Glo Memory Upgrade Mod Guide (With Pictures)

[HardwareLust]

Gergith, thank you so much for the informative post. I just did this on my new Mini ($49.95 from QVC) and I followed your instructions and it worked perfectly, no issues whatsoever. I swapped out the stock 4gb SanDisk Class 4 card for a 32gb SanDisk Class 4 card that I had laying around, and it went smooth as silk. The Mini works perfectly, and now has almost 30gb free, plenty of room! Thanks again.

[leftright]

Thank you for this tutorial.

I dropped my Glo, then the power switch wouldn't work so I opened the unit, re-aligned the power slider switch and implemented a slight mod to the power micro switch on the board, function normal. (really finicky design, they should've shimmed the power micro switch on the mother board closer to the manual power sliding switch), (*shrug*....)

I noticed that the internal MSD card was a 4gig card, removed it, imaged it, incorporated the unused memory, re-installed the card, powered on before closing up, all was good in KoboGlo land.

Happiness is using it all.

It was really easy to do with the instructions here and following this visual tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73QGYk2q80M

Thank you all for this information which helped me repair my Glo, good as new.

[banzyman]

Originally Posted by Gergith

Hello! Welcome to my Kobo Glo Memory Upgrade Guide!

I'm going to show you how I upgraded the internal memory to my KoboGlo!
The pictures aren't from when I actually did it, but have been recreated for this guide but that doesn't change how awesome it is! They will all be in the second post in this thread.

I will include all links to where I got this information on the 3rd post in this thread. I found most of it here within this forum, which is why I'm posting this guide here.

Is it worth it?: If you're asking yourself this, it probably isn't worth it. It already has an external slot while giving you access to an internal slot. It's illogical at best given that no one has 64 gigs of ebooks, and if you did it would probably explode the Kobo when all the storage is full. Or at least just be VERY slow.

That being said, the people coming here already want to do this and don't need or even want someone else telling them why they should void their warranty!

Given that I was opening this up, I went all out and put a class 10 32 gig microsd card
into it! I figure the faster and the bigger the better! (well maybe not bigger in this case)

First things first, might as well collect the software needed for this.
I will amend this guide in future to include the known linux commands, as well as to test them from terminal in Mac (Lion).
This is all free 3rd party software I have NOTHING to do with. Worked for me, but use at your own risk.

Partition software:
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html
"Free Partition Software - MiniTool® Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.8"

These two tools are standalone and require no installation:
For ripping images from the SD Card:
http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=28
"Flash Drive Image Creator"

For writing images to the SD Card:
http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=29
"Flash Drive Image Writer"

Make sure your Kobo is FULLY off and not just in sleep mod. So long slide over and hold till it's powered down.

Step 1. Opening your Glo:
I used a bus pass, any thin card will do.

I pushed at the Kobo first where the back and outer casing meet, parallel to the device, with a card right between the LED and the light button. I did this because of that single clip you can see in the picture below.
Once I got under the lip of the back case, I then pried the outer case out while pushing the card to be perpendicular to the Kobo. This separates the back from the top. You'll have to repeat at the right side of the top.

Once you have done this there should be a visible separation at the top. Pick a side, left or right, and work the card in again right at the top corner on the long side this time. Again go from parallel to perpendicular with the card and push it down this time, so the card is against the inside side and front. Slide the card down like you're swiping an actual magnetic strip reader (like your bank card). Do so gently!

This should free one side, one corner completely.

Repeat this exact process on the other side of the case. I'm right handed so I did the right side first without thinking.

Now you can get to the bottom where you will take it off similar to the top, basically not sliding the card past the port.

Now you have done the hardest part which is removing the back!

You'll be amazed to see a simple microSD card slot. So crazy!
My card came with a white dot, I assume they all do from the factory. I think it possibly is a moisture detection or just to mark their own sd cards.

Step 2. Copying the SD Card:
Make sure your Kobo is FULLY off, AGAIN. So long slide over and hold till it's powered down. Just in the event you turned it on opening the case without noticing.

