How do I transfer a .mobi file from Amazon onto my PC?

Anon343 · 10-18-2012, 08:34 AM

I've scoured the internet for this and found one--just one--person who actually posted this question on some dusty corner of the 'net, where it remains unanswered.

How can I transfer the actual .mobi file of a book I've purchased from Amazon onto my computer?

weatherman · 10-18-2012, 09:04 AM

Edit: oops, I misunderstood the original question.

The file you download from Amazon is an azw, not a mobi. The two formats are related but the azw has DRM, which means it can't be opened by another Kindle or on the PC without removing that DRM. Removing the DRM is possible though using Calibre - you just have to have the original Device ID for which the file was created. I usually download the azw to my PC from Amazon, the run it through Calibre, but I suppose you could just drag the azw from the device itself and that would work the same way.

AnemicOak · 10-18-2012, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anon343

How can I transfer the actual .mobi file of a book I've purchased from Amazon onto my computer?

If the book has DRM then it's encoded to the specific device you download it too.

If all you're wanting to do is be able to read it on your computer then you can download a copy with Kindle for PC (or Kindle for Mac) and read it that way.

AnemicOak · 10-18-2012, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weatherman

Edit: oops, I misunderstood the original question.

The file you download from Amazon is an azw, not a mobi. The two formats are related but the azw has DRM, which means it can't be opened by another Kindle or on the PC without removing that DRM. Removing the DRM is possible though using Calibre - you just have to have the original Device ID for which the file was created. I usually download the azw to my PC from Amazon, the run it through Calibre, but I suppose you could just drag the azw from the device itself and that would work the same way.

Note that Calibre itself does not remove DRM. There are third party plug-ins that do the removal.

pdurrant · 10-18-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anon343

I've scoured the internet for this and found one--just one--person who actually posted this question on some dusty corner of the 'net, where it remains unanswered.

How can I transfer the actual .mobi file of a book I've purchased from Amazon onto my computer?

Plug your kindle in to your computer and copy the file across from the Documents folder on the Kindle.

Of course, the file extension might be .azw instead of .mobi. And it's possible that it might even be .azw1, .azw3, .azw4 or even .tpz.

And the file itself might not be in Mobipocket format, but might be a Topaz file, a PDF (wrapped in a PDB) or one of the new Amazon .KF8 format files.

But if it is just a Mobipocket format file, you can just change the extension to .mobi.

But perhaps, instead, you're asking how you can remove the DRM and so transfer it to other Mobipocket reading devices as a .mobi file?

In that case, you need to consult Apprentice Alf (google, I can't give a direct link here.) for the DRM removal, and calibre for conversion from whatever format it really is into Mobipocket format.

AnemicOak · 10-18-2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Plug your kindle in to your computer and copy the file across from the Documents folder on the Kindle.

The OP list their device as Kindle for Android so the book file would be in the 'Kindle' folder on the device.

pdurrant · 10-18-2012, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The OP list their device as Kindle for Android so the book file would be in the 'Kindle' folder on the device.

Ah - well spotted. Thanks for the correction.

Psykhe · 10-18-2012, 10:59 AM

Personally I would simply download Kindle for PC and sync the book from Amazon. Less hassle.

Otherwise what pdurrant said.

Anon343 · 10-19-2012, 07:12 AM

Thanks for all the help, even though I got my terminology mixed up.

Yes, I want to download the actual file, which apparently is an .azw and not a .mobi as I thought, to the PC. I want the actual file itself. Simply "sending" it to Kindle for PC is not my goal here. I want to have the actual file; the actual book. Whether it has DRM or not, I bought it and I want to have it in my folder with all my other books. I don't need Amazon to safeguard it from me, since it's mine.

On the Android, I looked under files/kindle/azw and it's unfortunately empty, even though I already have numerous books on there. Strange!

weatherman · 10-19-2012, 08:06 AM

I don't know anything about Kindle app for Android - I assumed you had an actual Kindle device.

