Problem authorising DRM (library books) files

[paulaf]

Hi,
I'm new to this forum but found it very informative. Was running 4.2.8432 and can no longer open library books, many people seem to have this issue see link below, and today Kobo told me they are aware of it and are working on a fix, so I upgraded from here to 4.3.8945 and they still didn't open so it appears it is not fixed yet?

https://forums.adobe.com/message/9384241#9384241

I think there is an error in authorising the Kobo to open the DRM files even though Adobe Digital Editions says the device is authorized.
So as I knew my Kobo touch Mark 3 was working fine last year I went back to 3.19.5761 from your website and the library books will now open fine so thanks for that, but obviously I cannot access my books purchased as I would need to sync from the desktop site won't I and then will it update to the latest version again which I don't want?
So are you aware of this issue?
Thanks

[PeterT]

What version of ADE pn your desktop?

[paulaf]

It was 3.0 and didn't work but once I put the 2015 software back on my kobo the books uploaded fine with version 3.0 and 4.5. I firmly believe that it there is an issue with the kobo software

[paulaf]

What terrible customer service from Kobo, various suggestions offered demonstrating they don't understand the problem, then the last one basically said they had given up and to contact Adobe ! I don't think it is an Adobe issue as the software from December 2015 which I have rolled back to works perfectly fine, but unfortunately I can't read my purchased books as I don't want to sync with my account.

They are assisting someone who is posting on the Adobe forum where many people are reporting the same problem and now they want to know the ISDN numbers of the books affected as if it is a caused by the books from various public libraries. Mine work fine on the old version of software but not on the last 2 versions.

[paulaf]

Is anyone else having this problem?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by paulaf

Is anyone else having this problem?

Nope. I've just copied the activation.xml file from one Kobo ereader to another for years now and no issues. This saves me from having to jump through hoops with Adobe when they think I've exceeded my activations after doing a factory reset once too often. Please note that I have not updated past ADE 2.0.1 due to known issues with ADE 3.0 and 4.0. I'm sticking with 2.0.1 until my local library says that version will no longer work.

ADE 2.0.1 is still available from Adobe's download page at Digital Editions Downloads.

I've also tried ADE 4.5 but when I tried to test the advertised ability that if I fulfilled an ebook on one device that all devices enabled with the same Adobe ID would automatically download the same ebook, it caused corruption on my Nexus tablet and iPhone. I never got around to extending the test to my Kobo ereaders as I didn't really feel another factory reset was what I needed that week.

[compurandom]

I've had this odd bug with kobo / ADE across multiple firmwares and multiple versions of ADE and multiple firmware updates. Immediately after a factory reset, if I reauthorize my kobo and move _one_ protected book to it, the kobo tells me the book is protected and isn't authorized. (Can't remember exact message.)

However, if I move two books at once for the first try, then everything works fine, and subsequent books work fine moved one at a time.

This is kinda hard to test as you'd have to factory reset to make the bug reoccur once it starts working.

[paulaf]

Does anyone know yet whether the latest firmware has fixed this issue please? Kobo have advised me they are working on it.

[compurandom]

It's so easy to work around and so rarely occurs (only after factory reset)...

[paulaf]

What is the easy workaround then please? Many people are having this problem and are thoroughly fed up with Kobo!

[stumped]

i know we aren't supposed to suggest this but stripping the adobe drm, moving & reading the book(s) using your device(s)with no hassle, then deleting all stripped copies when the loan period expires seems both ethical and pragmatic

[paulaf]

If this solves the problem please could you expand further and tell me exactly what to do please? Thanks

[meeera]

Originally Posted by paulaf

If this solves the problem please could you expand further and tell me exactly what to do please? Thanks

Not here on mobileread. Nor anywhere else that i can think of, come to that, when it's library books.

[stumped]

The process that works for bought books will work for library. That is a technical fact But even typing that sentence here is borderline on a ban

, though if you are honestly deleting your temp modified copies at end of loan period then I don't have an ethical issue.

So that is all that can be said, publicly

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by paulaf

What is the easy workaround then please? Many people are having this problem and are thoroughly fed up with Kobo!

I think the workaround was explained in computerandom's earlier post:

Originally Posted by compurandom

I've had this odd bug with kobo / ADE across multiple firmwares and multiple versions of ADE and multiple firmware updates. Immediately after a factory reset, if I reauthorize my kobo and move _one_ protected book to it, the kobo tells me the book is protected and isn't authorized. (Can't remember exact message.)

However, if I move two books at once for the first try, then everything works fine, and subsequent books work fine moved one at a time.

I.e. the workaround is to load two books at once, and then the problem is fixed until the next factory reset, when you would once again need to load two books at once to fix it. (I can't comment on whether this works, as I've never encountered the problem it is supposed to work around.)