Problems with Kindle ebook

mr ploppy · 05-03-2011, 12:00 PM

I bought this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6/

But didn't like the layout. The cover and content page are missing, there's no chapter marks, and there is just a blank line to separate scenes instead of stars (* * *).

It had DRM so I had to remove that, then used Mobiunpack to extract the html. The plan was to fix all the layout problems, then turn it back into a mobi with Mobicreator. I've done this lots of times with other ebooks.

But with this one, a lot of random words are missing from the html that are in the original AZW file. There's also problems with html tags, missing — < characters that will make the tags crash into the text.

Any ideas what would cause all this?

(Note for law enforcement officers, the above is a fictional account of something that never happened).

alansplace · 05-03-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I bought this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6/

But didn't like the layout. The cover and content page are missing, there's no chapter marks, and there is just a blank line to separate scenes instead of stars (* * *).

It had DRM so I had to remove that, then used Mobiunpack to extract the html. The plan was to fix all the layout problems, then turn it back into a mobi with Mobicreator. I've done this lots of times with other ebooks.

But with this one, a lot of random words are missing from the html that are in the original AZW file. There's also problems with html tags, missing — < characters that will make the tags crash into the text.

Any ideas what would cause all this?

(Note for law enforcement officers, the above is a fictional account of something that never happened).

i use calibre to either extract a txt file or an rtf file.
--
Alan

mr ploppy · 05-03-2011, 12:56 PM

Just tried using Calibre to go mobi to epub, the same words are missing. Interestingly enough, the free sample from Amazon converts okay it's just the full ebook that has problems. Could it be DRM related in some way? The DRM prog starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle, it's version 0.6 (seems to be latest).

susan_cassidy · 05-03-2011, 12:57 PM

Did you report the formatting problems to Amazon? They can notify the publisher, and may refund your money (not sure how that works in the UK).

alansplace · 05-03-2011, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Just tried using Calibre to go mobi to epub, the same words are missing. Interestingly enough, the free sample from Amazon converts okay it's just the full ebook that has problems. Could it be DRM related in some way? The DRM prog starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle, it's version 0.6 (seems to be latest).

try just straight txt, and try also switching the txt output from the default utf-8 to acscii.
--
Alan

AnemicOak · 05-03-2011, 01:27 PM

Weird, it almost sounds like a Topaz book instead of AZW.

DiapDealer · 05-03-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

The DRM prog starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle, it's version 0.6 (seems to be latest).

The program that "starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle" has a known bug (that many never run into or notice) dealing with trailing data. But if you were running into that bug, the words in question would already be missing immediately after liberation--before you unpack it. But you still may want to try an alf-inspired alternative just to eliminate the known bug from the equation.

mr ploppy · 05-04-2011, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The program that "starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle" has a known bug (that many never run into or notice) dealing with trailing data. But if you were running into that bug, the words in question would already be missing immediately after liberation--before you unpack it. But you still may want to try an alf-inspired alternative just to eliminate the known bug from the equation.

I haven't checked it all yet, but it looks like that might be the cause of it. The first chapter is okay anyway.

05-03-2011, 12:00 PM	#1
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Problems with Kindle ebook I bought this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Kult-ebook/dp/B004TGT3S6/ But didn't like the layout. The cover and content page are missing, there's no chapter marks, and there is just a blank line to separate scenes instead of stars (* * ). It had DRM so I had to remove that, then used Mobiunpack to extract the html. The plan was to fix all the layout problems, then turn it back into a mobi with Mobicreator. I've done this lots of times with other ebooks. But with this one, a lot of random words are missing from the html that are in the original AZW file. There's also problems with html tags, missing — < characters that will make the tags crash into the text. Any ideas what would cause all this? (Note for law enforcement officers, the above is a fictional account of something that never happened).*

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05-03-2011, 12:56 PM	#3
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Just tried using Calibre to go mobi to epub, the same words are missing. Interestingly enough, the free sample from Amazon converts okay it's just the full ebook that has problems. Could it be DRM related in some way? The DRM prog starts with an S and rhymes with Kindle, it's version 0.6 (seems to be latest).

05-03-2011, 12:57 PM	#4
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Did you report the formatting problems to Amazon? They can notify the publisher, and may refund your money (not sure how that works in the UK).

05-03-2011, 01:27 PM	#6
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Weird, it almost sounds like a Topaz book instead of AZW.

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