Troubleshooting Unsure of how to backup a Kindle Paperwhite 2

phunnylinguist · 10-08-2016, 11:16 AM

Amazon is now offering $30 off the 300ppi versions of Paperwhite to Prime customers which has me yearning for a replacement to my version 2 Paperwhite.

There's just one teeny concern, at that's all the content I've side-loaded and Sent-To-Kindle onto my current device since purchasing it.

Was unable to find a solution over at wiki.mobileread that didn't involve jailbreaking.

Amazon has all the stuff I've bought covered, right? What would you recommend as the best way to capture or save in one form or another all that I've got on my PW2?

The device is recognized both on a Windows 7 desktop as well as my Macbook Pro.

Josieb1 · 10-08-2016, 11:43 AM

Calibre is what you need. With Calibre you can create an ebook library on your PC, and can catalogue your books. Yes Amazon has your purchases backed up, and they also have any books you've emailed to your Amazon account. What Amazon won't have is any books you sideloaded vis USB direct to your kindle.

Don't you have your non Amazon ebooks on your PC? If you don't you should really think about backing up your non Amazon purchases at least.

https://calibre-ebook.com

Any new kindle you get will have access to all Amazon and Send to Kindle ebooks once you have registered it to your Amazon account. You don't have to get rid of your Paperwhite, you can have multiple kindles registered to your account.

shamanNS · 10-08-2016, 11:54 AM

All the "Send-to-Kindle" (STK) content should all be archived on "the Cloud" unless you deliberately turned archiving off. Those books/"personal documents" should all have reading position, notes and highlights synced to your Amazon account that you've registered that PW2 to.

You can check what STK content is saved to by going to www.amazon.com/myk, logging in and setting the "Show" filter on "Your content" to "Docs". Or you can do the same thing using any of the Kindle apps.

If all your not-from-Amazon books/content is there you will be able to just download all those books on your new Paperwhite once you register it to that same Amazon account.

If you don't want to have to download all those books couple at a time you could instead just copy the whole "documents" folder (that is where all the books and notes/highlights are; both paid-for and sideloaded/STK/converted from epub books) from you PW2 to your PC, and later Copy that folder to you new Paperwhite.

Only one thing you have to keep in mind: All of the Amazon-bought books that you had in that "documents" folder will not be able to open on your new Kindle (because DRM applied to those book is device specific), you would have to first delete them one by one (as you discover them, by trying to open them) and just re-download them from the cloud archive. Your Send-to-Kindle content doesn't have DRM protection applied so the same file can be used on any device, by simply copying it to new device.

barryem · 10-08-2016, 01:53 PM

If you used Amazon's Send to Kindle and you order a new device you'll be able to easily download all that stuff from the Kindle or send it to the new Kindle 10 items at a time from Amazon's Manage Your Content page.

If you've copied from your computer to the Kindle via USB you can simply copy it back to the PC (assuming you don't have a copy there already) and copy it to your new Paperwhite.

Barry

phunnylinguist · 10-09-2016, 09:17 AM

First, thanks for the tip on the DRM existing content has and how I should deal with it when attempting to transfer it to a new Paperwhite. It hadn't occurred to me that Amazon would inhibit the carrying over of already paid-for pubs to another of their authorized devices. I guess that's what DRM really is.

As for Device Synchronization (Whispersync Settings) --- it *was* disabled. I have since turned it on.

Though I doubt it had any effect on send-to-Kindle content, Automatic Book Update (Whispersync for Books) was also disabled. It is now enabled.

Personal Document Archiving had previously been set to enable. What I don't understand with this setting is that the populated list of docs shows the most recent as dated September 2015; I routinely create at least two or three rich text file format documents a month in order to send them to my Kindle. I understand that the Device Synchronization as well as Automatic Book Update do not apply in this instance. What's puzzling is, besides on my Paperwhite 2, where else those send-to-Kindle docs could be? I double-checked in the Kindle for PC program; they aren't there, either, even after clicking 'Sync and check for new items'.

phunnylinguist · 10-09-2016, 09:31 AM

I have and use Calibre, both on Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X (Mavericks). Unfortunately, both of these platforms contain distinctly different content including many DRM-free I've downloaded. Admittedly there is much about Kovid's excellent program I am still unfamiliar with, like backing up, which is why I'm asking.

