I previously wrote EPUB and DeDRM: Why Google Play Store is the best eBookStore for iBooks fans. (Bonus: Fixing Adobe Digital Edition crash.), but my efforts to put the books I own on my personal device were frustrated when it turned out all of my Google Play books were DRM free. So I could easily put the ePUBs in Google Drive, upload to Google Play and drop them into iTunes for use on my iPhone.
If you are use Kindle for PC under Wine, and your wine installation containing Kindle for PC isn't the default Wine installation, you may enter the full path to the correct Wine installation here. Leave blank if you are unsure. The DeDRM plugin works by using the key file from the Kindle for PC (or Mac) app. Since there is no 'Kindle for Linux' app, you need to do a little bit of setup in your Windows virtual machine. First, make sure you have installed the Kindle for PC app and logged in at.
Today I purchased a genuine Google Play Adobe Editions DRMd book. I was able to remove the Adobe DRM and open it in iBooks on my iPhone. So it's doable - barely. I fear, however, that my app.net friends who think this is an easy solution to eBook DRM problems are operating on a higher plain than I. DRM removal is not the answer to flat (soon falling?) eBook sales. iTunes music style DRM (signed files) is the answer.
I'm not sure I can quite recreate all the steps, but these tips may help Mountain Lion users. Use them while you read and reread Apprentice Alf's guide.
Downloads
You need to download the following apps and install the first two.
- Adobe Digital Edition
- Calibre
- The limelinx tools (includes the DeDRM app but, most importantly, the DeDRM_calibre plugin)
- Download your ePub from Google Apps. This process is very cryptic (I think Google wants us to stop downloading these.) Mouseover your book in Play, look for a strange faint dashed line icon, click it to get the download option. You will download a .ascm file.
- Launch Adobe Digital Edition and register yourself with Adobe. Open your .ascm file in ADE, observe that an ePub file is now saved to Documents/Digital Editions. Note that carefully.
- Launch Calibre and then carefully follow the directions for installing DeDRM_plugin.zip into Calibre. Note that Calibre has changed a bit since the directions were written so some interpretation may be needed.
- The directions say: 'On Macintosh and Windows systems no customization is required for ebooks from Kindle for Mac/PC or Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), provided that calibre is run on the same computer and user account as the installation of Kindle for Mac/PC or ADE to which the books were downloaded. The default key is found and stored in the preferences automatically. ' This did not work for me. I had to follow the configuration steps, which are cryptic. I clicked on DeDRM then clicked the customize button the configuration for 'Adobe Digital Editions eBooks', then click on the green + to get 'default_key'. Ignore 'Import Existing Keyfiles'. Then restart Calibre.
- Now, using Calibre, import the ePub file saved in Documents/Digital Editions.
- You should be able to to Save Only ePub format to disk. The ePUB produced at that point is DRM free (or was in my case).
Prior to using Calibre I'd tried DeDRM.app unsuccessfully; it didn't have a key ('.der file') and coulndn't find one. After I'd gotten the Calibre process working I tried DeDRM again and it had the 'default_key'. I ran it again the Documents/Digital Editions ePub and it told me the DRM was removed. This is a much easier process than using Calibre; perhaps there is a shortcut to get directly to this step. Going forward I expect to use DeDRM.app.
Incidentally, the Alf site warns that commercial 'DeDRM' apps are wrapped copies of the DeDRM code. I believe that's true.
Update 3/27/2014:After I got the default_key working I can simply use DeDRM to remove ePUB DRM. The configuration process creates a .der file that is stored in /Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apprenticealf.dedrm. That .der file can be added to a new DeDrm.app install through simple setup — it’s the output of the complex process described above.
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In this post you’ll find two ways to back up Kindle books from the cloud to your computer. One requires a Kindle; the other one doesn’t.
Having Kindle books stored in the cloud is very convenient. It allows to sync reading progress between devices registered to the same account. It also is a way to back up the books you don’t currently read.
![How How](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/L2dAD6NHuc8/maxresdefault.jpg)
See also:
Well, sometimes it’s good to back up the books the other way round. In this post, we’ll show how to do it, using:
- the Kindle e-reader,
- the Kindle for Mac/PC application.
Ebookstores have much more control over Kindle users’ accounts than anyone could imagine. This e-reader privacy chart explains this in detail.
In other words, someone else has access to your Kindle library and it’s not 100% up to you what and when will change. It’s how cloud storage works, we either deny it or live with it.
While removing content from user’s account is an exception, you may see changes in books you’ve bought. It happens when a publisher updates the file associated with the book. It could be just a formatting, or it could be a new edition that differs from what you had before.
Before moving to the guides, please keep in mind that ebooks from Amazon are DRM-ed. You won’t be able to read them on any other app or device. Or, to put it differently, you will be able after you get rid of the DRM layer.
