DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

[lkmiller]

In Bluestacks there is a Files app which allows you to export files to Windows. Don't know about a different emulator.

[riverz]

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

Hello. This time I really have to use this method and gosh, what a hard time I have...
Having had no luck the Bluestacks way, I am trying the solution given by Riverz on page 29.
Everything runs smoothly up to the point where his instructions say : "To extract the backup file for the calibre key I went to the nox/bin install directory and ran adb backup com.amazon.kindle from there."
The problem is I have absolutely no idea where to locate the "nox/bin install directory". What I downloaded is a thing called "nox_setup_v7.0.5.9_full_intl", clicked it, installation was successful (and I guess version 7.0.5.9 instead of 7.0.5.8 Riverz used doesn't make any difference), but nowhere is anything called "nox/bin install directory" or remotely reminding thereof to be found.
Am I doing something wrong ? Shouldn't I have used this (simple and efficient) installation method for Nox ? What would be the way out of this (or rather toward that "nox/bin" stuff) ?
Sorry for appearing ridiculously untechnical, but many thanks in advance for any help you can bring. (I think - or hope - that if I can fix this, the rest of the procedure with the command lines ought to be feasible.)

On my windows 11 PC that is fairly standard in setup it is:
c:\Program Files (x86)\Nox\bin

But this main vary for you, so use a file explorer to look and check.

[Jacques Q.]

Originally Posted by riverz

On my windows 11 PC that is fairly standard in setup it is:
c:\Program Files (x86)\Nox\bin

But this main vary for you, so use a file explorer to look and check.

Thanks, I'll try that. But then I'll have to solve the other problem of "decryption keys" that seems to be a whole continent of issues of its own...
This is all going a bit over my head, I'm afraid. Maybe that's just what Amazon and such are looking for ; make things just hard enough to turn off most of even the best-willing people wanting to escape their tyranny...

[riverz]

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

Thanks, I'll try that. But then I'll have to solve the other problem of "decryption keys" that seems to be a whole continent of issues of its own...
This is all going a bit over my head, I'm afraid. Maybe that's just what Amazon and such are looking for ; make things just hard enough to turn off most of even the best-willing people wanting to escape their tyranny...

Don't give up. Do it step by step and keep posting the issue here you have.

For the nox emulator version that you're doing, it appears you're almost there.

If you've installed nox, run the "CMD" command prompt program that's built into win 10/11. Google "how to run cmd command" if you are unfamiliar with CMD. It is easy to use.

When you run the CMD command prompt you will use the 'dir' and 'cd' commands. There are other commands available if you google them.
For instance, when you run CMD you will be given a "c:\>" prompt.
Use the 'dir' command to see where you are. It should list a 'Program Files (x86)' directory.
Change to this directory by using the 'cd' command. "cd Program Files (x86)"
Then use the 'dir' command to list the available directories. You should see a Nox one. Use the 'cd' command again to change to it. "cd Nox" then "cd bin" (or 'cd nox\bin' to save a step. Now you can run the adb commands for instance the adb backup command mentioned earlier that will create the key file you will need for the calibre plugin.

Again, just do one step at a time. But once you've created the backup key file using adb you are almost there. It becomes just learning how to use calibre and the decryption plugin.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Jacques Q.

This is all going a bit over my head, I'm afraid. Maybe that's just what Amazon and such are looking for ; make things just hard enough to turn off most of even the best-willing people wanting to escape their tyranny...

There are other, easier ways to decrypt Kindle books. No need to use the Android method. If you have eink Kindles registered to your account, the simplest method is to use Download & Transfer.

[lkmiller]

Or Kindle for PC/Mac.

[Shykat]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Or Kindle for PC/Mac.

Uh Oh... I guess I'm way behind..... I've been using the Android method since it came out... now you mention the Kindle for PC/Mac. Does the old method work again for the PC or do you have to get a different version of Kindle for PC and DeDrm to get it to work?

Please point me in the direction of that method and I hope it is slightly less steps than the Android version in getting the books.

Thank you.

[lkmiller]

Current version of Kindle for PC, DeDRM 10.0.9, and the KFX Input plugin will work for most books. See this post for more details.

[retro]

Originally Posted by Shykat

Uh Oh... I guess I'm way behind..... I've been using the Android method since it came out... now you mention the Kindle for PC/Mac. Does the old method work again for the PC or do you have to get a different version of Kindle for PC and DeDrm to get it to work?