Now slide the SD card out very carefully.
Load it up in your PC.
Ignore/dismiss ALL prompts. DON'T format it.
Once you dismiss everything that pops up when you added the SD card, you use your "Flash Drive Image Creator" you downloaded to clone the SD card. To do this, run the program selecting the SD card as well as setting an output location. The desktop will do if it's temporary. C:\KoboSD\ will work great if it's to be kept as a backup. Make certain you select Entire Disk for what to backup.

Remove the old MicroSD card. You are completely done with it from this point forward. I'd suggest putting it into a plastic bag in the original Kobo box for safe keeping.

Place your new MicroSD card into your computer. Again dismiss any prompts that popup.

Next, open up "Flash Drive Image Writer". Here you will select the .img file you just created from the Creator program. Either from C:\KoboSD\ or the desktop. Also select your destination drive. Click Write Image. Read the prompt and click yes if you want to format the destination SD and continue.

You’ve now completely cloned the original SD Card.

Step 3. Setting up the new SD Card:
Next load up “MiniTool® Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.8”.
In the main area (top half), select your newly setup SD card. To verify you have the right drive, it should be set up as follows, or something close: (Unallocated) 10MB, rootfs(EXT4) 256 MB..., recoveryfs(EXT4) 256MB.., KOBOeReader (FAT32) 1.33 GB.., (Unallocated) [however big the rest of your sd card is. 5.9GB for the 8GB card in the pictures].
Select the KOBOeReader drive (either in the upper or lower half).
Right click it and select Extend.
From here move the slider all the way to the right. You should see a total of both the unallocated space and the KOBOeReader partition. In the case of my pictures, it’s 7.19GB for the 8GB sd card.
You’ll see at the bottom of this window that the new size of Unallocated will be 0.00KB, that’s how you know you’ve done it right. Click OK.
Verify that the unallocated space at the end of the SD card is no longer there and that the KOBOeReader partition is taking up the bulk of the SD card.
Click Apply in the upper left of the application and yes to the prompt AFTER reading it ;-)
It will go through it’s process. It hangs a bit at the end, that’s normal. Click OK once it’s done.

Step 4. Reinstall SD Card, Finishing up!
Just re-insert the MicroSD card into its slot in the Kobo Glo. From there, just pop the case back on making certain which way is up. The bottom only has 1 gap in the middle for the USB port and the top has a gap along most of the one side with the LED and two buttons. Once it’s fully snapped together, power on your new beast!

You’re complete!
Everything should be perfect now!


After everything was A-OK, I placed my original 2gig MicroSD card into a bag and put it back into the original box for safe keeping. That way I know if I need I always have a clean untouched SD card to replace my big one if anything goes wrong. So far it's not been needed! This also means that the backup on your computer is a duplicate backup.

Hi all,

looks like my sdcard has died, can replace the card no probs but need an image for N705 if anyone can help. Many Thanks

[paola]

Originally Posted by banzyman

Hi all,

looks like my sdcard has died, can replace the card no probs but need an image for N705 if anyone can help. Many Thanks

we are talking about a Mini, right? In which case, the link in this post should work.

[banzyman]

Thanks Paola,

I downloaded the image and restored it to another mini sdcard and my kobo is alive again. But i wondering if that image is from a different model Kobo and i can't it wont switch off, turns back on and wont fall asleep. Cheers

[paola]

Originally Posted by banzyman

Thanks Paola,

I downloaded the image and restored it to another mini sdcard and my kobo is alive again. But i wondering if that image is from a different model Kobo and i can't it wont switch off, turns back on and wont fall asleep. Cheers

it is the one I use when I bricked my mini. I presume you have already tried to reset it, but otherwise have you tried to update the firmware?

[PeterT]

I wonder if you have managed to misalign some component in reassembling your Mini?

[banzyman]

Hi thanks for your help guys, now it's proper Bricked, it has the smiley face only. Can't be bothered anymore.

