Is It Possible To....

[MarciaCat]

Is it possible to set Calibre to be the default program to download (DRMed) ePub books purchased from places like Books on Board or Kobo rather than having them go automatically go to Sony's Reader Library? I'm just trying to save a step since I use Calibre exclusively to organize my e-library and I try to avoid using Sony except for an occasional purchase.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by MarciaCat

Is it possible to set Calibre to be the default program to download (DRMed) ePub books purchased from places like Books on Board or Kobo

No .

[cybmole]

you can use adobe digital Editions as the default download program though - I do,
that way you can not have the reader manufacturer software even installed. ( well you may need it one time only to transfer licence code to reader, but then you can remove it ).

then just add downloaded book to calibre from the ADE folder ( or make that automatic , even using the calibre option to scan and add from a given folder)

[MarciaCat]

Originally Posted by cybmole

you can use adobe digital Editions as the default download program though - I do,
that way you can not have the reader manufacturer software even installed. ( well you may need it one time only to transfer licence code to reader, but then you can remove it ).

then just add downloaded book to calibre from the ADE folder ( or make that automatic , even using the calibre option to scan and add from a given folder)

Thank you! Now I just have to figure out how to set books to default to ADE; I have it installed but never used it except when Sony switched to ePub and I needed to link the two. I did get things up so DRM free downloads go direct to Calibre so that's a start!

[cybmole]

when you buy ( or library-borrow) an epub, the downloaded file you buy is actually just a licence file - file type .acsm, I think .
set ADE to be the default program for that file type , then it will open it and download the actual book for you.

PS use the relevent (alf) calibre plug-in if you wish to edit/convert the book once it reaches calibre

[Divingduck]

Be careful by first time using ADE. Check for correct Adobe-ID authorization in ADE before you start your first book download.

[MarciaCat]

Thank you all for the advice; I seem to be stuck-- in Windows 7 I've gone to Control Panel-->Programs-->Default Programs-->Set Associations where I have set .ascm files to default to opening in "Adobe Digital Editions", .epub, .mobi and .prc to open in "The main calibre program". Non-DRM ePub goes directly to Caibre, as do the few Mobi's (I'm a longtime 'friend' of Alf's so I have no problem there) I have from Fictionwise but Secure ePub still go to Sony Reader Library. I can't seem to be able to get any ePub to download directly to ADE.

I tied restarting my laptop (several times) to see if that would help but it's still all the same.

[PeterT]

You can also muck with associations at the command prompt. The two key commands are

ftype
assoc

On my PC I see the following

assoc .acsm
.acsm=Adobe.ACSMessage

ftype Adobe.ACSMessage
Adobe.ACSMessage="C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Digital Editions\digitaleditions.exe" "%1"

ftype shows the linkage from a file type to an file type association

assoc then shows the linkage from an association to a program

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MarciaCat

Thank you all for the advice; I seem to be stuck-- in Windows 7 I've gone to Control Panel-->Programs-->Default Programs-->Set Associations where I have set .ascm files to default to opening in "Adobe Digital Editions", .epub, .mobi and .prc to open in "The main calibre program". Non-DRM ePub goes directly to Caibre, as do the few Mobi's (I'm a longtime 'friend' of Alf's so I have no problem there) I have from Fictionwise but Secure ePub still go to Sony Reader Library. I can't seem to be able to get any ePub to download directly to ADE.

I tied restarting my laptop (several times) to see if that would help but it's still all the same.

I don't think you want to associate book formats with Calibe (the main program)
You may want to associate most ebook formats (not PDF) with (calibres) ebook-viewer.exe.

You ADD books to Calibre.
You OPEN books to view them.

[MarciaCat]

Originally Posted by PeterT

You can also muck with associations at the command prompt. The two key commands are

ftype
assoc

On my PC I see the following

assoc .acsm
.acsm=Adobe.ACSMessage

ftype Adobe.ACSMessage
Adobe.ACSMessage="C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Digital Editions\digitaleditions.exe" "%1"

ftype shows the linkage from a file type to an file type association

assoc then shows the linkage from an association to a program

I gave this a try; as may have been noted elsewhere in these forums, I am hopeless when it comes to using command prompt so that didn't work for me, but thank you for trying to help me, I appreciate it!

I just tried and set ADE to be default for non-DRM ePub and that worked just fine; I have no idea why .acsm files won't do it. Maybe if I deleted Sony Reader & Sony Library it would have no choice!

[MarciaCat]

Originally Posted by theducks

I don't think you want to associate book formats with Calibe (the main program)
You may want to associate most ebook formats (not PDF) with (calibres) ebook-viewer.exe.

You ADD books to Calibre.
You OPEN books to view them.

Wouldn't that just open the book in Calibre's viewer? I didn't see that as an option for association.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MarciaCat

Wouldn't that just open the book in Calibre's viewer? I didn't see that as an option for association.

the viewer bypasses calibre.
What is crazy about your whole thread is:
Both ADE and Calibre set the proper associations (right click: Open with list)
All you have o do is pick. There is even an option to mark (always use this fr this file type. The way to take back an association that was grabbed by a newer instal.)

All I can think of is: you may have run a 'registry cleaner' and that destroyed the 'factory' associations. The are notorious for wanting to clear Unused extensions

[cybmole]

have you checked that what fictionwise sells you for secure epub IS actually .acsm & not some other extension ?

I think you will find that fictionwise has its own peculiar proprietary DRM system for what it calls "secure epub" - a quick google certainly suggests that..

google also tells me that B&N are shutting down fictionwise, it was due to go 2 days ago, so all of this is somewhat academic

[Divingduck]

Originally Posted by MarciaCat

I have from Fictionwise but Secure ePub still go to Sony Reader Library. I can't seem to be able to get any ePub to download directly to ADE.

This happen because Sony's Reader for PC have set up this. You need to start the program, then go to Edit -> Preferences (or keyboard shortcut [Ctrl] + [,] ). Pls. see picture. You need unselect "Check for EPUB association". This entry will, if selected, overwrite any manual made associations.

If you are using the older version of the program (Reader Library) it's the same way