You can also grab a copy while the Kobo Desktop is downloading it.
On Windows 7, it downloads the firmware update zip file to :
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Kobo\Kobo Desktop Edition
and it is mirrored in:
C:\Users\<user>\Local Settings\Kobo\Kobo Desktop Edition
This file is deleted when the eReader is finished being updated, so if you want a copy of it, copy the zip file while it is updating the eReader.
In fact, make a few copies while it is being downloaded from Kobo, to ensure that the zip file is completely downloaded.
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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
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And here's the thread for enabling your Kobo without registering it.