PLEASE, could we have a sticky thread on how to install Kobo SW upgrades?
 

Kobo updates are infrequent enough that I keep forgetting how to install
them, and have to spend time tracking down installation instructions.

Could we Please have a thread that stays at the top of the list on "How To Install Kobo System Updates Without Kobo Desktop" ?

The contents should read:
=============================
Installation Instructions for Direct Zip Files
Get a zip file.
Unzip the zip file. This may not be necessary on more modern versions of Windows, as you can access the contents of a zip file without unzipping it.
If going to a previous version, you may want to do a Factory Reset.
If you have any patches installed, you may want to uninstall them. Please refer to any documentation for the patch for more information.
Make sure that the Kobo Desktop is NOT running.
Connect your device to the computer and select Connect on the device (if asked).
Copy the entire contents of the zip file to the .kobo directory on the device. Do not copy the original zip file itself to the device.
Safely remove the device from Windows (or your operating system of choice).
Disconnect the device from your computer.
The device will now install the new software.

The zip file contains the following:
\Upgrade directory and subdirectories - Linux boot and kernel
manifest.md5sum - md5 hashes for the \Upgrade directory
KoboRoot.tgz - this is the firmware

Those instructions are part of the thread that lists the download links for the firmware in the first place. (Sticky at the top of the Kobo dev sub-forum).

I tried following these directions, but it didn't update. I'm still running version 4.1.7729.
I downloaded the firmware from this thread. I unzipped the file. I copied the three files/folders to the root directory of my Aura One and ejected it. I even tried powering the Aura off and on.

The files/folder go into the folder .kobo, rather than to the root directory.

How did I miss that? Now I foolish. Thanks for pointing that out.

Update: That did the trick. Thanks again.