undoing Kobo firmware update and restoring old version?

[eredr]

Hello!

How can I undo a Kobo firmware update and restore an old version to my Kobo?

I was having trouble connecting my Kobo to my computer (and fortunately found the solution in one of the other posts here - connect it to a different USB socket) but before that from googling had tried updating the firmware, which I hadn't updated for 5 years. Seemed like a sensible thing to do, although it didn't enable my device to connect anyway plus it changed the whole display making my Kobo difficult to use. Okay so I'll just try to get used to it, I thought. But when I next went to connect with Calibre I got the error message below!! So now I can't use Calibre with the updated Kobo firmware. I searched this forum and couldn't find out how to restore the old version of Kobo firmware so I can use Calibre again?

Many thanks in advance for any help



calibre, version 5.34.0
WARNING: Failed: Kobo database version unsupported - See details

Your Kobo is running an updated firmware/database version. As calibre does not know about this updated firmware, database editing is disabled, to prevent corruption. You can still send books to your Kobo with calibre, but deleting books and managing collections is disabled. If you are willing to experiment and know how to reset your Kobo to Factory defaults, you can override this check by right clicking the device icon in calibre and selecting "Configure this device" and then the "Attempt to support newer firmware" option. Doing so may require you to perform a factory reset of your Kobo.

Discussion of any new Kobo firmware can be found in the Kobo forum at MobileRead. This is at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=223.

Device database version: 166.
Device firmware version: (4, 31, 19086)

[kovidgoyal]

Simply update calibre.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by eredr

Hello!

How can I undo a Kobo firmware update and restore an old version to my Kobo?

I was having trouble connecting my Kobo to my computer (and fortunately found the solution in one of the other posts here - connect it to a different USB socket) but before that from googling had tried updating the firmware, which I hadn't updated for 5 years. Seemed like a sensible thing to do, although it didn't enable my device to connect anyway plus it changed the whole display making my Kobo difficult to use. Okay so I'll just try to get used to it, I thought. But when I next went to connect with Calibre I got the error message below!! So now I can't use Calibre with the updated Kobo firmware. I searched this forum and couldn't find out how to restore the old version of Kobo firmware so I can use Calibre again?

Many thanks in advance for any help



calibre, version 5.34.0
WARNING: Failed: Kobo database version unsupported - See details

Your Kobo is running an updated firmware/database version. As calibre does not know about this updated firmware, database editing is disabled, to prevent corruption. You can still send books to your Kobo with calibre, but deleting books and managing collections is disabled. If you are willing to experiment and know how to reset your Kobo to Factory defaults, you can override this check by right clicking the device icon in calibre and selecting "Configure this device" and then the "Attempt to support newer firmware" option. Doing so may require you to perform a factory reset of your Kobo.

Discussion of any new Kobo firmware can be found in the Kobo forum at MobileRead. This is at www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=223.

Device database version: 166.
Device firmware version: (4, 31, 19086)

This firmware version is buggy. Get 4.30 something instead. Just unpack the zip file to the .kobo folder. Safe eject, wait for your kobo to update and keep the wifi turned off or it will sync back to 4.31.something, which is da pest and the horror!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

This firmware version is buggy. Get 4.30 something instead. Just unpack the zip file to the .kobo folder. Safe eject, wait for your kobo to update and keep the wifi turned off or it will sync back to 4.31.something, which is da pest and the horror!

Whats got me is Kobo has not pulled it or issued an fixed version.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by theducks

Whats got me is Kobo has not pulled it or issued an fixed version.

I can't understand it either!

They are loosing money over it. They might not see this, but it is bad for business. I nearly exchanged my Libra2 because I thought the USB port was fickle. Turns out it was 4.31.xxxx. Someone else over in the 'Which one should I buy' forum had the same problem. They sent their reader back.

And we are a bunch of people who know their way around a reader and are able to roll back to an earlier version. But their average costumer knows next to nothing about ereaders and will have a seriously bad experience with their reader.

It truly is mind boggleing.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

I can't understand it either!

