Help me fix my mom's Kobo please!

ficbot · 06-22-2010, 09:10 PM

Mom's kobo was doing that thing where you load new books on and they don't show up. They are there on the hard drive of the Kobo but it won't detect them. I thought this would be simple to fix. I looked at forum posts here and tried everything---deleting the SQL database and letting it reset, restoring to factory defaults, the works. Nothing. I spoke to Kobo tech and the only suggestion they had was to only ever use the Kobo desktop and ADE and try re-loading it with ADE---not drag and drop, not Calibre, only real, legitimate ADE. I am waiting for it to download now. They said it will be exchange-able if this doesn't work.

Mom left it with me, she wanted to drive home before it got dark. I see her next on Friday and would really like to be able to give it back to her, restored. She did not seem too concerned or upset about the situation, but I am very upset. This Kobo was my big retirement gift to her and I feel a bit defective as a daughter for mucking it up somehow. She says that's silly and it's fine and not to worry, but I am just sitting here feeling really awful right now

The Kobo people have been good to me, very forthcoming with help and information and letting me have a sneak peek to review. But I have tried to be as honest as possible in my reporting, good and bad, on the subject. I do still feel like this is a device with potential, and if you only want to purchase from their store, you'd be fine. Implementing books from other sources is a hot mess though, and I am just especially disappointed since this was a gift for someone special and now it's all ruined.

Yeah, they'll replace it or fix it. I just really want to get it working again because right now I am feeling like the worst daughter in the world. Help!

Stinger · 06-22-2010, 09:31 PM

When you deleted the SQLite database, did you do a sync with the official desktop app after?

As far as I'm aware, I don't think the Kobo recreates the file itself.

ficbot · 06-22-2010, 09:39 PM

Yes, I did a sync with the app itself. And then Calibre recognized it so I thought I was good to go. ADE is not recognizing it though.

ava0775 · 06-22-2010, 09:52 PM

ADE needs to be authorized to the device. There should be an option somewhere. Maybe once you have the Kobo connected to the computer, then start ADE up?

timlegge · 06-22-2010, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Mom's kobo was doing that thing where you load new books on and they don't show up. They are there on the hard drive of the Kobo but it won't detect them. I thought this would be simple to fix. I looked at forum posts here and tried everything---deleting the SQL database and letting it reset, restoring to factory defaults, the works. Nothing. I spoke to Kobo tech and the only suggestion they had was to only ever use the Kobo desktop and ADE and try re-loading it with ADE---not drag and drop, not Calibre, only real, legitimate ADE. I am waiting for it to download now. They said it will be exchange-able if this doesn't work.

I had that issue recently. I had sent 4+ books to the device using Calibre. The files were on the device but it seemed to error out partway through and told me there were no books on the device. I powered off and on. My library was there but the new books were not.

I did two things one of which probably fixed it:

I did a windows scan disk and I also put another epub on the device. I don't know which triggered it but when I ejected the kobo it found the missing books. I suspect internally, the kobo thinks it already dealt with the files.

Tim

ficbot · 06-22-2010, 10:49 PM

Hi Tim

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that; it added some back and removed some other ones which were already there!

I just tried loading some stuff onto a memory card and it seemed to find those okay. I am going to try just walking into an Indigo store tomorrow with it and seeing if I can talk them into exchanging it. If not, at least Mom can work with the memory card until a replacement comes.

I think this whole mess could be avoided if they would do away with the whole mess of the SQL database and just treat the books as *files* but what do I know

pholy · 06-22-2010, 11:33 PM

I had a problem with a couple of files that seemed to make the Kobo hang during the start-up processing. Is that what is happening to you? Or is it finishing the processing, but not finding some of the books? In my case, I discovered that one book in the bunch had a huge css file (really, either bad conversion, or really bad input formatting). I took that book out, and then everything went well. If it is finishing without finding a book, that's new to me. I share your feelings about the SQL database; trust your intuition.

ficbot · 06-23-2010, 10:06 PM

None of it worked and I got depressed enough to go to Indigo with my tale of woe. I got as far as 'it isn't working' before the manager cheerfully offered to exchange it, in spite of my lack of receipt, proper retail box etc. So I have a new one and I will never hack again

I am a good daughter once more.

jonnybraga · 06-24-2010, 01:48 AM

cool! congrats! hope ur mom enjoys it!

pholy · 06-24-2010, 11:13 AM

Quote:

So I have a new one and I will never hack again I am a good daughter once more.

