Importing Collections & Highlights/Notes to Paperwhite

[dutchdummy]

I have a Kindle Keyboard and although I've purchased many books from Amazon, I've removed the DRM from each book before putting them on my Kindle as I want to have control over my ebooks (Amazon has twice deleted users' content remotely, for one example why).

I just bought a Kindle Paperwhite and was hoping that I could just import the collections.json file to recreate my collections without having to sort them all over again, and to import the .mpb files for my notes and highlights. However, it seems that the PW uses a different structure and/or file system for these options. I've already applied the jailbreak but I don't see these particular file extensions. Does anyone have any idea how I can recreate my personalizations on my PW with as little fuss as possible?

Thanks.

[NiLuJe]

On the Touch/PW, all the sidecar files are stored in a sidecar folder alongside the file (same dirname as the filename of the book, but with the extension .sdr (on a folder, yes ^^). That should solve the bookmarks/notes/progress/pages issue.

As for the collections: Collections Manager is your new best friend. (As usual when migrating collections the low-level way, assuming the metadata is identical, or, for files without an ASIN, with the exact same path).

[dutchdummy]

Thanks for the reply, NiLuJe. But I don't have any .sdr files to transfer over, just .mpb. I'm assuming I'm out of luck As for Collections Manager, because it apparently doesn't sort by author it's actually more difficult for me than Amazon's way of sorting. I'm still pissed off that Amazon is making it so difficult for users to manage their ebooks easily.

[twobob]

Originally Posted by dutchdummy

Thanks for the reply, NiLuJe. But I don't have any .sdr files to transfer over, just .mpb. I'm assuming I'm out of luck As for Collections Manager, because it apparently doesn't sort by author it's actually more difficult for me than Amazon's way of sorting. I'm still pissed off that Amazon is making it so difficult for users to manage their ebooks easily.

hmm. I thought you could create custom sorts... via Calibre or something.

possibly wrong

[NiLuJe]

@dutchdummy: Err, my point was that you need to *create* the folder, and move your existing sidecar files in it.

As for CM, there's an 'Import from Calibre' option in the Menu that'll import your collections.json db, so I'm not sure what the problem seems to be there.

[dutchdummy]

@NiLuJe: Aha! I didn't realize I could still use my .mbp files (new noted I made in a book created a .mpb1 file)...I thought the PW only used the new extensions. I just followed your advice & it worked like a charm. Thanks for the feedback.

[Akirainblack]

Yes, indeed you can twobob.
If you create a custom column in Calibre (I named it Kindle Collections for some unknown reason)
Then input the collection name you want into that field.
When you export it from Calibre you can specify that that is the Collection field for Collections Manager.
The rest is obvious.

Sorry if it's a little vague but I don't have access to my Calibre install at work as this laptop doesn't like USB flash devices which are above 8G.

[WisCoast]

Hi,

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but I think I need some more detailed indications on how to do this, if possible. I am also trying to move my library and highlights from an old Kindle, to my PW.

I do not have jailbreaked my PW, nor my Kindle, is it needed?
Do I need Calibre for any step?

I have followed the advice from NiLuJe, at least I tried to do so. What I have done, first for a single book.
1- Copy the files from my old Kindle, from the folder documents, to the same folder in the Paperwhite.
2- I have created a folder which contains exactly the name of the .mobi file, but with .sdr at the end of the folder name.
3- I have moved there both .mbp and .apnx files.
4- When I switched on PW (no restart), PW had created .mbp1 and .mbs files, with some gibberish numbers added between the book's file name and the extension
5- Out of desperation I tried renaming my .mbp file to have the same name as the .mpb1 file, and then "remove" the .mpb1 file generated by PW. So effectively I replaced the mbp1 file with my original mbp file.
6- I have done the very same thing for My Clippings.txt file

Nothings seems to allow me to see my highlights while I read in my PW.

My old Kindle has broken screen, in case this has some impact.

[knc1]

Which model of "old Kindle"?
And if possible, the firmware version on the "old Kindle".

Which model of "Paperwhite"?
The firmware version on the "Paperwhite".

