KOBO Clara BW won't open any of my old epub files

RnoD4 · 01-10-2025, 06:02 PM

Just got a brand new KOBO Clara BW, and it will not load any of my old epub files. Just shows multiple split HTML files.

I have tried Calibre, and it won't open them at all either, while Sigil does open them, but again only as split HTML files. On the other hand, Mac's Books app opens them all without a single problem.

What is going on? Any help is much appreciated.

JSWolf · 01-10-2025, 06:10 PM

delete post

DNSB · 01-10-2025, 06:11 PM

That would look as if your Mac is unpacking the ePubs into a directory that uses the ePub file name which is how Books stores ePubs.

Since you mentioned using Sigil, you might want to look at the FolderIn and FolderOut - Folder input and output plugins for Sigil which should let you open the ePub folder and then save it as an ePub file.

Sirtel · 01-10-2025, 06:14 PM

Wasn't there something about the Books app that exploded any epubs read in it? I dimly remember something like that. So you'd have to zip them up again.

Edit: ninja'd!

RnoD4 · 01-10-2025, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Wasn't there something about the Books app that exploded any epubs read in it? I dimly remember something like that. So you'd have to zip them up again.

Edit: ninja'd!

On my new MacBook, where I have all these books loaded, I tried downloading a few of them, and none worked with either Clara, Calibre or Sigil, which I'm hearing makes sense, because Books processes them in such a way, that no other application can open them

But I opened them up on an old Mac, where Books library was completely empty. Just grabbed the original epub files I had stored on an external drive, and Books opened them without a problem. That kind of tells me that the files are not corrupt.

RnoD4 · 01-10-2025, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Since you mentioned using Sigil, you might want to look at the FolderIn and FolderOut - Folder input and output plugins for Sigil which should let you open the ePub folder and then save it as an ePub file.

I'll look into that, and see if I can figure out how to use it. Thanks!

RnoD4 · 01-10-2025, 10:48 PM

Silly me!

I searched my Mac and found all these epub files, without checking where exactly they are located, and wrongly assuming they are in a local folder. But they are somewhere on iCloud instead. That is why none of them worked directly, trying to open them in Kobo.

Unless I find out where I stored original epubs, before importing them to Books, they are lost for my new Kobo Clara, which is not good.

Is there any way to retrieve them from iCloud in a format that will be recognized by Kobo?

PeterT · 01-10-2025, 11:35 PM

You might want to check out this thread (and script) to see if it can recreate the .epub file --> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=55681

RnoD4 · 01-11-2025, 12:09 AM

I think I found a solution, and it seems like a very simple one.

There is something called "eCanCrusher". I was a bit sceptical, but decided to download it to my Mac. No installation needed at all, so after unzipping, I just placed the icon on the desktop.

Then I grabbed just one of those epub files from iCloud, and dragged it into eCanCrusher. It immediately created another epub, and this one, unlike before, I was able to open in Calibre. Then copied it to Kobo and voilà...worked like a charm.

Tried another epub from iCloud, and that worked too. Shouldn't be a problem with the rest of them either.

Thank you all for replying.

01-10-2025, 06:02 PM	#1
RnoD4 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2025 Device: KOBO Clara BW	KOBO Clara BW won't open any of my old epub files Just got a brand new KOBO Clara BW, and it will not load any of my old epub files. Just shows multiple split HTML files. I have tried Calibre, and it won't open them at all either, while Sigil does open them, but again only as split HTML files. On the other hand, Mac's Books app opens them all without a single problem. What is going on? Any help is much appreciated.

01-10-2025, 06:10 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 77,280 Karma: 138625598 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	delete post Last edited by JSWolf; 01-10-2025 at 06:19 PM.

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01-10-2025, 06:11 PM	#3
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 41,703 Karma: 161499392 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	That would look as if your Mac is unpacking the ePubs into a directory that uses the ePub file name which is how Books stores ePubs. Since you mentioned using Sigil, you might want to look at the FolderIn and FolderOut - Folder input and output plugins for Sigil which should let you open the ePub folder and then save it as an ePub file.

01-10-2025, 06:14 PM	#4
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,079 Karma: 233181968 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Wasn't there something about the Books app that exploded any epubs read in it? I dimly remember something like that. So you'd have to zip them up again. Edit: ninja'd!

01-10-2025, 10:48 PM	#7
RnoD4 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2025 Device: KOBO Clara BW	Silly me! I searched my Mac and found all these epub files, without checking where exactly they are located, and wrongly assuming they are in a local folder. But they are somewhere on iCloud instead. That is why none of them worked directly, trying to open them in Kobo. Unless I find out where I stored original epubs, before importing them to Books, they are lost for my new Kobo Clara, which is not good. Is there any way to retrieve them from iCloud in a format that will be recognized by Kobo?

01-10-2025, 11:35 PM	#8
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,936 Karma: 76440364 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	You might want to check out this thread (and script) to see if it can recreate the .epub file --> https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=55681

01-11-2025, 12:09 AM	#9
RnoD4 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2025 Device: KOBO Clara BW	I think I found a solution, and it seems like a very simple one. There is something called "eCanCrusher". I was a bit sceptical, but decided to download it to my Mac. No installation needed at all, so after unzipping, I just placed the icon on the desktop. Then I grabbed just one of those epub files from iCloud, and dragged it into eCanCrusher. It immediately created another epub, and this one, unlike before, I was able to open in Calibre. Then copied it to Kobo and voilà...worked like a charm. Tried another epub from iCloud, and that worked too. Shouldn't be a problem with the rest of them either. Thank you all for replying.

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