[paola]

Originally Posted by banzyman

Hi thanks for your help guys, now it's proper Bricked, it has the smiley face only. Can't be bothered anymore.

could you tell us exactly what you did?

[ryu]

thank you for this guide.
i did it to my Kobo Glo (SanDisk 8Gb Class 4), and it works well.

but i have a question...
how much book have you been able to put on your Kobo Glo?
i have a collection about 6500 epub (about 5gb, all DRM free), but the device is always freezing at 18-30% for 1-2 days... so i have to hard-reboot the Kobo every time...

Some of you have been able to put more than 2000 epub on the device ?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ryu

thank you for this guide.
i did it to my Kobo Glo (SanDisk 8Gb Class 4), and it works well.

but i have a question...
how much book have you been able to put on your Kobo Glo?
i have a collection about 6500 epub (about 5gb, all DRM free), but the device is always freezing at 18-30% for 1-2 days... so i have to hard-reboot the Kobo every time...

Some of you have been able to put more than 2000 epub on the device ?

Are you trying to load 6500 books in one go? If so, it will take a long time. But, I would have expected several hours rather than days. Have you Tried putting them on in smaller groups. Groups of 500 should be OK.

[ryu]

thank you davidfor.

i loaded my books collection in group of about 500, as you said.
it works great until it reaches 3000 ebook, then the Kobo became unresponsive... i'm able to go to the main screen, but it freeze when i try to go to my library. i can't even connect to wifi... did a hard-reset, but i can't do anything else than booting up the device; it always freeze. i also tried to put some book on the internal memory, and some on the external micro-sd card, but same result; still freezing.

so i guess the device doesn't have enough ram to hold more than 3000 ebook...

so i did a factory reset and load only books i "plan to read in the future". now i have 750 books on the device and it works very well, very quickly.


but anyway, if some of you have been able to load more than 3000 epub, please let me know...

thank you

[Ken Maltby]

The database processing requirements and function of the Kobo Nickel User Interface is somewhat picky and will take a long time to process or reject ebook files that it objects to.
There is probably a file or two in your 3000 that Nickel doesn't want to add to the database it uses. It may be some minor issue easily corrected by running the offending file through calibre, if you can find it. Nickel's support of the external uSD card has also been an issue, and is often one of their first troubleshooting questions.

I keep ~7000 ebooks in a hidden folder on my external uSD card, hidden from Nickel. Some of them most likely contain "flaws" that Nickel would object to, and there are many in .pdb that the Kobo supplied readers cannot read. I mostly use KOreader which has no problems with these books.

Luck;
Ken

[ryu]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

The database processing requirements and function of the Kobo Nickel User Interface is somewhat picky and will take a long time to process or reject ebook files that it objects to.
There is probably a file or two in your 3000 that Nickel doesn't want to add to the database it uses. It may be some minor issue easily corrected by running the offending file through calibre, if you can find it. Nickel's support of the external uSD card has also been an issue, and is often one of their first troubleshooting questions.

I keep ~7000 ebooks in a hidden folder on my external uSD card, hidden from Nickel. Some of them most likely contain "flaws" that Nickel would object to, and there are many in .pdb that the Kobo supplied readers cannot read. I mostly use KOreader which has no problems with these books.

Luck;
Ken

hi Ken,
thank you for your post.

how do you hide a folder on your external uSD card ? you created another partition on the card? or you use a software like "Hide Folder Ext" ?

[Ken Maltby]

It is easy in windows, because the Linux OS (which the Kobo devices run under) hides from programs any file, folder/directory with a name that starts with a dot/period (like .kobo). All you need do is create such a folder/directory to put your ebooks in; like .Library. Just put your uSD card in a reader on your PC, then open it in Windows Explorer. You can then make a new folder and give it a name with a dot/period both in front and behind it. Like ".Library." and the trailing dot/period will disappear, leaving you with the ".Library" folder you want. Now any files or folders you put into your hidden .Library folder will not be processed by Nickel but can be read in KOreader and/or Coolreader.

Luck;
Ken