Are you using "collections" on either of the Kindles?

= = = =

Yes, we need the above information, things have changed over the years with various Kindle models and firmware versions.

- - - -

5 - Out of desperation I tried renaming my .mbp file to have the same name as the .mpb1 file, and then "remove" the .mpb1 file generated by PW. So effectively I replaced the mbp1 file with my original mbp file.

Please explain how you tried to do this step (above) -
Since as written here, you would have had two files present of the same name, at the same time, which the filesystem (**should**) not allow.

[WisCoast]

Hi knc1,

Thanks for helping this obvious Kindle noob, I will try to be more precise.
And to encourage you, I am after IT studies so I may understand instructions a bit more easily

Old kindle, from now own Kindle 4, version: 4.3.1 (2692310002)

Paperwhite version: 5.7.4.1 (2937220006)

No, I have never used Collections. I tend to like the old raw file explorer way. I should make an effort here to change it, it takes more time.

To "convert" .mbp to .mbp1 I simply used the renaming function from Windows Explorer. I added a hyphen at the beginning of the name of the original file, to avoid the double name, that is what I meant by "removed". So like an auxiliary variable in programming.

I can summarize what I was doing.
- Download a book to my PC
- Use Caliber to upload via USB to the kindle device
- Read the books, highlighting them.

The only function I used from Calibre is converting files.

Notes:
- Kindle 4 screen is half frozen (HW issue), to check the firmware version I needed to use the similar kindle from my girlfriend, and turn the screen in mine so the useful info would appear in the "proper corner"

Again, thanks a lot!!

[knc1]

I think I have it now:

Collections not being used on either device.

Devices: K4 (4.3.1) -->> PW3 (5.7.4.1)
You didn't say that, but at this moment in time, the PW3 is the only model running 5.7.4.1 (The VoiceView (TTS) support firmware).
You can confirm my guess (and update your CP device info entry) by comparing the first six characters of your serial number with this chart:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Serial_Numbers

You want to move your annotations and highlights along with the book from the old device to the new device.

Oops - I forgot a question:
Are you using the "Amazon Cloud" with your PW-3?
(You can't be with the K4 - it never had such a feature.)

Your question involves the currently most recent firmware version that has been released (which means we have the least experience with it).

Features added since the K4 include allowing the saving of your annotations and highlights "on the cloud" and being able to "share" them with others (other than with the Amazon Marketing Research department - they are always data mining what you save on the cloud).

You can bet that those file formats have changed with the addition of the 5.5/5.6/5.7 firmware features.

Somewhere around here, there have been posts about how to read (earlier than 5.7) annotation and highlight files.
I don't recall the details myself.

I think that is the sort of thing you will be needing - a file format converter.

Hmm...
Probably a job for an off-Kindle, third party, software application.
I.E: Such as Calibre

I haven't seen any such post on this forum.
But, perhaps, your question already has an answer on the Calibre forum:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=166

I would ask there (after searching your topic) if Calibre supports reading/writing the different formats of annotation and highlight files (it seems to be a reasonable place to find it - inside of Calibre).

OR
If they have such plans (Calibre is actively supported).

[NiLuJe]

The various sidecar formats might have evolved between those two FW versions (I can't recall), so you may be a tiny bit screwed...

My original comment applied only to moves from & to roughly the same Kindle/FW combo.

[WisCoast]

Hi guys,

Thank you very much for your answers. I guess I more or less knew I was most likely screwed, but when some more experienced people confirm it, it is easier to deal with it. I will search through Calibre forum and propose or upvote the proposal of new feature if it already existe

Have a nice weekend!

[bobnad]

WisCoast, did you ever find a way around this? I'm in the exact same situation as you were - my Kindle Keyboard had the half white screen failure, I bought a new PW3, I've been trying hard to transfer my notes and highlights - but I'm screwed.

You would think this should be a common scenario, but there is very little to be found anywhere on Google or forums.

[WisCoast]

I'm sorry, mate. I already accepted I need to learn how to let go. Just import the myclips file to a laptop. And read it from there...

Sorry, and let me know if you manage to fix it