KINDLE FORCED UPGRADE

[SpiritualMadMan]

This morning I brought up Kindle to read a book and it, WITHOUT ASKING, downloaded and updated me to version 1.15.0 (43061)

May go back to only buying from DRM providers!

I think Baen Books is still one?

I will check my next book and see if Calibre still works...

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by SpiritualMadMan

This morning I brought up Kindle to read a book and it, WITHOUT ASKING, downloaded and updated me to version 1.15.0 (43061)

Are you sure? What version were you running before?

Kindle for PC version 1.15.0 was released in 2016. The latest version is 1.30.0.

You may want to check out this thread.

[DuskyRose]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Are you sure? What version were you running before?

Kindle for PC version 1.15.0 was released in 2016. The latest version is 1.30.0.

You may want to check out this thread.

Mine did the same. I have automatic updates turned off. Started kindle4PC and it said there was an update. I told it to skip this update.

Very, totally, sure about that.

Used it, shut it down.

Opened it up a few hours later. Updated. Didn't ask. Just said what it was doing.

[dan2the6th]

Yup, just happened to me. I've been hanging on to version 1.24. Started Kindle for PC yesterday (I think) and it said 1.30 was available, and I clicked on Skip This Version (or whatever the wording). I just started the app again, and BOOM it just installed 1.30. The Windows UAC didn't even pop up to ask if I wanted to allow the installation!

[mbovenka]

Happened to me too this morning. Started K4PC (1.17) and it started the installer for 1.30 instead. When it downloaded that, I have no idea.

Reinstalling 1.17 back over it fixed it (after having to register again). Automatic updating was and still is disabled.

[pjmpjm]

Same thing happened to me this morning. Amazon automatically upgraded my old Kindle for PC to the newest version, even though I had the 'auto update' option turned off.

[Bookstooge]

Well, this is a disturbing trend that I don't like...

[TxHawkeye]

Just happened to me as well. Had 1.21.48017 for many months with automatic updates disabled. This morning when I started K4PC, 1.30 was automatically downloaded and installed.

I uninstalled 1.30, installed 1.24.51068 (ensuring automatic updates are disabled).

Had to re-register. So far, so good. But I'm expecting it may only be temporary until Amazon forces the upgrade to 1.30 again.

[Quoth]

Put it in a VM with no internet?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Put it in a VM with no internet?

How do you download books with no internet?

[jackie_w]

I'm on Windows 10 using Kindle for PC v1.24.51068

My observations are that it is fairly easy to avoid the unwanted upgrade but it will be tedious if you open it many times per day.

When the Kindle app is opened it starts to download this file - whether you want it or not:

C:\Users\<myusername>\AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\updates\KindleForPC-installer.exe

When you close the app it runs this downloaded installer [ETA: or maybe it runs it when you next open the app]. So you can avoid the update running by deleting this file before you exit.

It should work for now but I wouldn't expect this workaround to be anything more than a sticking plaster until Amazon find a more sophisticated way to force their upgrades and KFX format on you.

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by TxHawkeye

Just happened to me as well. Had 1.21.48017 for many months with automatic updates disabled. This morning when I started K4PC, 1.30 was automatically downloaded and installed.

I uninstalled 1.30, installed 1.24.51068 (ensuring automatic updates are disabled).

Had to re-register. So far, so good. But I'm expecting it may only be temporary until Amazon forces the upgrade to 1.30 again.

Have you exited (shut down) the app and gone back to it? If the older version has "stuck" then it's like the Kindle cover issue: they force it once per new upgrade per account, rather than specifically recognizing the older version each time you use it.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

I'm on Windows 10 using Kindle for PC v1.24.51068

My observations are that it is fairly easy to avoid the unwanted upgrade but it will be tedious if you open it many times per day.

When the Kindle app is opened it starts to download this file - whether you want it or not:

C:\Users\<myusername>\AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\updates\KindleForPC-installer.exe

When you close the app it runs this downloaded installer. So you can avoid the update running by deleting this file before you exit.

It should work for now but I wouldn't expect this workaround to be anything more than a sticking plaster until Amazon find a more sophisticated way to force their upgrades and KFX format on you.

So, how about:

1. Make sure your user has no elevated privileges without a password.

2. replace the above file with a readonly 0 byte file owned by whichever user on the computer has the highest administrative privileges.

[jhowell]

Another way to disable Kindle for PC updates is to replace the "updates" folder with a file of the same name. That prevents an update from being downloaded. Kindle for PC will still ask if you want to download the new update each time it is restarted, but it will not be able to do so.

I have created a simple Windows batch file to preform this change. See attached.

Spoiler:

@echo off
set KINDLE=%LocalAppData%\Amazon\Kindle
if not exist "%KINDLE%\application\Kindle.exe" goto :nokindle
if exist "%KINDLE%\storage" if not exist "%KINDLE%\storage\" del /Q "%KINDLE%\storage"
if exist "%KINDLE%\updates" rmdir /S /Q "%KINDLE%\updates"
echo This file disables Kindle for PC downloads. > "%KINDLE%\updates"
echo Kindle for PC downloads are now disabled
goto :exit
:nokindle
echo Cannot disable downloads - Kindle for PC is not installed at expected location
:exit
pause

------

Update: Oops, I accidentally used the wrong folder in the first version of the batch file. I apologize to anyone who downloaded this previously.

The current version of the batch will fix the broken folder created by the previous version, but you will need to re-register Kindle for PC afterwards. Sorry!

[julesy]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Another way to disable Kindle for PC updates is to replace the "storage" folder with a file of the same name. That prevents an update from being downloaded. Kindle for PC will still ask if you want to download the new update ach time it is restarted, but it will not be able to do so.

I have created a simple Windows batch file to preform this change. See attached.

Thank you for this. I ran the .bat file. We will see if the Kindle for PC 1.17 gets updated again. What a pain it was to restore to the old version!