Well, never hack your mother's toys, anyway. How do you expect to learn how something works if you don't try to break it?

ficbot · 06-24-2010, 12:22 PM

Update: after all that angst, some of the books STILL are not showing up, and they are all by the same author. So I am thinking maybe part of the problem is, the Kobo doesn't like that batch for some reason. She'll be disappointed.

dwprice · 06-24-2010, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Update: after all that angst, some of the books STILL are not showing up, and they are all by the same author. So I am thinking maybe part of the problem is, the Kobo doesn't like that batch for some reason. She'll be disappointed.

A dumb question on my part, but did you check "DOCUMENTS" on the Kobo (vs. "BOOKS")? If a book is a pdf it will go there.

06-22-2010, 09:10 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Help me fix my mom's Kobo please! Mom's kobo was doing that thing where you load new books on and they don't show up. They are there on the hard drive of the Kobo but it won't detect them. I thought this would be simple to fix. I looked at forum posts here and tried everything---deleting the SQL database and letting it reset, restoring to factory defaults, the works. Nothing. I spoke to Kobo tech and the only suggestion they had was to only ever use the Kobo desktop and ADE and try re-loading it with ADE---not drag and drop, not Calibre, only real, legitimate ADE. I am waiting for it to download now. They said it will be exchange-able if this doesn't work. Mom left it with me, she wanted to drive home before it got dark. I see her next on Friday and would really like to be able to give it back to her, restored. She did not seem too concerned or upset about the situation, but I am very upset. This Kobo was my big retirement gift to her and I feel a bit defective as a daughter for mucking it up somehow. She says that's silly and it's fine and not to worry, but I am just sitting here feeling really awful right now The Kobo people have been good to me, very forthcoming with help and information and letting me have a sneak peek to review. But I have tried to be as honest as possible in my reporting, good and bad, on the subject. I do still feel like this is a device with potential, and if you only want to purchase from their store, you'd be fine. Implementing books from other sources is a hot mess though, and I am just especially disappointed since this was a gift for someone special and now it's all ruined. Yeah, they'll replace it or fix it. I just really want to get it working again because right now I am feeling like the worst daughter in the world. Help!

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06-22-2010, 09:31 PM	#2
Stinger Asha'man Posts: 335 Karma: 844 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo	When you deleted the SQLite database, did you do a sync with the official desktop app after? As far as I'm aware, I don't think the Kobo recreates the file itself.

06-22-2010, 09:39 PM	#3
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Yes, I did a sync with the app itself. And then Calibre recognized it so I thought I was good to go. ADE is not recognizing it though.

06-22-2010, 09:52 PM	#4
ava0775 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	ADE needs to be authorized to the device. There should be an option somewhere. Maybe once you have the Kobo connected to the computer, then start ADE up?

06-22-2010, 10:49 PM	#6
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Hi Tim Thanks for the suggestion. I tried that; it added some back and removed some other ones which were already there! I just tried loading some stuff onto a memory card and it seemed to find those okay. I am going to try just walking into an Indigo store tomorrow with it and seeing if I can talk them into exchanging it. If not, at least Mom can work with the memory card until a replacement comes. I think this whole mess could be avoided if they would do away with the whole mess of the SQL database and just treat the books as files but what do I know

06-22-2010, 11:33 PM	#7
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	I had a problem with a couple of files that seemed to make the Kobo hang during the start-up processing. Is that what is happening to you? Or is it finishing the processing, but not finding some of the books? In my case, I discovered that one book in the bunch had a huge css file (really, either bad conversion, or really bad input formatting). I took that book out, and then everything went well. If it is finishing without finding a book, that's new to me. I share your feelings about the SQL database; trust your intuition.

06-23-2010, 10:06 PM	#8
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	None of it worked and I got depressed enough to go to Indigo with my tale of woe. I got as far as 'it isn't working' before the manager cheerfully offered to exchange it, in spite of my lack of receipt, proper retail box etc. So I have a new one and I will never hack again I am a good daughter once more.

06-24-2010, 01:48 AM	#9
jonnybraga Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	cool! congrats! hope ur mom enjoys it!

06-24-2010, 12:22 PM	#11
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Update: after all that angst, some of the books STILL are not showing up, and they are all by the same author. So I am thinking maybe part of the problem is, the Kobo doesn't like that batch for some reason. She'll be disappointed.

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