They are loosing money over it. They might not see this, but it is bad for business. I nearly exchanged my Libra2 because I thought the USB port was fickle. Turns out it was 4.31.xxxx. Someone else over in the 'Which one should I buy' forum had the same problem. They sent their reader back.

And we are a bunch of people who know their way around a reader and are able to roll back to an earlier version. But their average costumer knows next to nothing about ereaders and will have a seriously bad experience with their reader.

It truly is mind boggleing.

And the "average" customer has probably not noticed the problem at all. It's being ranted about here by very non-average users who are frequently plugging the device in to the PC. The average user probably doesn't realise they can plug it into a computer at all. And it is unlikely that Kobo have noticed any change in sales.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by davidfor

And the "average" customer has probably not noticed the problem at all. It's being ranted about here by very non-average users who are frequently plugging the device in to the PC. The average user probably doesn't realise they can plug it into a computer at all. And it is unlikely that Kobo have noticed any change in sales.

You have a point about the average user not plugging it in! Most will buy with Kobo or library loans and download directly. At least as long as they are in the US or in other countries where the library lending works without a computer.

[bookaho!ic]

I get the unsupported version error in calibre have not updated it since i updated my Kobo and still able to sideload books to ereader in calibre but cant manage the collection whilst plugged in. Not an issue for me

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by bookaho!ic

I get the unsupported version error in calibre have not updated it since i updated my Kobo and still able to sideload books to ereader in calibre but cant manage the collection whilst plugged in. Not an issue for me

You can try enabling the Attempt to support newer firmware option in the 3rd tab of the KoboTouch/KoboTouchExtended driver configuration.

[eredr]

Thank you so much everyone for your helpful replies and suggestions. I'm sorry I actually re-posted this question thinking that my post had not been published as I couldn't find it on the forum. But then I found responses in my email! I don't know how to delete the double-up post I posted yesterday?

Kovid Goyal thank you - your simple suggestion to update Calibre worked! I am no longer getting that error. I must have already had Calibre open and not updated it before updating the Kobo firmware and encountering the problem, even though I had updated Calibre recently. It hadn't thought of the possibility that a recent version of Calibre might not be compatible with the latest version of Kobo firmware. Thank you Kovid Goyal for developing Calibre

But if I have problems with the new 5.34 Kobo firmware in future I will revert to 4.30 instead, thanks for the suggestion Poppaea. It would seem that there would have been many versions between 4.31 and 5.34 - seems strange that Kobo hasn't resolved the bugs that started with 4.31 even with 5.34

Compared with my version of Kobo firmware from 5 years ago, I am finding this latest 5.34 version much better in terms of ease of highlighting. That's so much easier. But it's a bit annoying that it takes you to a home page with annoying sub-headings like "fave" "find your book in the Kobo store" etc. I liked my very old version that just took me to Books

Thanks again everyone!

[JSWolf]

5.34 is not a Kobo firmware. It's a Calibre version. It is suggested you update to the 5.38 version of Calibre.

As for the Kobo firmware, 4.31 is buggy and most likely caused your database corruption.

[eredr]

Thank you JSWolf for explaining that's the version of Calibre I actually didn't have a database corruption, I just didn't like the new interface of the new version of Kobo firmware when I allowed the update - how it displays all these other things on the home page like % read books at the top, "fave", a link to the Kobo store and reading stats. Whereas the homepage of my old version just took you to your books and it was a lot simpler and easier

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by eredr

Thank you JSWolf for explaining that's the version of Calibre I actually didn't have a database corruption, I just didn't like the new interface of the new version of Kobo firmware when I allowed the update - how it displays all these other things on the home page like % read books at the top, "fave", a link to the Kobo store and reading stats. Whereas the homepage of my old version just took you to your books and it was a lot simpler and easier

You can apply some patches to clean up the home screen including removing the store.

[eredr]

Thank you Jon! I'll try first reverting to the 4.30 firmware version and if that doesn't clean up the home page will try to work out the patches