Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre

[cyraxote]

Thanks, I forgot to mention that I have the latest versions of both DeDRM/NoDRM and KFX Input.

Do I understand correctly that I have to copy the files from the Kindle to the PC manually, and then import them into Calibre?

Thanks.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by cyraxote

Thanks, I forgot to mention that I have the latest versions of both DeDRM/NoDRM and KFX Input.

Do I understand correctly that I have to copy the files from the Kindle to the PC manually, and then import them into Calibre?

Thanks.

Yes, that's correct.

[DNSB]

Using calibre's Add Books tool, can't you browse to the /documents/Downloads/Items01/ directory on the Kindle, select 1 or more files and then click on Open to add them to calibre without needing to manually copy them to your computer?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by cyraxote

Thanks, I forgot to mention that I have the latest versions of both DeDRM/NoDRM and KFX Input.

Do I understand correctly that I have to copy the files from the Kindle to the PC manually, and then import them into Calibre?

Thanks.

Calibre can import from a connected Kindle:
After jobs = 0, click on Device view (not Device column).
Find a book. right click and add to Library.
Now select Library!
The book is then apparently not on the Kindle. However check all the Calibre metadata and copy the Calibre Title.
Then in Device view select the book and paste or type the Library title into search. Then on Device menu, "Update Metadata".
Go back to library view and the added book now has a tick in Device Column.

Optionally convert ebook.

This needs KFX input and DeDRM plugins. If the ereader is K3 to PW1, then KFX input not needed as it will be azw3.
Some older titles are not azw3 or KFX.
mobi = old mobi KF7, or dual mobi (but that is never on Amazon)
azw = mobi on a Kindle, but can be KFX on an app.
azw1 = Topaz
azw2 = Interactive mobi

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Using calibre's Add Books tool, can't you browse to the /documents/Downloads/Items01/ directory on the Kindle, select 1 or more files and then click on Open to add them to calibre without needing to manually copy them to your computer?

Yes, of course. I thought the OP meant some automatic copying. Adding them in calibre is still a manual process.

[tamhas]

Really? I need to do a Windows copy Kindle to disk, not a copy from Kindle straight into Calibre with the Kindle mounted?

Are the last N files in some logical place on the Kindle? Can I do all N in a single copy?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by tamhas

Really? I need to do a Windows copy Kindle to disk, not a copy from Kindle straight into Calibre with the Kindle mounted?

No, you can copy from your connected Kindle to Calibre.

[tamhas]

So, if, for example, I buy 10 new books from Amazon before I get to Calibre, and then connect my Kindle, those 10 will be the top 10 on the Device and I can process them from the Device, otherwise similar to how I have been walking through the e-mails and adding the downloads?

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by texasnightowl

... Of the 7 kfx-zip files, 6 of them continued to convert to epub just fine. So even though they say kfx-zip they worked ...

That's really interesting. It was my understanding that if it imports as kfx-zip instead of KFX, it means DRM was not removed.

I wonder why it's showing as kfx-zip. What am I not understanding here?

[Ma'am-I-Am]

I don't see where anyone mentions a tool in Calibre: the Device dropdown menu has Show Books in Main Memory of the Device. Then if you right-click a book, you can add it to the library. The cover is b/w on my Kindle, but that's easily remedied.

Is this not an acceptable way to get books from your Kindle?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Calibre can import from a connected Kindle:
After jobs = 0, click on Device view (not Device column).
Find a book. right click and add to Library.

Originally Posted by Ma'am-I-Am

I don't see where anyone mentions a tool in Calibre: the Device dropdown menu has Show Books in Main Memory of the Device. Then if you right-click a book, you can add it to the library. The cover is b/w on my Kindle, but that's easily remedied.

Is this not an acceptable way to get books from your Kindle?

It appears that you and Quoth are discussing the same method of importing books.

[texasnightowl]

Originally Posted by odamizu

That's really interesting. It was my understanding that if it imports as kfx-zip instead of KFX, it means DRM was not removed.

I wonder why it's showing as kfx-zip. What am I not understanding here?

Yeah...I don't know exactly what happened. They definitely remained as kfx-zip. So I experimented again. I moved those 6 books into their own collection in k4pc so I knew which ones they were. And then I removed them from Calibre and in K4PC and removed the download. Then I re-downloaded them. Then I re-added them. They all came in a kfx just fine.

So confused!

I did see a post from someone that he can only do around 8 books at a time or calibre starts leaving them as kfx-zip. I just pointed calibre to the whole k4pc folder (1463 books) and let it go. So maybe it just got briefly overwhelmed?

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by odamizu

That's really interesting. It was my understanding that if it imports as kfx-zip instead of KFX, it means DRM was not removed.

I wonder why it's showing as kfx-zip. What am I not understanding here?

I would assume the DRM didn't get removed on import for some reason, but was removed when DeDRM tried again before conversion.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I would assume the DRM didn't get removed on import for some reason, but was removed when DeDRM tried again before conversion.

I thought DeDRM happened on import, not conversion.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I thought DeDRM happened on import, not conversion.

That changed in DeDRM release 7.1.0 released in February 2021. It now runs both on import and on conversion.