Maybe it's me (using incorrect search syntax) but I was unable to find out how to back up using the https://calibre-ebook.com link you provided. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've tried in the past but gave up after repeated attempts proved unsuccessful.

HarryT · 10-09-2016, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phunnylinguist

First, thanks for the tip on the DRM existing content has and how I should deal with it when attempting to transfer it to a new Paperwhite. It hadn't occurred to me that Amazon would inhibit the carrying over of already paid-for pubs to another of their authorized devices. I guess that's what DRM really is.

Amazon's DRM is device-specific, not account-specific, so a book can only be read on the specific device it's been encrypted for.

Quote:

I was unable to find out how to back up using the https://calibre-ebook.com link you provided. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've tried in the past but gave up after repeated attempts proved unsuccessful.

You don't "back up" using Calibre. You use Calibre as your ebook library, and re-send your books to your new device from Calibre when you get a different reading device. Presumably (hopefully?) you are backing up all your books already. Import them into Calibre from wherever it is that you're storing them.

badgoodDeb · 10-10-2016, 12:51 PM

Can we say "Just copy the document folder from the kindle onto your computer's disk" and copy it to the next PWx later? Any sideloaded documents (without DRM) would be fine. Any documents WITH DRM -- including most from Amazon -- would not allow you to open them later. BUT for those, you could just delete that local copy, and re-download from the cloud. It's tedious, but wouldn't it work to some degree? If the user doesn't want the time/effort of using Calibre.

Barty · 10-11-2016, 03:40 PM

The kindle user storage shows up as a "drive" on Windows and I imagine something similarly on other OS. I just back up that entire drive and then restore it onto the new kindle. Maybe overkill but it works fine. It ensures you get things like vocabulary builder database, which is not in /documents, although maybe Amazon has it backed up to the cloud.

HarryT · 10-11-2016, 04:39 PM

Whether or not that works satisfactory depends, of course, how much of your content is sideloaded and how much is downloaded from Amazon. It would work absolutely fine for me, because my workflow is to buy from Amazon, download using K4PC, import into Calibre (removing the DRM) and then sideload to my Kindle. That's certainly not what the typical Amazon customer does, though.

phunnylinguist · 10-12-2016, 10:08 AM

You are correct in that the typical Amazon customer does not follow your process/workflow. Take me, for instance: I've been a Calibre user for a few years and in that time have made myself aware of the various ways of removing DRM from certain documents but have yet to "pull the trigger" on installing, much less implementing any of them. I know. Shame on me, but such is the situation.

What continues to perplex me, is besides the ones currently residing on my PW2, *where* the flock are all the other Send-To-Kindle files/docs? Can they be transferred via USB to my Calibre Library in either Windows 7 or OS X Mavericks in order to one day be reassigned to another, different Paperwhite?

stumped · 10-13-2016, 02:29 AM

send to kindle content goes ( well used to go, unless they have changed things) into your cloud account and is not device specific. [ they do keep messing with cloud account rules & procedures though]
I discovered that accidentally by using send to kindle twice, to feed 2 devices, and ending up with duplicated documents all visible on both devices.
So all that you have ever send via send to kindle shoudl be there and re-usable/ re-viewable on any device - you can check that via their web site: go to your account - manage content and devices...

Josieb1 · 10-13-2016, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phunnylinguist

What continues to perplex me, is besides the ones currently residing on my PW2, *where* the flock are all the other Send-To-Kindle files/docs? Can they be transferred via USB to my Calibre Library in either Windows 7 or OS X Mavericks in order to one day be reassigned to another, different Paperwhite?

The files on your PW2 are encrypted for just that kindle, even your send to kindle files. Ideally what you need to transfer into Calibre are the orignal files that you sent into your kindle using Send to Kindle as I assume those files are DRM free. Then yes those files (the DRM free ones) can be sent onto another kindle.

While the files are still in Amazon's cloud they will download via a kindle, or kindle app, to your device. The books that won't download are any you sideloaded to your current kindle via USB, as those are not in Amazon's cloud.

stumped · 10-13-2016, 04:42 AM

If I log into my amazon cloud drive free storage, I see a send to kindle folder with my docs inside. I assume that they are not drm infested at that stage but have not tested that. As drm is device specific it will only be appllled when downloading to kindle hardware ?

