Kobo µSD Card Image Requests

[Double-T]

Hi,

Also for me a clean factory image for the Kobo Libra 2 model N418 please.
Thanks for your help!

[drikc]

Hi
could you send me the firmware image for Kobo Glo HD (N437)
regards

[DNSB]

PMs sent.

Originally Posted by UniqueCar13

Hello. I have been trying the only glo image of the internet archive with 2000 different firmware versions and none work. Please send me one.

I made the assumption that you meant a Kobo N613 Glo and sent you that image.

[UniqueCar13]

yes thank you

[matematiksel]

Originally Posted by matematiksel

Hello, could you please send me the SD card image for Kobo Aura Edition 2 (Model N236)? If possible, both V1 and V2 would be great. Thank you!


Hello everyone,
I joined this forum because my Kobo Aura Edition 2 (N236) became stuck on the “Restoring” screen after I installed a third-party interface.
I carefully opened the device, removed the internal microSD card, and am currently creating a non-destructive backup on my Mac. I am looking for advice from people familiar with Kobo repairs, especially anyone who may have a verified N236 V2 recovery or firmware image.
My books are already backed up; my main goal is simply to make the reader boot again. I hope to learn from the community and share the results of the recovery process.
Thank you for your help.


Kobo Aura Edition 2 (N236) stuck at “Restoring” – SD recovery and request for a clean N236 V2 image

My Kobo Aura Edition 2 (model N236) became stuck on the “Restoring” screen after I had installed a third-party interface. I initially suspected that the third-party software was the only cause.

I opened the device carefully without damaging it, photographed the motherboard, and removed the internal microSD card without physically harming the card. I then connected the card to my MacBook using the built-in SD card reader.

Attachment 226000

The motherboard marking identifies the processor as **NXP MCIMX6L7DVN10AB**, an **i.MX 6SoloLite**. The card is approximately 8 GB and has the following layout:

- Linux partition, approximately 268 MB
- Linux partition, approximately 268 MB
- FAT32 `KOBOeReader` partition, approximately 3.4 GB
- Additional unpartitioned space

The exact brand and part number of the original card could not be confirmed from the motherboard photographs. I am therefore not assuming that it is the SanDisk card shown in some similar Kobo teardowns.

I asked ChatGPT Codex to inspect the card in a non-destructive way. It performed read-only checks, identified the partition structure, and started creating a full raw image on the Mac. GNU `ddrescue` and related recovery tools were installed for this purpose.

The card showed repeated raw read timeouts and read errors with two different card readers. Healthy areas could be read at approximately 33–37 MB/s, while other areas caused long pauses and retries. At the latest check, approximately 91% of the 7.95 GB device had been rescued, with hundreds of read-error events recorded. This is not yet a final diagnosis, but it suggests a possible SD-card NAND/controller or media problem rather than only a filesystem problem.

The current procedure is:

1. Complete the full `ddrescue` image.
2. Retry the remaining problematic areas using targeted recovery passes.
3. Inspect the locally saved image and system partitions read-only.
4. Look for firmware files, boot files, and traces of the third-party software.
5. Compare everything with a clean **Kobo Aura Edition 2 N236 V2** image if one becomes available.
6. Write the clean image to a new card and test whether the reader boots.

The books themselves do not need to be recovered; I already have backups. The important goal is to make the device boot again.

I have purchased an **ADATA Premier 32 GB microSDHC**, model **AUSDH32GUICL10A1-RA1**. The intended specification is:

- 32 GB microSDHC
- UHS-I
- Class 10 / U1 / V10
- A1
- FAT32 after installation

ADATA lists this model at up to 100 MB/s read and 25 MB/s write, although some listings describe an older 85 MB/s revision. Either speed is sufficient for the Kobo. The i.MX6SoloLite supports UHS-I at the hardware level, but Kobo’s older bootloader and Linux software are not documented to support the additional command-queueing and cache features required for A2 performance. Therefore A2 would be backward-compatible but would not provide a meaningful advantage here.

Attachment 226001

I am looking for a verified **N236 V2 raw image or recovery image**, preferably with a checksum and clear information about the required partition layout. I will not format or overwrite the original card until the recovery image and current backup have been checked.


[UPDATE — 17 September 2026]

The non-destructive raw image is still being created. At the time of this update, the local recovery monitor reports approximately 99.79% recovered: about 7.93 GB of a 7.95 GB source device, with approximately 16.2 MB still remaining.

The process is currently in ddrescue’s “trimming failed blocks” phase. Progress through the remaining area is slow, and the read-error count continues to change as retries proceed. These figures are live and may change.