Either way, you can always log in to your Amazon account, go to "manage my Kindle" and re-download books you've purchased to the PC, then do whatever you want with them. If you're archiving them though, be sure to make note of the device ID for which the books were ordered; every book is locked with DRM specific to the device for which it was ordered so if you want to read it on another device later on, you'll have to unlock it using that device ID.

pdurrant · 10-19-2012, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anon343

Yes, I want to download the actual file, which apparently is an .azw and not a .mobi as I thought, to the PC. I want the actual file itself. Simply "sending" it to Kindle for PC is not my goal here.!

Yes, you do. You want to send it to Kindle for PC. That downloads an actual file to your PC, in a folder called "My Kindle Content" in your "My Documents" folder. This is the simple way to do what you want. In addition, if you make the acquaintance of Apprentice Alf you'll also be able to remove the DRM from the file downloaded to Kindle for PC which you can't do for files from Kindle for Android.

If you also download calibre, you won't even need to mess around with installing Python and PyCrypto, and you'll get an excellent program for organising/sorting/converting your ebooks.

Anon343 · 10-20-2012, 09:50 AM

Aah... Thanks, pdurrant, that is precisely what I wanted to do!

10-18-2012, 08:34 AM	#1
Anon343 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Android Kindle App	How do I transfer a .mobi file from Amazon onto my PC? I've scoured the internet for this and found one--just one--person who actually posted this question on some dusty corner of the 'net, where it remains unanswered. How can I transfer the actual .mobi file of a book I've purchased from Amazon onto my computer? Last edited by Anon343; 10-18-2012 at 09:03 AM.

10-18-2012, 09:04 AM	#2
weatherman Addict Posts: 385 Karma: 1010052 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: (previous: Kindle 2, Kindle Fire) Kindle 4 WiFi, K3K, KPW	Edit: oops, I misunderstood the original question. The file you download from Amazon is an azw, not a mobi. The two formats are related but the azw has DRM, which means it can't be opened by another Kindle or on the PC without removing that DRM. Removing the DRM is possible though using Calibre - you just have to have the original Device ID for which the file was created. I usually download the azw to my PC from Amazon, the run it through Calibre, but I suppose you could just drag the azw from the device itself and that would work the same way. Last edited by weatherman; 10-18-2012 at 09:10 AM.

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10-18-2012, 10:59 AM	#8
Psykhe Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 230000 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle4, KindlePW	Personally I would simply download Kindle for PC and sync the book from Amazon. Less hassle. Otherwise what pdurrant said.

10-19-2012, 07:12 AM	#9
Anon343 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Android Kindle App	Thanks for all the help, even though I got my terminology mixed up. Yes, I want to download the actual file, which apparently is an .azw and not a .mobi as I thought, to the PC. I want the actual file itself. Simply "sending" it to Kindle for PC is not my goal here. I want to have the actual file; the actual book. Whether it has DRM or not, I bought it and I want to have it in my folder with all my other books. I don't need Amazon to safeguard it from me, since it's mine. On the Android, I looked under files/kindle/azw and it's unfortunately empty, even though I already have numerous books on there. Strange!

10-19-2012, 08:06 AM	#10
weatherman Addict Posts: 385 Karma: 1010052 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: (previous: Kindle 2, Kindle Fire) Kindle 4 WiFi, K3K, KPW	I don't know anything about Kindle app for Android - I assumed you had an actual Kindle device. Either way, you can always log in to your Amazon account, go to "manage my Kindle" and re-download books you've purchased to the PC, then do whatever you want with them. If you're archiving them though, be sure to make note of the device ID for which the books were ordered; every book is locked with DRM specific to the device for which it was ordered so if you want to read it on another device later on, you'll have to unlock it using that device ID.

10-20-2012, 09:50 AM	#12
Anon343 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Android Kindle App	Aah... Thanks, pdurrant, that is precisely what I wanted to do!