Tips shared below will let you bring the books you purchased in Amazon’s Kindle Store to you computer – just in case something wrong happens on the other side.
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Find the best Kindle cases and accessories for the basic Kindle, Paperwhite, and Oasis. The list includes items not only from Amazon but also Etsy, Caseable, eBay, and other sites.
Back up Kindle books using Kindle e-reader
This tip works for anyone who owns a Kindle e-reader. It’s a quite useful idea to get access to the ebook library even when you don’t have access to the internet.
Also, it’s good if you want to add to your Kindle – and therefore, Kindle cloud library – the books that you acquired from other sites. We’ve got the extended list of the sites that offer free Kindle ebooks from the public domain.
![Kindle For Mac And Pc Keyfiles Kindle For Mac And Pc Keyfiles](https://www.techbout.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/bootable-windows-10-usb-drive.png)
There are two steps to back up Kindle ebooks via Kindle e-reader:
- Connect the Kindle to your computer via USB cable.
- Find the folder containing the books and copy it to disc.
1. Connect the Kindle to your computer with a USB cable
When you connect the Kindle to your computer, either PC or Mac, it will appear as an external drive. Open the drive icon, and locate the folder named “documents”.
Among other files types, the folder contains files in .azw format. It’s a .mobi file, protected with Amazon’s own DRM.
2. Copy the folder to a desired destination
Drag the “documents” folder to a desired place on your disc. You can also copy it to any cloud service you use, like Dropbox or Google Drive.
These cloud services are different from the cloud served by the Amazon. The files there are yours, and no one will change or update them if you don’t allow it.
Things to remember
Please keep in mind that you’ll copy only the files that are stored on the Kindle e-reader, and not the ones archived in the cloud.
To back up all the books from your Kindle library, you’ll first need to download them to the Kindle e-reader, which may take some time.
Back up Kindle books using Kindle desktop app
Using Kindle desktop app is convenient for Kindle users who don’t own an e-reader, and use mobile apps (iOS, Android) to read the ebooks.
It’s also good for Kindle e-reader owners who keep most of their books not on the e-reader but in the cloud.
![Mac Mac](https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Kindle-for-PC-560x266.jpg)
There are four steps to back up Kindle books via Kindle desktop app:
- Download the Kindle desktop application (there are versions for PC and Mac).
- Download the books from the cloud to the app.
- Locate the folder with Kindle books on your computer.
- Copy it to disc.
1. Download the Kindle desktop app
The Kindle application lets you not only manage, but also read Kindle books on the computer. It’s available for the following systems:
- Kindle for Windows 7, XP and Vista
- Kindle for Windows 8
- Kindle for Mac
When you go to free Kindle apps page on Amazon and click on the Download button, the version that fits the operating system of your computer will start downloading immediately.
After instaling the app, open it and sign in with your Amazon credentials.
2. Download the books from the cloud
In the app, in the Library view on the left, you’ll see how many books you have in your Kindle cloud library. There are three sections:
See Full List On Will.tip.dhappy.org
- All items – how many books you have in your Kindle account in total,
- Downloaded items – how many books you have on the disc of your PC or Mac computer,
- Archived items – these books are stored in the Kindle cloud, and not downloaded to the computer.
Each book that’s not on your computer has a cloud icon in the bottom right corner.
To download the book (on Mac), either double-click on the book cover or select “Download” from a Ctrl+Click menu.
There is no option to download the Kindle books in bulk. You’ll have to do it title by title, but with the double-click, it’s pretty fast.
Please have in mind that just like with Kindle e-reader, you’ll have to download all the books from the archive to the Kindle app, if you want to back up all of them.
Cached
3. Locate the folder with downloaded books
During installation, Kindle desktop app creates a folder where all future downloads will be stored.
Below there are paths to find that folder:
- Mac ⇢ ~/Library/Containers/com.amazon.Kindle/Data/Library/Application Support/Kindle/My Kindle Content
- Windows 7, XP, Vista ⇢ C: / Users / Your User ID / Documents / My Kindle Content
- Windows 8 ⇢ C: / Users / Your User ID / AppData / Local / Amazon / Kindle / application / content
I tested the directory on the Mac computer. For details on Windows, please read this Kindle forum.
Useful links
Here are a couple of reference links, in case you need more assistance:
- Free Kindle apps – the download page for Kindle application, not only for PC or Mac, but also iOS and Android.
- Kindle for Mac on the App Store – this is a download link for Mac users who prefer to get the Kindle app from the Mac App Store.
- Kindle for PC installation instructions – if you have problems with installing the Kindle app on your PC, had tot his section of Amazon Help Pages.
- Kindle for Mac support – assistance in installing and managing the Kindle for Mac application.
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