Stopped Kindle for PC App Updates - seems to work

rumplestiltskin · 04-04-2025, 11:31 AM

I've seen some threads about this topic but, IIRC, the consensus was that stopping the Kindle for PC app from updating couldn't be done. I think I found a way but, of course, wanted to post what I've done so others who are move technically proficient might advise the community.

After I installed v2.3.0, launched, and registered my account, my books sync'd as expected. The threads I read warned about a silent update being DL'd even though I unchecked the auto-update choice in the app's Options. Indeed, I found that update (v2.7.1) waiting in this folder:

C:\Users\Mac User\AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\updates

(Mac User is my home folder - I'm now a Windows user but old habits die hard.

)

I trashed that updater app, then I changed the permissions of that "updates" folder by disabling inheritance in the Advanced section (converting to explicit permissions), then removing the System and Admin users and, finally, changing my Mac User permissions to "read" only. I've attached a png showing the final appearance of that dialog.

If I'm right, I've essentially locked that folder from being changed so Amazon can't download the updater. I did have the Kindle app running this whole time (so Amazon wouldn't attempt another sneaky download upon the next launch). Now, with the changes to that folder complete, I quit the Kindle app. When I launched it again, I got a dialog asking me if I wanted to update to v2.7.1 which I declined with the "skip for now" choice. (I expect Amazon will push that update again eventually.) I quit and launched the app a number of times since then and that "updates" folder remains empty.

Perhaps I found a solution? Even a stopped watch is right twice a day.

MegDreamsofBooks · 04-04-2025, 12:30 PM

Edit - oops, I should look on the correct PC. I do have the AppData\Local\Amazon folder path, just no "updates" folder in Kindle. Probably because I already declined the update.

My solution has been a very strict connection ban on the Kindle app. I made a firewall rule in the Advanced firewall rule settings that just blocks Kindle for PC from talking to the Internet.

When I need to download a book, I turn off wifi, disable the firewall rule, and launch Kindle for PC with no Internet connection. Once it is fully up, then I re-enable wifi, and click the Sync button in K4PC. Download my books, quit K4PC, and re-enable the blocking firewall rule so it can't do sneaky things in the background.

Because it's open for such a short time, and can't "phone home" to check in, this seems to have solved the automatic update problem that I had when I first installed it. But the real solution for me is that I mostly buy my ebooks elsewhere, and only use K4PC on the rare occasions I can't get a book anywhere else and want to buy it (and download a copy for backup) instead of just read it via Kindle Unlimited on my tablet.

John F · 04-04-2025, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumplestiltskin

I've seen some threads about this topic but, IIRC, the consensus was that stopping the Kindle for PC app from updating couldn't be done. ...

My K4PC isn't updating (2.4.0). I think the consensus is that it can be done.

jhowell · 04-04-2025, 01:16 PM

A method for blocking updates to Kindle for PC has been documented for years. See the second list item in "Method 2a: Kindle for PC" in the first post of the Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre thread.

rumplestiltskin · 04-04-2025, 02:27 PM

I'm actually glad to be proven wrong (that blocking the auto-update of the app wasn't possible). The link to the 55 pages of thread discussion did show a number of continuing difficulties for some users but these mostly seem to be for book formats that are somewhat out of the ordinary.

My solution was as close as I could come to what I would have done on my old Macs; lock the target folder to prevent unauthorized changes (ie, prevent Amazon from writing the updater app to that folder).

tomsem · 04-04-2025, 10:52 PM

That said, I think 2.4.0 is approaching end of life: it has started telling me that I should update to the latest version.

rumplestiltskin · 04-04-2025, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

That said, I think 2.4.0 is approaching end of life: it has started telling me that I should update to the latest version.

The 2.3.0 app told me (after deleting the 2.7.1 updater and re-launching) that the 2.7.1 update was available and asked whether I wanted to update. I declined ("skip this version" was the choice). It hasn't asked again today.

I think all the older apps will, eventually, be EOL'd as Amazon keeps developing and forcing its more advanced DRM on us.

John F · 04-05-2025, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomsem

That said, I think 2.4.0 is approaching end of life: it has started telling me that I should update to the latest version.

Interesting. I just ran 2.4.0: it said there was an update available (2.7.x?); it didn't tell me I should update.

tomsem · 04-05-2025, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

Interesting. I just ran 2.4.0: it said there was an update available (2.7.x?); it didn't tell me I should update.

I assume we saw the same message. 'Should' was me paraphrasing. But the gist of it was 'update for latest features'. I installed on another PC and it did not look any different, but I have not looked very closely yet.

jhowell · 04-05-2025, 01:48 PM

Given that they spent the effort to implement new KFX DRM in Kindle for PC 2.4.1, I am surprised that Amazon continues to allow version 2.4.0 to download books.

John F · 04-05-2025, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

Given that they spent the effort to implement new KFX DRM in Kindle for PC 2.4.1, I am surprised that Amazon continues to allow version 2.4.0 to download books.

Didn't the same happen with past versions? Didn't they allow 1.7 for a long time, even after there was newer DRM?