I also built a small local, read-only dashboard for this recovery. I did this to avoid repeatedly asking ChatGPT Codex for progress updates, which would consume quota and provide slower feedback. The dashboard reads the ddrescue log locally and refreshes automatically every two seconds.

It shows:

- the overall recovery percentage for the complete SD card;
- rescued and estimated remaining bytes;
- confirmed unreadable sectors and error areas;
- the current ddrescue phase, position, speed, ETA and runtime;
- a history graph;
- the image and map-file information.

I added a second progress indicator specifically for the remaining area. The normal 99.xx% figure uses the entire 7.95 GB card as its denominator, so it can appear frozen even when a small amount of progress is being made. The second indicator normalizes only the remaining region, making those small changes visible. It is only a visualization and does not change ddrescue’s measurements.

The dashboard now has both Turkish and English interfaces. It is running locally on my Mac, so forum readers cannot access the localhost address directly; I can provide screenshots or share the code if useful.

No formatting or writing has been performed on the original card.

Next steps remain:

1. Complete the initial ddrescue image.
2. Retry the unreadable areas with targeted recovery passes and the second card reader.
3. Inspect the saved image and system partitions read-only.
4. Compare it with a verified Kobo Aura Edition 2 N236 V2 image, if one becomes available.
5. Write a clean image to the new ADATA 32 GB microSDHC card and test whether the reader boots.

Hello DNSB,

I wanted to let you know that my Kobo Aura Edition 2 N236 V1 has been successfully recovered. Thank you very much for providing the V1 image and the recovery guidance.

The original device became stuck on the “Restoring” screen after a failed third-party interface installation. I carefully removed the internal microSD card and created a read-only ddrescue backup. The original card showed repeated read errors in several areas.

The recovery process was:

1. I confirmed that the device is N236 V1 hardware. The seventh serial-number character is 0, and the board uses the i.MX6SoloLite processor.
2. I downloaded the `Kobo N236 Aura Edition 2 V1` image you provided.
3. I verified that it contained the expected layout: two Linux partitions of approximately 268 MB each and a 3.4 GB FAT32 `KOBOeReader` partition.
4. Before writing the image, I replaced the generic serial field at offset `0x200` with the serial number from my own device.
5. I wrote the raw image to a new 32 GB ADATA microSD card.
6. The reader booted successfully and was detected by macOS as `KOBOeReader`.

The only remaining problem was the initial setup. Kobo Desktop reported an internet connection error, so the online setup could not complete. I backed up `KoboReader.sqlite` and used the offline workaround discussed in the forum by adding a local user entry with `UserID=1` and an empty `UserKey`. After safely disconnecting the reader, the setup completed successfully.

The device is now working again. I am very grateful for the image and for maintaining these recovery resources. Without your help, recovering this N236 would have been much more difficult.

Thank you again!

[alexxxair]

buongiorno, avrei un problema con il mio kobo glo, non si accende e l'unico segno di vita è la schermata nera per qualche secondo, insieme alle luci blu e poi verde e poi torna tutto bianco...non so se sia la batteria o la scheda interna...qualcuno potrebbe aiutarmi? dopo svariate ricerche in rete ho letto che qui posso trovare le risposte di cui ho bisogno...grazie in anticipo

Hi, I need a microSD image for a Kobo Glo N613, please:aiuto:

[jp87]

Hola necesito la imagen del Kobo Libra 2 N418, la placa base pone 37NB-E70K0S+2A2.
No logro ver ningun link de descarga, estoy registrado ya. Pueden ayudarme?

[nicholle]

Hi, I have a Kobo Libra 2 (N418), motherboard 37NB-E70K1M+6E0 (Rev E), and I need the full microSD image. Could you please send me the appropriate image? Thank you so much!

[Yxq]

Hi, I would like to request the firmware image for the Kobo Clara HD (N249).
Thanks in advance!

[gaxe]

Hi, my Clara HD N249 is bricked with a corrupt SD. Could someone please PM me the link for a fresh SD card image? Thanks!

[almostyogi]

Hello there,

I would like the firmware image for a Kobo N249 Clara HD please. Thank you!

[Phil13]

Hi, I would like to request the microSD card image for a Kobo Clara HD N249 Thank you

[NuñezRock123]

Hi DNSB,

I need a Kobo Libra 2 (N418) SD card image. My device is stuck in a boot loop with a flashing LED and is no longer detected over USB.


Thank you!

kr,

[DNSB]

PMs sent.

[solusdelgar1]

Hello, looking for the image for a Clara HD N249. Trying to get the wife's kobo up and running again. Thanks!