Aura HD How do I download Kobo eBook to my PC

[bawldiggle]

I have paid for our first Kobo eBook. The House of Memories (by Monica McInerney)
Final window advised my book is in my Kobo library

On the Kobo Synopisis page Kobo recognised I am logged in (although there is no visible indication).
My Library lists the purchased book with a button [Adobe DRM EPUB]



When I clicked the button the only file offered for download to my PC is .ACSM file format.

ACSM files on my Aura HD are not visible.
Calibre does not have a convert from .acsm file type

What do I do with the acsm file. ?
What I dont get is the eBook was purchased from Kobo ... so what is the runaround with Kobo. ?
The eBook synopsis page says the eBook is compatible with ...
DESKTOP, eREADERS, ANDROID, TABLETS, IOS, BLACKBERRY

I have uninstalled Kobo Desktop, it locked up my PC + disables my Clipboard extender (ClipX). See my thread Cannot disconnect Kobo from PC

I would appreciate any help, thank you

[GeoffR]

When you buy a book from Kobo you can choose two ways to download it:

1. Turn on the Wifi and press the sync button on your Aura, the book should be downloaded via wifi and appear on your homescreen.

or:

2. Install Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) software on your PC, register with Adobe and authorize your PC and your Aura. Download the.ascm file and open it with ADE, which will cause the book to be downloaded to your PC. Then transfer the book to your Aura via USB. (Althernatively, you can remove the DRM and transfer the book via Calibre).

[Yapyap]

You need a program that can download and open Adobe DRM ePub files. If Kobo Desktop doesn't work for you, what about Adobe Digital Editions, which is the general/main/non-shop-specific program for Adobe DRM files?

Once you've opened the ACSM file (which is not the book itself but basically the licence/download link for the actual epub book), you will have a DRM-protected ePub file of the book on your computer, which you can either read with Adobe Digital Editions, add to Calibre, move to another device (which has to be connected to the same ADE account, I think), etc.

[paola]

Originally Posted by bawldiggle

I have paid for our first Kobo eBook. The House of Memories (by Monica McInerney)
Final window advised my book is in my Kobo library

On the Kobo Synopisis page Kobo recognised I am logged in (although there is no visible indication).
My Library lists the purchased book with a button [Adobe DRM EPUB]

Attachment 117600

When I clicked the button the only file offered for download to my PC is .ACSM file format.

ACSM files on my Aura HD are not visible.
Calibre does not have a convert from .acsm file type

What do I do with the acsm file. ?
What I dont get is the eBook was purchased from Kobo ... so what is the runaround with Kobo. ?
The eBook synopsis page says the eBook is compatible with ...
DESKTOP, eREADERS, ANDROID, TABLETS, IOS, BLACKBERRY

I have uninstalled Kobo Desktop, it locked up my PC + disables my Clipboard extender (ClipX). See my thread Cannot disconnect Kobo from PC

I would appreciate any help, thank you

I presume you don't have problems getting the book onto your Aura (just sync, and it will download automatically).

For the acsm file, it is actually not the book itself, but a link to the book. Why? That "DRM" means "Digital Rights Management - basically the file is protected. This is something that irks many people, but let us leave it (just search for DRM on mobileread, you will find tons of discussions).
So you get an acsm file that is a link to donwload the book proper. In order to download the book you need some additional software. Kobo desktop is one, but there are others (e.g. Sony reader), or Adobe's own software.
The bottomline is that you need to create an Adobe ID (you must do this only once, then forget about it): this will link the books you buy to you, and restrict the numbers of devices you can put the book on (to avoid e.g. you redistributing the book freely).
Once you have the Adobe ID and the software you can authorise your computer and your reader, download the book on your laptop and then transfer it onto the device (but I guess you already have the book on your device).
To get an adobe ID create it here:
https://www.adobe.com/uk/account/sig...obedotcom.html
Then install an application (e.g. Sony reader here or adobe's reader here.

Once either or both of these are installed, the .acsm extension will be linked to them, so clicking on it will download the book. This will now be in a download directory on your laptop, and at this point you may be tempted like many to "clean" your book of DRM, so that you can forget about authorizing your device, and simply transfer the book as if it were any file. We cannot talk about this here, though, so just google apprentice alf.

In short, then. you should:
1. create an Adobe ID (you do this once for the first time only)
2. download and install a reader application
3. open the .acsm file in the application: this will download the book
4. connect the reader to the laptop and transfer the book onto the reader.

If you already have the book on your reader, it will be in the directory .kobo\kepub on your device, the file name being a long string of numbers and letters with no extension. This can also be "hoovered" of DRM, but again just search the forum or "obok 2.01".