But I recall some emails on how that was about to change, so maybe new send to kindle docs are no longer copied to there

Josieb1 · 10-13-2016, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stumped

If I log into my amazon cloud drive free storage, I see a send to kindle folder with my docs inside. I assume that they are not drm infested at that stage but have not tested that. As drm is device specific it will only be appllled when downloading to kindle hardware ?

But I recall some emails on how that was about to change, so maybe new send to kindle docs are no longer copied to there

I have never used the Amazon Cloud storage to retrieve a Send To Kindle ebook, I keep a master copy in Calibre.

Do you not have the original ebooks you sent to the Amazon Cloud using Send to Kindle?

10-08-2016, 11:16 AM	#1
phunnylinguist Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 66952 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Unsure of how to backup a Kindle Paperwhite 2 Amazon is now offering $30 off the 300ppi versions of Paperwhite to Prime customers which has me yearning for a replacement to my version 2 Paperwhite. There's just one teeny concern, at that's all the content I've side-loaded and Sent-To-Kindle onto my current device since purchasing it. Was unable to find a solution over at wiki.mobileread that didn't involve jailbreaking. Amazon has all the stuff I've bought covered, right? What would you recommend as the best way to capture or save in one form or another all that I've got on my PW2? The device is recognized both on a Windows 7 desktop as well as my Macbook Pro.

10-08-2016, 11:54 AM	#3
shamanNS Wizard Posts: 1,113 Karma: 12000224 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Serbia Device: Kindle PW5, Kobo Libra 2, Kindle PW1	All the "Send-to-Kindle" (STK) content should all be archived on "the Cloud" unless you deliberately turned archiving off. Those books/"personal documents" should all have reading position, notes and highlights synced to your Amazon account that you've registered that PW2 to. You can check what STK content is saved to by going to www.amazon.com/myk, logging in and setting the "Show" filter on "Your content" to "Docs". Or you can do the same thing using any of the Kindle apps. If all your not-from-Amazon books/content is there you will be able to just download all those books on your new Paperwhite once you register it to that same Amazon account. If you don't want to have to download all those books couple at a time you could instead just copy the whole "documents" folder (that is where all the books and notes/highlights are; both paid-for and sideloaded/STK/converted from epub books) from you PW2 to your PC, and later Copy that folder to you new Paperwhite. Only one thing you have to keep in mind: All of the Amazon-bought books that you had in that "documents" folder will not be able to open on your new Kindle (because DRM applied to those book is device specific), you would have to first delete them one by one (as you discover them, by trying to open them) and just re-download them from the cloud archive. Your Send-to-Kindle content doesn't have DRM protection applied so the same file can be used on any device, by simply copying it to new device. Last edited by shamanNS; 10-08-2016 at 11:56 AM.

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10-08-2016, 11:43 AM	#2
Josieb1 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,084 Karma: 18051062 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Scribe, Coloursoft, PW SE, Kindle 6, Kobo Libra Colour, Libra 2	Calibre is what you need. With Calibre you can create an ebook library on your PC, and can catalogue your books. Yes Amazon has your purchases backed up, and they also have any books you've emailed to your Amazon account. What Amazon won't have is any books you sideloaded vis USB direct to your kindle. Don't you have your non Amazon ebooks on your PC? If you don't you should really think about backing up your non Amazon purchases at least. https://calibre-ebook.com Any new kindle you get will have access to all Amazon and Send to Kindle ebooks once you have registered it to your Amazon account. You don't have to get rid of your Paperwhite, you can have multiple kindles registered to your account.

10-08-2016, 01:53 PM	#4
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	If you used Amazon's Send to Kindle and you order a new device you'll be able to easily download all that stuff from the Kindle or send it to the new Kindle 10 items at a time from Amazon's Manage Your Content page. If you've copied from your computer to the Kindle via USB you can simply copy it back to the PC (assuming you don't have a copy there already) and copy it to your new Paperwhite. Barry

