isn't the first time I'm having problems, but it's the first time I just cannot fix it. I have tried everything suggested in this thread, and every other suggestion I came across when I googled the issue. Nothing works. I have spent probably about ten hours in the past week trying to read books I both bought and borrowed. I can't. Many times when I want to tackle the problem again, I can't even get my Kobo to show up on my laptop/in ADE. This is entirely ridiculous. I simply do not understand how Kobo and Adobe can continue to blame the other company and not fix the issue. The idiots are your customers who have to spend hours trying to fix something they didn't break, with no guarantee that it'll work. If this was a recent issue with hope remaining that it'll be fixed, ok. But a Google search shows me threads that date back 5 or more years, and there is still no solution that fixes it for everyone. Or even better yet, a fix so that this issue doesn't even occur anymore.

Now I'm left with an ereader that has no books. If I can make it work again, I will have to download all of the books again and transfer them again. I pretty much have an ereader I cannot use. I have wasted countless hours fixing issues since I got this ereader, with more or less success. This is entirely ridiculous.

Report · Mar 24, 2020

I am incurring the same issue now with my Kobo Glo HD. I originally downloaded ADE 4.5, authorised the computer, authorised the device, and transferred the books from my library to Kobo Glo HD, but afterwards, I got a message on my Kobo saying "Your eReader has been deauthorised. You will no longer be able to read any books protected by Adobe Digital Rights Management (DRM) that you imported using Adobe Digital Editions (ADE)."

I've deauthorised my device and reauthorised it. I've tried deauthorising my computer and reauthorising too, but all attempts failed.

I uninstalled ADE 4.5, deleted all books and files on my Mac, and installed the ADE 3.0 version, but unfortunately got the message:

“Adobe Digital Editions 3.0.app” needs to be updated."

I can read borrowed EPUB books from the Toronto Public Library (Canada) and the Waimakariri Library (New Zealand) on ADE, but it seems as though there's an issue transferring the files over to my Kobo.

Can't believe this issue has been going on for so many years... someone please help!

Do people who have Kobo Clara have this issue too?

Adobe Community

Not able to open library books on my Kobo Glo: "Oops! This document couldn't be opened"