Sounds more complicated than it actually is :-)


ETA: cross posting, it took me obviously a long time to write this

[meeera]

What they said above ^^^ about Adobe Digital Editions.

Alternatively, you could just sync your reader by wifi, and the book will download onto your Kobo that way.

Given that you're new to your ereader, it would be a good idea to work through the User Guide:

http://download.kobobooks.com/magent...erguide_en.pdf

Page 18 onwards deals with syncing/downloading your books from the cloud. Page 43 deals with Adobe Digital Editions. You'll still need ADE if you're going to borrow library ebooks, so it's a good idea to have it even if you're mostly going to manage your Kobo ebooks via wifi/cloud.

[6charlong]

I think of the .ACSM files as a kind of sales receipt. It is proof that you bought and paid for a copyrighted book and it contains identifying information directed at you, personally, hence proof of purchase.

I made a folder called ACSM and copy all my ACSM files to it, then change the file name to <title of book>.ACSM so I can find them later. This way I have the book backed up without having to remember which bookstore I bought it from.

This doesn't work with books from Barnes and Noble because they use a different sort of DRM without using ACSM files. Also Apple books. The Harry Potter books already have the purchaser information included in the book itself so no problems.

Kobo backs up your books--you can go and download the ePub version again if necessary, but the ACSM files work as backups too. My hard drive crashed last spring and I had to redownload several books I wanted to keep close at hand including some from bookstores that have gone out of business since I bought my books. I double clicked the ACSM files for those books and there they were.

[bawldiggle]

To all helpers .. thank you

I am working through all your ideas ... and have not dropped off the planet.
I will get back here when done

[bawldiggle]

OP

I have installed "Adobe Digital Editions" on my PC.
Downloaded Adobe "Welcome.epub" into WinExp
Connected Aura HD to PC.
WinExp listed Kobo device in WinExp as a drive with folders
Copy pasted Adobe "Welcome.epub" from Win Explorer into K:\KoboeReader folder in WinExp.
K-eReader auto opened "Welcome.epub"

Opened ADE.
Library (tap)
Library lists "Getting Started with Adobe Digital Editions 2.0" ... I assume "welcome.epub"

BUT 2 days ago I downloaded a freebie z.EPUB, onto my PC,
with Kobo tethered to PC copied z.epub from WinExp onto "F:\Kobo" folder
I can read z.epub on Kobo BUT it is not listed on ADE other than Kobo listed as a device.

How do I move/copy z.epub onto ADE bookshelves ?
-----

Originally Posted by GeoffR

2. Install Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) software on your PC, register with Adobe and authorize your PC and your Aura. Download the.ascm file and open it with ADE, which will cause the book to be downloaded to your PC. Then transfer the book to your Aura via USB. (Althernatively, you can remove the DRM and transfer the book via Calibre).

How and when Do I strip DRM ?
What app do I use to strip DRM ?

I have "extracted" Calibre as portable, so all data and the app is portable.
I cannot find a DRM control on Calibre window.
There are host of EXE files in Calibre folder, I ran a few but they are obviously cmd windows.

Thank you

[Ripplinger]

We can't discuss stripping DRM too much on the forums, it's against the rules. But Google "Apprentice Alf" and he'll be your new best friend.

[GeoffR]

Note that forum rules don't allow us to discuss how to remove DRM, other than to suggest Googling "Apprentice Alf" and working it out yourself.

ADE is only needed to download books with Adobe DRM. DRM-free books can be downloaded to your PC with your browser just like any other file. But if you want to add DRM-free books to ADE for some reason then you can do it from the "Add item to library" menu option (Ctrl-O is the keyboard shortcut).

I don't know anything about Calibre portable, I just use the standard Calibre program, which comes with a built-in KoboTouch plugin for transfering DRM-free books to Kobo devices, plus a few other plugins including one called KoboUtilities by David Forrester that has some handy Kobo-specific functions. Calibre installs an icon on the desktop to start the main program and all of its functions are accessible from the main GUI, but there are some command-line tools for certain functions if you want to use them. They are mainly useful for writing batch files I think.

[bawldiggle]

Woops, sorry about the DRM thing.

I didn't know ... learning something new every day

[RobertJSawyer]

bawldiggle, Kobo does not recommend using Adobe Digital Editions 2.0.

Instead, use the version of Adobe Digital Editions that Kobo provides:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ade

This is version 1.7.2. You'll find that it lets you choose the Kobo bookstore as one of the providers when you install (you can't do that with 2.0). With that set up, the process of downloading the Adobe DRM ePub files is very simple.

More info is here on the Kobo site: http://www.kobobooks.com/ade

All best wishes.