10-09-2016, 09:17 AM	#5
phunnylinguist Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 66952 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	First, thanks for the tip on the DRM existing content has and how I should deal with it when attempting to transfer it to a new Paperwhite. It hadn't occurred to me that Amazon would inhibit the carrying over of already paid-for pubs to another of their authorized devices. I guess that's what DRM really is. As for Device Synchronization (Whispersync Settings) --- it was disabled. I have since turned it on. Though I doubt it had any effect on send-to-Kindle content, Automatic Book Update (Whispersync for Books) was also disabled. It is now enabled. Personal Document Archiving had previously been set to enable. What I don't understand with this setting is that the populated list of docs shows the most recent as dated September 2015; I routinely create at least two or three rich text file format documents a month in order to send them to my Kindle. I understand that the Device Synchronization as well as Automatic Book Update do not apply in this instance. What's puzzling is, besides on my Paperwhite 2, where else those send-to-Kindle docs could be? I double-checked in the Kindle for PC program; they aren't there, either, even after clicking 'Sync and check for new items'.

10-09-2016, 09:31 AM	#6
phunnylinguist Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 66952 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I have and use Calibre, both on Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X (Mavericks). Unfortunately, both of these platforms contain distinctly different content including many DRM-free I've downloaded. Admittedly there is much about Kovid's excellent program I am still unfamiliar with, like backing up, which is why I'm asking. Maybe it's me (using incorrect search syntax) but I was unable to find out how to back up using the https://calibre-ebook.com link you provided. Come to think of it, I'm sure I've tried in the past but gave up after repeated attempts proved unsuccessful.

10-10-2016, 12:51 PM	#8
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,548 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Can we say "Just copy the document folder from the kindle onto your computer's disk" and copy it to the next PWx later? Any sideloaded documents (without DRM) would be fine. Any documents WITH DRM -- including most from Amazon -- would not allow you to open them later. BUT for those, you could just delete that local copy, and re-download from the cloud. It's tedious, but wouldn't it work to some degree? If the user doesn't want the time/effort of using Calibre.

10-11-2016, 03:40 PM	#9
Barty doofus Posts: 2,546 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	The kindle user storage shows up as a "drive" on Windows and I imagine something similarly on other OS. I just back up that entire drive and then restore it onto the new kindle. Maybe overkill but it works fine. It ensures you get things like vocabulary builder database, which is not in /documents, although maybe Amazon has it backed up to the cloud.

10-11-2016, 04:39 PM	#10
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Whether or not that works satisfactory depends, of course, how much of your content is sideloaded and how much is downloaded from Amazon. It would work absolutely fine for me, because my workflow is to buy from Amazon, download using K4PC, import into Calibre (removing the DRM) and then sideload to my Kindle. That's certainly not what the typical Amazon customer does, though.

10-12-2016, 10:08 AM	#11
phunnylinguist Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 66952 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Device: Kindle Paperwhite	You are correct in that the typical Amazon customer does not follow your process/workflow. Take me, for instance: I've been a Calibre user for a few years and in that time have made myself aware of the various ways of removing DRM from certain documents but have yet to "pull the trigger" on installing, much less implementing any of them. I know. Shame on me, but such is the situation. What continues to perplex me, is besides the ones currently residing on my PW2, where the flock are all the other Send-To-Kindle files/docs? Can they be transferred via USB to my Calibre Library in either Windows 7 or OS X Mavericks in order to one day be reassigned to another, different Paperwhite?

10-13-2016, 02:29 AM	#12
stumped Wizard Posts: 3,305 Karma: 10259306 Join Date: May 2016 Device: kobo forma, Kobo Libra, Huawei media Tab, fire HD10, PW3 HDX8.9,	send to kindle content goes ( well used to go, unless they have changed things) into your cloud account and is not device specific. [ they do keep messing with cloud account rules & procedures though] I discovered that accidentally by using send to kindle twice, to feed 2 devices, and ending up with duplicated documents all visible on both devices. So all that you have ever send via send to kindle shoudl be there and re-usable/ re-viewable on any device - you can check that via their web site: go to your account - manage content and devices...

10-13-2016, 04:42 AM	#14
stumped Wizard Posts: 3,305 Karma: 10259306 Join Date: May 2016 Device: kobo forma, Kobo Libra, Huawei media Tab, fire HD10, PW3 HDX8.9,	If I log into my amazon cloud drive free storage, I see a send to kindle folder with my docs inside. I assume that they are not drm infested at that stage but have not tested that. As drm is device specific it will only be appllled when downloading to kindle hardware ? But I recall some emails on how that was about to change, so maybe new send to kindle docs are no longer copied to there

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