I need a guide for dummies - from Kindle to Kobo

jake51 · 06-18-2026, 04:31 PM

Hi
I'm a new user here
I bought a Kobo Sage with physical buttons to replace my Kindle
I tried to follow the instructions I found online but I get stuck when I try to download a Kindle book to my desktop PC
The download is a ZIP file
I think I need to start from the beginning again
Can someone point me to a detailed very user-friendly guide?

Karellen · 06-18-2026, 04:58 PM

Amazon have gone to great lengths to keep amazon books in the amazon "walled garden", meaning it is difficult (not impossible) to transfer amazon books to other readers, especially for those users that are not tech savvy.

The reason is that most ebooks are DRM encrypted, and neither Calibre nor Kobo, can decrypt them natively.

Even the current (and somewhat complex) method of decrypting amazon ebooks will be gone by the end of the month, according to this article...
https://techy-notes.com/remove-drm-from-kindle-ebooks/

But maybe other members that are more up to date can give better advice.

Sirtel · 06-18-2026, 05:04 PM

If it's an epub the OP downloaded (Amazon provides DRM-free epub downloads for some books these days), just rename the file extension from .zip to .epub.

DNSB · 06-18-2026, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karellen

Even the current (and somewhat complex) method of decrypting amazon ebooks will be gone by the end of the month, according to this article...
https://techy-notes.com/remove-drm-from-kindle-ebooks/

But maybe other members that are more up to date can give better advice.

So far the latest version involving the Windows store version of the K4PC app provides books that are easily decryptable (download the books, run the archiver, import the archived books into calibre).

There is also a work in progress to decrypt on a jailbroken Kindle ereader.

Karellen · 06-18-2026, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

So far the latest version involving the Windows store version of the K4PC app provides books that are easily decryptable (download the books, run the archiver, import the archived books into calibre).

There is also a work in progress to decrypt on a jailbroken Kindle ereader.

Good to know. Thanks.
I haven't been keeping up with this topic as I haven't done a lot of reading this year and the little reading I am doing is books from my library that I haven't read in a few years.

jake51 · Yesterday, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

If it's an epub the OP downloaded (Amazon provides DRM-free epub downloads for some books these days), just rename the file extension from .zip to .epub.

Great, I'll try that

jake51 · Yesterday, 09:48 AM

My desktop computer does not show the Kobo as a device
How can that be?

PeterT · Yesterday, 09:54 AM

It should show up as a removable disk drive

jake51 · Yesterday, 09:58 AM

Yes... but it doesn't

Another thing: When I download a book from Kindle the zip file has a crazy name
ebook-content.DTP_0000052889351_b085c955_CR!EERDR1X3AX03 Q2E6CSD67TSF19BZ
There is two folders
I have no idea what to do

Sirtel · Yesterday, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake51

Yes... but it doesn't

Another thing: When I download a book from Kindle the zip file has a crazy name
ebook-content.DTP_0000052889351_b085c955_CR!EERDR1X3AX03 Q2E6CSD67TSF19BZ
There is two folders
I have no idea what to do

Rename the file extension from .zip to .epub

rantanplan · Yesterday, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake51

Can someone point me to a detailed very user-friendly guide?

Sure, there's a nice person on the internet, who shall stay unnamed, who has created like this vast archive for people like you (and I) who's ebooks are held hostage by Amazon. You should google for that. It's really easy to use.

JSWolf · Yesterday, 11:16 AM

When you have calibre running and you plug in your Kobo into the USB port, does calibre see it?

pdurrant · Yesterday, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jake51

Hi
I'm a new user here
I bought a Kobo Sage with physical buttons to replace my Kindle
I tried to follow the instructions I found online but I get stuck when I try to download a Kindle book to my desktop PC
The download is a ZIP file
I think I need to start from the beginning again
Can someone point me to a detailed very user-friendly guide?

For new books, pay attention to the other messages.

For books you already have, what Kindle did you have, and do you still have it, and did you download all your books to it? If so, when?

There might be (*might*) be an easy way to get all your (old) books into calibre and onto your Kobo.

Sirtel · Yesterday, 03:01 PM

I was probably wrong and it is not a DRM-free epub the OP is trying to download, but a Kindle book in KFX format. So renaming the file extension doesn't work. To read KFX books on your Kobo is pretty tricky these days, but not impossible. Karellen posted a link in the second post of this thread which explains how to go about it.

Kindle for PC 2.9.1 is working for me at the moment.

JSWolf · Yesterday, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I was probably wrong and it is not a DRM-free epub the OP is trying to download, but a Kindle book in KFX format. So renaming the file extension doesn't work. To read KFX books on your Kobo is pretty tricky these days, but not impossible. Karellen posted a link in the second post of this thread which explains how to go about it.

Kindle for PC 2.9.1 is working for me at the moment.

The current Windows Store (Windows 11 only) is also working.

06-18-2026, 04:31 PM	#1
jake51 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: none	I need a guide for dummies - from Kindle to Kobo Hi I'm a new user here I bought a Kobo Sage with physical buttons to replace my Kindle I tried to follow the instructions I found online but I get stuck when I try to download a Kindle book to my desktop PC The download is a ZIP file I think I need to start from the beginning again Can someone point me to a detailed very user-friendly guide?

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06-18-2026, 04:58 PM	#2
Karellen Wizard Posts: 1,850 Karma: 9600930 Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2	Amazon have gone to great lengths to keep amazon books in the amazon "walled garden", meaning it is difficult (not impossible) to transfer amazon books to other readers, especially for those users that are not tech savvy. The reason is that most ebooks are DRM encrypted, and neither Calibre nor Kobo, can decrypt them natively. Even the current (and somewhat complex) method of decrypting amazon ebooks will be gone by the end of the month, according to this article... https://techy-notes.com/remove-drm-from-kindle-ebooks/ But maybe other members that are more up to date can give better advice.

06-18-2026, 05:04 PM	#3
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,290 Karma: 247605191 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	If it's an epub the OP downloaded (Amazon provides DRM-free epub downloads for some books these days), just rename the file extension from .zip to .epub.

Yesterday, 09:48 AM	#7
jake51 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: none	My desktop computer does not show the Kobo as a device How can that be?

Yesterday, 09:54 AM	#8
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,998 Karma: 82524140 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	It should show up as a removable disk drive

Yesterday, 09:58 AM	#9
jake51 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2026 Device: none	Yes... but it doesn't Another thing: When I download a book from Kindle the zip file has a crazy name ebook-content.DTP_0000052889351_b085c955_CR!EERDR1X3AX03 Q2E6CSD67TSF19BZ There is two folders I have no idea what to do

Yesterday, 11:16 AM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 83,810 Karma: 153649587 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	When you have calibre running and you plug in your Kobo into the USB port, does calibre see it?

Yesterday, 03:01 PM	#14
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,290 Karma: 247605191 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	I was probably wrong and it is not a DRM-free epub the OP is trying to download, but a Kindle book in KFX format. So renaming the file extension doesn't work. To read KFX books on your Kobo is pretty tricky these days, but not impossible. Karellen posted a link in the second post of this thread which explains how to go about it. Kindle for PC 2.9.1 is working for me at the moment.