Kobo needs restart almost every time I add books

Siavahda · 08-13-2026, 02:22 PM

I've seen this discussed on Reddit, but figured the experts here might know a fix those on Reddit don't.

Not quite every time - and not usually when I'm adding just ONE book - but very often, after sending books to my Kobo and disconnecting it from my laptop (with the eject device function, properly, not just yanking the cord out!) I need to restart my Kobo before I can use it.

After ejecting, it shows me the cover of whatever I was just reading. But it only shows that; powering it on lights up the screen, but I can still only see that book cover. Powering on and off does nothing except make the screen light up or go dim.

Sometimes it doesn't happen immediately; the Kobo is ejected, opens normally, loads the new books fine. But the next time it goes to sleep, it doesn't wake up properly - lights up, but only shows the cover of what I was reading. Until I force a restart.

This is apparently a well-known problem in some of the Reddit forums. Does anyone here know a fix? Or at least why it's happening? I'd understand the device struggling if I was adding hundreds of books at once, but that's not what's happening.

Sirtel · 08-13-2026, 02:30 PM

Have you tried ejecting from calibre, not from the system tray?

Funny enough, it has never happened to me with any of my Kobos, not even when sending hundreds of books at once. I always eject from calibre and wait until the books have been imported before disconnecting.

Aleron Ives · 08-13-2026, 02:34 PM

What do you mean it only shows the cover of whatever you were just reading? Are you trying to add books while your device is sleeping? I always add books while I'm on the My Books screen. After ejecting, it takes about 30 seconds before all the new books appear in the My Books list, and then I can pick a book and start reading.

Sirtel · 08-13-2026, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

What do you mean it only shows the cover of whatever you were just reading? Are you trying to add books while your device is sleeping? I always add books while I'm on the My Books screen. After ejecting, it takes about 30 seconds before all the new books appear in the My Books list, and then I can pick a book and start reading.

It doesn't matter if the device is sleeping. I often connect my Kobo while it is asleep.

DNSB · 08-13-2026, 02:48 PM

If you connect your sleeping Kobo to a computer, it should wake and pop up the connect screen unless you have auto-connect enabled in which case it will just connect. In either case you will end up at the connected screen (computer and kobo line image and Please don't forget to safely eject).

After sending a book or how ever many I send and then safely ejecting, it will eventually go to the home screen and then to the importing screen.

Aleron Ives · 08-13-2026, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

If you connect your sleeping Kobo to a computer, it should wake and pop up the connect screen unless you have auto-connect enabled in which case it will just connect.

Yes, this is what I would expect to happen. That's why I don't understand this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siavahda

After ejecting, it shows me the cover of whatever I was just reading. But it only shows that; powering it on lights up the screen, but I can still only see that book cover.

I don't know how it's possible to see this after ejecting, unless the device is sleeping or powered off. If pressing the power button turns on the frontlight, but the cover is still shown, it sounds like the device crashed somehow and can't fully wake up.

JSWolf · 08-13-2026, 05:50 PM

I suggest trying a firmware install.

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Have you tried ejecting from calibre, not from the system tray?

Funny enough, it has never happened to me with any of my Kobos, not even when sending hundreds of books at once. I always eject from calibre and wait until the books have been imported before disconnecting.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough: I ONLY eject via Calibre, every time.

When the Kobo freezes like this I actually don't see the importing screen/notification at all. When the screen clears from the 'connected to pc', it goes immediately to the book cover of what I was previously reading.

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleron Ives

What do you mean it only shows the cover of whatever you were just reading? Are you trying to add books while your device is sleeping? I always add books while I'm on the My Books screen. After ejecting, it takes about 30 seconds before all the new books appear in the My Books list, and then I can pick a book and start reading.

No, I'm not adding books while the device is sleeping. I too only add books when I've set the Kobo to the My Books screen.

When the Kobo glitches like this, after ejecting it from Calibre, the screen switches from the all-black 'connected to pc' screen to the book cover of whatever I was last reading. I don't see My Books and I don't see the Importing screen/notification thing.

After restarting the Kobo, I see My Books as normal.

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I suggest trying a firmware install.

Apologies, but what does that mean? Please explain like I'm 5.

