Aura Can't downgrade firmware

trembling · 10-09-2020, 01:00 PM

Hello everybody, I registered today to ask for help with my Kobo Aura (N514). Please bear with me since I'm no geek

I use to turn on wi-fi on my kobo only to search for firmware updates and so far I had no trouble downloading and installing them. I'm running latest official firmware 4.24.15676. Unfortunately I've a problem with the new GUI introduced a couple of updates ago, if I remember correctly, as I much preferred browsing ebooks listed by page numbers instead of scrolling. So I tried to downgrade to version 4.23.15548 which I think to be the last one with the old GUI.

First of all I was surprised to find zipped 4.23.15548 inside my .kobo folder, though my device is running 4.24.15676 (I'm on macOS 10.12.6 btw):

I wasn't sure about how to proceed. I tried trashing 4.23.15548 and unzipping the freshly downloaded 4.23.15505, but my device seemed not to notice anything and kept running latest version. In short I tinkered deleting and adding but got nowhere. So before bricking my device I thought to ask for help to more skilled users. TIA

Galunid · 10-09-2020, 01:06 PM

All you need is https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kobo_Firmware_Releases

trembling · 10-09-2020, 01:27 PM

Thank you. I was asking whether I can downgrade without patching.

Galunid · 10-09-2020, 02:00 PM

Yes, you don't need to do any patching to downgrade

trembling · 10-10-2020, 07:09 AM

Maybe I'm missing something, but before opening a new thread I've read several stickies and discussions here and I understand it's mandatory to install the new (in my case the older) firmware before patching. And that's exactly what I can't do. As I said, my device takes no notice of older firmware I drop inside .kobo folder, whatever instructions I follow. So patching would be out of the question anyway.

I wonder if this is related to downgrading instead of upgrading. Or maybe to macOS Sierra.

davidfor · 10-10-2020, 08:04 AM

From the screenshot, you need to unpack the downloaded file. Put the contents in the .kobo directory, not the zip file.

PeterT · 10-10-2020, 08:14 AM

More than likely it's that you're not placing the correct files on the Kobo. When you download the firmware you download a file named kobo-update-<build number>.zip

You then unzip this file to obtain KoboRoot.tgz, manifest.md5sum and a folder upgrade that contains several more files.

All of these need to be copied to the .kobo folder of your reader.

After the copy your .kobo folder should contain the Kobo root.tgz and manifest.md5sum files, and the upgrade folder that will contain several files.

trembling · 10-10-2020, 09:25 AM

@davidfor,

Quote:

Originally Posted by trembling

I was surprised to find zipped 4.23.15548 inside my .kobo folder, though my device is running 4.24.15676

I don't know why it was there. Maybe my device didn't delete it after an upgrade?

@PeterT, thanks! My mistake was copying the whole unzipped folder instead of its contents. Now I'm happily back at version 4.19.14123

10-09-2020, 01:00 PM	#1
trembling Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo Aura (N514)	Can't downgrade firmware Hello everybody, I registered today to ask for help with my Kobo Aura (N514). Please bear with me since I'm no geek I use to turn on wi-fi on my kobo only to search for firmware updates and so far I had no trouble downloading and installing them. I'm running latest official firmware 4.24.15676. Unfortunately I've a problem with the new GUI introduced a couple of updates ago, if I remember correctly, as I much preferred browsing ebooks listed by page numbers instead of scrolling. So I tried to downgrade to version 4.23.15548 which I think to be the last one with the old GUI. First of all I was surprised to find zipped 4.23.15548 inside my .kobo folder, though my device is running 4.24.15676 (I'm on macOS 10.12.6 btw): I wasn't sure about how to proceed. I tried trashing 4.23.15548 and unzipping the freshly downloaded 4.23.15505, but my device seemed not to notice anything and kept running latest version. In short I tinkered deleting and adding but got nowhere. So before bricking my device I thought to ask for help to more skilled users. TIA

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10-09-2020, 01:06 PM	#2
Galunid Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 43580 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: KPW3, Kobo Clara HD, Onyx Boox Nova 2	All you need is https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kobo_Firmware_Releases

10-09-2020, 01:27 PM	#3
trembling Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo Aura (N514)	Thank you. I was asking whether I can downgrade without patching.

10-09-2020, 02:00 PM	#4
Galunid Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 43580 Join Date: Apr 2016 Device: KPW3, Kobo Clara HD, Onyx Boox Nova 2	Yes, you don't need to do any patching to downgrade

10-10-2020, 07:09 AM	#5
trembling Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kobo Aura (N514)	Maybe I'm missing something, but before opening a new thread I've read several stickies and discussions here and I understand it's mandatory to install the new (in my case the older) firmware before patching. And that's exactly what I can't do. As I said, my device takes no notice of older firmware I drop inside .kobo folder, whatever instructions I follow. So patching would be out of the question anyway. I wonder if this is related to downgrading instead of upgrading. Or maybe to macOS Sierra.

10-10-2020, 08:04 AM	#6
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,907 Karma: 47303748 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	From the screenshot, you need to unpack the downloaded file. Put the contents in the .kobo directory, not the zip file.

10-10-2020, 08:14 AM	#7
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,154 Karma: 73448616 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Nexus 7, Clara, Touch, Tolino EPOS	More than likely it's that you're not placing the correct files on the Kobo. When you download the firmware you download a file named kobo-update-<build number>.zip You then unzip this file to obtain KoboRoot.tgz, manifest.md5sum and a folder upgrade that contains several more files. All of these need to be copied to the .kobo folder of your reader. After the copy your .kobo folder should contain the Kobo root.tgz and manifest.md5sum files, and the upgrade folder that will contain several files.

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