Please point me in the direction of that method and I hope it is slightly less steps than the Android version in getting the books.

Thank you.

Look at the calibre sub on reddit. Just recently someone posted a complete guide with download links.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by retro

Look at the calibre sub on reddit. Just recently someone posted a complete guide with download links.

URL Please?

[Shykat]

Originally Posted by retro

Look at the calibre sub on reddit. Just recently someone posted a complete guide with download links.

I would like the URL, too, please!

[jhowell]

I saw it too.

2024 Guide to DeDRM Kindle books

[gandoe]

I have been successfully using the BlueStacks and Kindle for Android method since last June, since the Kindle for PC path no longer works for new book publications. To be honest, I've switched to Kobo purchases as much as possible, although occasionally I'll still purchase from A.

Following Post 1 and 374, I installed BS, and then used adb connect [localhostort], followed by adb backup, to "confirm and backup" my kindle data, and then using DeD and then NoD, I installed the plugins, added my Kindle keyfile, and was able to download ebooks in BS/KforA, export the *.EBOK files, and import into Calibre.

Two-three weeks ago, I purchased a newer book from A which required the BS/KforA method. Starting BS prompted an update message, which I did. However, apparently that broke some path or filelink, since after updating BS, I proceeded to download the Kindle book, export the *.EBOK files, and in Calibre imported the *.PRC files, which were encrypted.

I followed the same original setup to get a new ADB backup of the keyfile (in a different folder location). However, when attempting to add the new Kindle for Android keyfile in the Preferences/Plugin Customization menu, Calibre returned the error msg:

calibre, version 7.8.0
ERROR: Cannot open file or folder as it is in use: <p>Could not open the file: "C:\Users\egand\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp0yafmwaf ". It is already opened in the following programs:<div>The main calibre program: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe

calibre 7.8 embedded-python: True
Windows-10-10.0.22631-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '10', '10.0.22631')
Python 3.11.5
Windows: ('10', '10.0.22631', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: None
EXE path: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Gather KFX-ZIP (from KFX Input) (2, 10, 0) && DeDRM (10, 0, 9) && AZW6 Image Merge (1, 0, 0) && Package KFX (from KFX Input) (2, 10, 0) && Barnes & Noble (1, 5, 4) && Clean Metadata (0, 0, 6) && Consolidate All Library Metadata (2, 0, 46) && Embed Comic Metadata (1, 6, 6) && Ex Libris (1, 0, 19) && Extract ISBN (1, 6, 2) && Fantastic Fiction (1, 7, 0) && Fantastic Fiction Adults (1, 3, 1) && Find Duplicates (1, 10, 9) && GetFileName (0, 2, 0) && Goodreads (1, 8, 1) && Import List (1, 9, 4) && KFX metadata reader (from KFX Input) (2, 10, 0) && From KFX (2, 10, 0) && KFX Input (2, 10, 0) && Set KFX metadata (from KFX Output) (2, 7, 0) && KFX Output (2, 7, 0) && KindleUnpack - The Plugin (0, 83, 1) && Kobo Books (1, 9, 2) && Library Codes (1, 0, 65) && LibraryThing Match (0, 2, 2) && Manage Series (1, 5, 2) && Obok DeDRM (10, 0, 9) && Quality Check (1, 13, 10) && Reading List (1, 15, 3) && Search The Internet (1, 11, 2) && Smashwords Metadata (1, 0, 2) && Standard Ebooks (1, 0, 0) && User Category (1, 6, 1) && View Manager (1, 10, 3) && Wikidata (2, 0, 0) && Wikidata gui (2, 0, 0)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\egand\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\De DRM.zip\config.py", line 1424, in get_android_file
File "C:\Users\egand\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\De DRM.zip\androidkindlekey.py", line 251, in get_serials
PermissionError: [WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'C:\\Users\\egand\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\tmp0yafmw af'


I then deleted the old keyfile, exited and restarted Calibre with no difference to the result. I restarted the whole computer, and ran into the same problem.

It appears there's an old instance of this keyfile still in use somewhere in Calibre? Any suggestions about how to clear up the logjam?

Thanks in advance
Ed

[lkmiller]

You can use Kindle for PC with new books. But to fix your issue with adding the Kindle for Android key use the alpha release of DeDRM.

[gandoe]

Thank you...that worked. I loaded the new version of DeDRM, added the keyfile location with no error msgs. Then, after restarting Calibre, imported the books with no problem.

Excellent!

Best
Ed