DNSB · 08-14-2026, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siavahda

Apologies, but what does that mean? Please explain like I'm 5.

Jon is suggesting that if you are not on the latest version 4 firmware for a Libra 2 which is 4.38.23697, you should update to it.

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Jon is suggesting that if you are not on the latest version 4 firmware for a Libra 2 which is 4.38.23697, you should update to it.

Thank you for explaining!

I don't have a Libra 2, I have a Clara Colour. My firmware is 4.44.23552, which a little online searching says is out of date. I downloaded what I think is the most recent firmware for the Clara Colour (4.45.23697) and it just finished installing.

I'll comment again if the freezing happens, or if I'm sure it's not going to happen anymore, ie after adding books a bunch of times to see if this bug or whatever is fixed!

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 04:34 AM

Nope, it happened again. Sigh.

This after updating, and also reinstalling KoboPatch.

Sirtel · 08-14-2026, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siavahda

Nope, it happened again. Sigh.

This after updating, and also reinstalling KoboPatch.

That's a strange bug. I wonder if only certain models have it? I don't recall seeing any reports about this here before, but ofc there may have been.

I haven't had this issue with my Libra H2O, Libra 2 or Sage.

Siavahda · 08-14-2026, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

That's a strange bug. I wonder if only certain models have it? I don't recall seeing any reports about this here before, but ofc there may have been.

I haven't had this issue with my Libra H2O, Libra 2 or Sage.

I can link you to some Reddit posts, if I can find them? But that's why I started a thread here, I couldn't find a mention of it on mobileread. (Though it's possibly I just missed something, ofc.)

08-13-2026, 02:22 PM	#1
Siavahda Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Helsinki Device: Kobo Clara Colour	Kobo needs restart almost every time I add books I've seen this discussed on Reddit, but figured the experts here might know a fix those on Reddit don't. Not quite every time - and not usually when I'm adding just ONE book - but very often, after sending books to my Kobo and disconnecting it from my laptop (with the eject device function, properly, not just yanking the cord out!) I need to restart my Kobo before I can use it. After ejecting, it shows me the cover of whatever I was just reading. But it only shows that; powering it on lights up the screen, but I can still only see that book cover. Powering on and off does nothing except make the screen light up or go dim. Sometimes it doesn't happen immediately; the Kobo is ejected, opens normally, loads the new books fine. But the next time it goes to sleep, it doesn't wake up properly - lights up, but only shows the cover of what I was reading. Until I force a restart. This is apparently a well-known problem in some of the Reddit forums. Does anyone here know a fix? Or at least why it's happening? I'd understand the device struggling if I was adding hundreds of books at once, but that's not what's happening. Last edited by Siavahda; 08-15-2026 at 04:09 AM. Reason: more details

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08-13-2026, 02:30 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 15,600 Karma: 249250073 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Have you tried ejecting from calibre, not from the system tray? Funny enough, it has never happened to me with any of my Kobos, not even when sending hundreds of books at once. I always eject from calibre and wait until the books have been imported before disconnecting.

08-13-2026, 02:34 PM	#3
Aleron Ives Wizard Posts: 1,912 Karma: 17565280 Join Date: Sep 2022 Device: Kobo Libra 2	What do you mean it only shows the cover of whatever you were just reading? Are you trying to add books while your device is sleeping? I always add books while I'm on the My Books screen. After ejecting, it takes about 30 seconds before all the new books appear in the My Books list, and then I can pick a book and start reading.

08-13-2026, 02:48 PM	#5
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 53,982 Karma: 182150291 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	If you connect your sleeping Kobo to a computer, it should wake and pop up the connect screen unless you have auto-connect enabled in which case it will just connect. In either case you will end up at the connected screen (computer and kobo line image and Please don't forget to safely eject). After sending a book or how ever many I send and then safely ejecting, it will eventually go to the home screen and then to the importing screen.

08-13-2026, 05:50 PM	#7
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 84,618 Karma: 153744815 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I suggest trying a firmware install.

08-14-2026, 04:34 AM	#13
Siavahda Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Helsinki Device: Kobo Clara Colour	Nope, it happened again. Sigh. This after updating, and also reinstalling KoboPatch.