Scoob · 04-05-2025, 02:24 PM

I'm pretty sure 1.7 had a cut off date on when books were published. Anything after the date wouldn't download and most things (except some textbooks and other niche stuff, maybe kfx only drm books too wouldn't download) published before the date would.

John F · 04-05-2025, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoob

I'm pretty sure 1.7 had a cut off date on when books were published. Anything after the date wouldn't download and most things (except some textbooks and other niche stuff, maybe kfx only drm books too wouldn't download) published before the date would.

Sure. But wasn't the cut off date Jan 2024. Didn't 1.7 come out a long time before that?

jhowell · 04-05-2025, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

Didn't the same happen with past versions? Didn't they allow 1.7 for a long time, even after there was newer DRM?

That's true. Version 1.17, released in 2016, was popular for DRM removal because it was the last version to not support KFX format. In early 2023 it was blocked from being able to download books published since then.

Hopefully 2.4.0 will have a similar run.

04-04-2025, 11:31 AM	#1
rumplestiltskin Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 1435120 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: West of the Pecos Device: FireHD8, iPad	Stopped Kindle for PC App Updates - seems to work I've seen some threads about this topic but, IIRC, the consensus was that stopping the Kindle for PC app from updating couldn't be done. I think I found a way but, of course, wanted to post what I've done so others who are move technically proficient might advise the community. After I installed v2.3.0, launched, and registered my account, my books sync'd as expected. The threads I read warned about a silent update being DL'd even though I unchecked the auto-update choice in the app's Options. Indeed, I found that update (v2.7.1) waiting in this folder: C:\Users\Mac User\AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\updates (Mac User is my home folder - I'm now a Windows user but old habits die hard. ) I trashed that updater app, then I changed the permissions of that "updates" folder by disabling inheritance in the Advanced section (converting to explicit permissions), then removing the System and Admin users and, finally, changing my Mac User permissions to "read" only. I've attached a png showing the final appearance of that dialog. If I'm right, I've essentially locked that folder from being changed so Amazon can't download the updater. I did have the Kindle app running this whole time (so Amazon wouldn't attempt another sneaky download upon the next launch). Now, with the changes to that folder complete, I quit the Kindle app. When I launched it again, I got a dialog asking me if I wanted to update to v2.7.1 which I declined with the "skip for now" choice. (I expect Amazon will push that update again eventually.) I quit and launched the app a number of times since then and that "updates" folder remains empty. Perhaps I found a solution? Even a stopped watch is right twice a day. Attached Thumbnails

04-04-2025, 12:30 PM	#2
MegDreamsofBooks Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 503452 Join Date: Jun 2021 Device: Pocketbook InkPad Lite, iPad	Edit - oops, I should look on the correct PC. I do have the AppData\Local\Amazon folder path, just no "updates" folder in Kindle. Probably because I already declined the update. My solution has been a very strict connection ban on the Kindle app. I made a firewall rule in the Advanced firewall rule settings that just blocks Kindle for PC from talking to the Internet. When I need to download a book, I turn off wifi, disable the firewall rule, and launch Kindle for PC with no Internet connection. Once it is fully up, then I re-enable wifi, and click the Sync button in K4PC. Download my books, quit K4PC, and re-enable the blocking firewall rule so it can't do sneaky things in the background. Because it's open for such a short time, and can't "phone home" to check in, this seems to have solved the automatic update problem that I had when I first installed it. But the real solution for me is that I mostly buy my ebooks elsewhere, and only use K4PC on the rare occasions I can't get a book anywhere else and want to buy it (and download a copy for backup) instead of just read it via Kindle Unlimited on my tablet. Last edited by MegDreamsofBooks; 04-04-2025 at 12:49 PM.

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04-04-2025, 01:16 PM	#4
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,071 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	A method for blocking updates to Kindle for PC has been documented for years. See the second list item in "Method 2a: Kindle for PC" in the first post of the Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre thread.

04-04-2025, 02:27 PM	#5
rumplestiltskin Zealot Posts: 105 Karma: 1435120 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: West of the Pecos Device: FireHD8, iPad	I'm actually glad to be proven wrong (that blocking the auto-update of the app wasn't possible). The link to the 55 pages of thread discussion did show a number of continuing difficulties for some users but these mostly seem to be for book formats that are somewhat out of the ordinary. My solution was as close as I could come to what I would have done on my old Macs; lock the target folder to prevent unauthorized changes (ie, prevent Amazon from writing the updater app to that folder).

04-04-2025, 10:52 PM	#6
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,939 Karma: 27060151 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	That said, I think 2.4.0 is approaching end of life: it has started telling me that I should update to the latest version.

04-05-2025, 01:48 PM	#10
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,071 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	Given that they spent the effort to implement new KFX DRM in Kindle for PC 2.4.1, I am surprised that Amazon continues to allow version 2.4.0 to download books.

04-05-2025, 02:24 PM	#12
Scoob Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 100 Join Date: Sep 2024 Location: USA Device: Voyage, K3, NST, Glow+ 2019, Glow 4, Sony Ereaders	I'm pretty sure 1.7 had a cut off date on when books were published. Anything after the date wouldn't download and most things (except some textbooks and other niche stuff, maybe kfx only drm books too wouldn't download) published before the date would.

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