DRM workaround: Kindle for Android - Page 12

Sirtel · 03-09-2023, 09:16 AM

Worked for me with 3 books published in February and March (they had no DRM to begin with, but that's beside the point at the moment).

JSWolf · 03-09-2023, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Worked for me with 3 books published in February and March (they had no DRM to begin with, but that's beside the point at the moment).

That is the point. It's not a successful test unless the eBook(s) being tested have DRM.

Sirtel · 03-09-2023, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That is the point. It's not a successful test unless the eBook(s) being tested have DRM.

No, the point is whether it's still possible to download new books with the old version of Kindle for Android. And it still is.

Those books didn't download with Kindle for PC 1.17, like all new books.

ownedbycats · 03-09-2023, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That is the point. It's not a successful test unless the eBook(s) being tested have DRM.

I suspect that Ser4nb2LUY6e may have come to a mistaken conclusion after attempting to download several KFX-only books, which wouldn't be downloadable via this method.

ottischwenk · 03-09-2023, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That is the point. It's not a successful test unless the eBook(s) being tested have DRM.

This is a KU book and it has DRM

RustyHill · 03-09-2023, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I was able to re-download the book I initially tested with (B0BVJDKTK8, published February 10).

I've just d/ld this from AZ UK and it came up fine. Bluestacks & Calibre. Maybe the 'fix' is yet to hit the UK.

DNSB · 03-09-2023, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That is the point. It's not a successful test unless the eBook(s) being tested have DRM.

For what it is worth, I used Bluestacks/K4A to download 3 books purchased in March that had DRM and K4PC 1.34.1 would not download. Transferred them to my PC, added them to calibre and they seem to be happy campers. A lot slower than using K4PC and more steps than using D&T via USB.

DuckieTigger · 03-09-2023, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

For what it is worth, I used Bluestacks/K4A to download 3 books purchased in March that had DRM and K4PC 1.34.1 would not download. Transferred them to my PC, added them to calibre and they seem to be happy campers. A lot slower than using K4PC and more steps than using D&T via USB.

There is one step you can automate. The media manager to copy files out of Bluestacks is a pain and too many steps. You can use

Code:

adb pull /sdcard/Android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files

then just search for prc files.

ownedbycats · 03-09-2023, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyHill

I've just d/ld this from AZ UK and it came up fine. Bluestacks & Calibre. Maybe the 'fix' is yet to hit the UK.

Seeing as it's working for everyone else, I don't think there was a fix.

Ser4nb2LUY6e · 03-09-2023, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

@Ser4nb2LUY6e - if not mind, how many books have you tested, and any successfully downloaded before using this method?

I tried with 7 books, 6 of which I previously (3 days ago) successfully downloaded with the android app (after they didn't download with Kindle4PC 1.26 with KFX disabled via registry entry and I found this thread here).

The message I'm getting is:

"Item not available for this Device type.

An app update is required to read this title. Please visit the app store to update to the latest version."

I've tried with both 4.16 and 4.17 of the android app.

I've got the the app installed on an actual android phone with Android 10.

Sirtel · 03-09-2023, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ser4nb2LUY6e

I've got the the app installed on an actual android phone with Android 10.

Perhaps that's the issue. The rest of us who reported it working used Bluestacks.

Ser4nb2LUY6e · 03-09-2023, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Perhaps that's the issue. The rest of us who reported it working used Bluestacks.

Yes it is. For Android 10, the app knows that it can be updated to the newer version. For the 32-bit Android 7 Nougat that's emulated by Bluestacks 5, it knows that that you can't update to a newer version (which doesn't run an Android that old).

What's interesting is that it DID work for a number of days on the Android 10 device before they have now closed that off.

jhowell · 03-09-2023, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Perhaps that's the issue. The rest of us who reported it working used Bluestacks.

The Android version mentioned for BlueStacks in the first post is Nougat (version 7) which is significantly older. Perhaps running a newer Android version triggers the request for the Kindle app to be updated.

On the other hand since it worked previously Amazon has changed something at the server side and this could just be the first step toward a stricter lockdown.

(Ninja’d. The post above makes the same points.)

ottischwenk · 03-10-2023, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ser4nb2LUY6e

Yes it is. For Android 10, the app knows that it can be updated to the newer version. For the 32-bit Android 7 Nougat that's emulated by Bluestacks 5, it knows that that you can't update to a newer version (which doesn't run an Android that old).

I have EInk devices with Android 8.1, 9, 10, 11 - Android 8.1 and 9 keep the installed versions.
At 10 and 11 they have been changed.

ottischwenk · 03-10-2023, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyHill

1) the adb method does indeed extract a small (47byte) file but it is not accepted by the DRM plugin in Calibre and seems a mix of ASCI and binary Char$ - so not a proper key.

Did you find a solution to get a "working" backup.ab?

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03-09-2023, 09:16 AM	#166
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,563 Karma: 240526511 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Worked for me with 3 books published in February and March (they had no DRM to begin with, but that's beside the point at the moment).

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