Touch getting access to the internal memory of a kobo Touch with a broken screen?

Steena · 01-24-2014, 12:53 PM

My preschooler tripped and stepped on my 2-year-old kobo Touch earlier this week, breaking the screen. Luckily it's also my birthday week so I now have a new Aura.

Since I hadn't sync'd my device since October or November and I'm wondering if there's a way of retrieving my notes/annotations from the Touch's memory (particularly for non-kobo ebooks loaded through calibre) before I recycle it. Because of where the screen broke, I no longer see the "Connect" button when I connect it to my desktop using the USB port, nor can I sync using wifi. I took off the back cover and my model (N905) doesn't have the microSD card, unfortunately.

Kobo tech support says there's no way to connect to the device from the desktop if you can't press the Connect button on the screen, but I'm wondering if there's somehow a way to force a connection from the desktop when it's connected by USB (it's not showing up as a device on the computer) or if there's another way to retrieve data off the internal memory.

I've looked for threads/blogs discussing this but haven't found anything specific to a device that's not showing up on the desktop that doesn't have the microSD card. I'm running Windows 7 but I think my husband has Linux on one of his laptops if a different OS is needed.

tshering · 01-24-2014, 04:22 PM

Even without actually seeing the "Connect" button, you should be able to press it by tapping several times around the area where you expect the button to be.

Steena · 01-24-2014, 05:15 PM

I tried that with no luck. It doesn't seem to be detecting my taps. The light on the top does go green when I connect it, so I'm assuming that part of the device that detects the USB connection isn't damaged but that the part that senses interaction with the screen is.

tshering · 01-24-2014, 06:29 PM

If the infrared part is also broken or blocked, then you are really in trouble. But maybe it is not broken. I just tried to connect by Touch blindly to the PC. It is more difficult than I thought. My problem was, that I did not press long enough on the same spot (apart from not remembering the right place). But now I can do it. I start with one finger at the bottom of the screen, at the place where the imagined vertical line meets the left end of the home bottom. In 5 mm steps or so going upwards, I touch the screen and remain at that position for 2 seconds. After 5 to 7 steps the device connects. Maybe you would like to try it again.

davidfor · 01-24-2014, 10:17 PM

As the others have said, via the desktop app is probably the only practical way to do it. I have managed to do this with Touch that had a broken screen. The main problem was finding the button.

What I think I would try is turning it off first. Do that by holding the power button in the off position for at least 15 seconds. Then turning it on and waiting enough time for it to finish starting up. And then connecting to the PC. Looking at my Touch, the button is about 85mm from the top edge. Pressing about 35mm from the right edge should get it. The connect button seems to like a longer press rather than just a tap.

Steena · 01-25-2014, 09:06 PM

Thank you both! It took many, many tries, and several instances of Windows warning me that the device connected to that USB port had failed, but I've connected and calibre seems to be retrieving my annotations for the books I didn't get through kobo.

01-24-2014, 12:53 PM	#1
Steena Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Vancouver Device: kobo touch/kobo Aura	getting access to the internal memory of a kobo Touch with a broken screen? My preschooler tripped and stepped on my 2-year-old kobo Touch earlier this week, breaking the screen. Luckily it's also my birthday week so I now have a new Aura. Since I hadn't sync'd my device since October or November and I'm wondering if there's a way of retrieving my notes/annotations from the Touch's memory (particularly for non-kobo ebooks loaded through calibre) before I recycle it. Because of where the screen broke, I no longer see the "Connect" button when I connect it to my desktop using the USB port, nor can I sync using wifi. I took off the back cover and my model (N905) doesn't have the microSD card, unfortunately. Kobo tech support says there's no way to connect to the device from the desktop if you can't press the Connect button on the screen, but I'm wondering if there's somehow a way to force a connection from the desktop when it's connected by USB (it's not showing up as a device on the computer) or if there's another way to retrieve data off the internal memory. I've looked for threads/blogs discussing this but haven't found anything specific to a device that's not showing up on the desktop that doesn't have the microSD card. I'm running Windows 7 but I think my husband has Linux on one of his laptops if a different OS is needed.

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01-24-2014, 04:22 PM	#2
tshering Wizard Posts: 3,489 Karma: 2914715 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: kobo touch	Even without actually seeing the "Connect" button, you should be able to press it by tapping several times around the area where you expect the button to be.

01-24-2014, 05:15 PM	#3
Steena Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Vancouver Device: kobo touch/kobo Aura	I tried that with no luck. It doesn't seem to be detecting my taps. The light on the top does go green when I connect it, so I'm assuming that part of the device that detects the USB connection isn't damaged but that the part that senses interaction with the screen is.

01-24-2014, 06:29 PM	#4
tshering Wizard Posts: 3,489 Karma: 2914715 Join Date: Jun 2012 Device: kobo touch	If the infrared part is also broken or blocked, then you are really in trouble. But maybe it is not broken. I just tried to connect by Touch blindly to the PC. It is more difficult than I thought. My problem was, that I did not press long enough on the same spot (apart from not remembering the right place). But now I can do it. I start with one finger at the bottom of the screen, at the place where the imagined vertical line meets the left end of the home bottom. In 5 mm steps or so going upwards, I touch the screen and remain at that position for 2 seconds. After 5 to 7 steps the device connects. Maybe you would like to try it again.

01-24-2014, 10:17 PM	#5
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,906 Karma: 47303748 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	As the others have said, via the desktop app is probably the only practical way to do it. I have managed to do this with Touch that had a broken screen. The main problem was finding the button. What I think I would try is turning it off first. Do that by holding the power button in the off position for at least 15 seconds. Then turning it on and waiting enough time for it to finish starting up. And then connecting to the PC. Looking at my Touch, the button is about 85mm from the top edge. Pressing about 35mm from the right edge should get it. The connect button seems to like a longer press rather than just a tap.

01-25-2014, 09:06 PM	#6
Steena Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Vancouver Device: kobo touch/kobo Aura	Thank you both! It took many, many tries, and several instances of Windows warning me that the device connected to that USB port had failed, but I've connected and calibre seems to be retrieving my annotations for the books I didn't get through kobo.

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