Kindle book cover thumbnails disappearing - Page 4

abhisheknandi · 05-20-2020, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

I wondered if you put on your Kindle long enough in airplane mode that the covers won't disappear. Has anyone tried this? And if so how long did it take?

I tried that but didn't work. I loaded books via calibre and kept in on airplane mode for 25 hours. But the moment I turned ON WIFI, it disappeared.
One more observation...
It happpens with my most 'recent' set of books that I've side loaded. Eg the covers of the books loaded during the last 3/4 iterations disappear(most of them). I've old books that are sideloaded but their covers are intact (thankfully!)
Logged a complain with Amazon..hope they remove this 'feature' that nobody asked for

Stay safe all

Fivepoints · 05-20-2020, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhisheknandi

One more observation...
It happpens with my most 'recent' set of books that I've side loaded. Eg the covers of the books loaded during the last 3/4 iterations disappear(most of them). I've old books that are sideloaded but their covers are intact (thankfully!)

Stay safe all

Hello. I registered after lurking forever just to post the same as above. My older sideloaded books are just fine. It is only books sideloaded in the last five days which are giving me a problem. I am sideloading via the latest Calibre version.

Just in case that gives someone some information to narrow down how to fix this.

MrSlow&Steady · 05-20-2020, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DNSB

Overpriced compared to what? A Libra H2O compared to a Oasis 2?

Never mind. We're getting off topic.

MrSlow&Steady · 05-20-2020, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhisheknandi

I tried that but didn't work. I loaded books via calibre and kept in on airplane mode for 25 hours. But the moment I turned ON WIFI, it disappeared.
One more observation...
It happpens with my most 'recent' set of books that I've side loaded. Eg the covers of the books loaded during the last 3/4 iterations disappear(most of them). I've old books that are sideloaded but their covers are intact (thankfully!)
Logged a complain with Amazon..hope they remove this 'feature' that nobody asked for

Stay safe all

Oh dear.

This is far from assuring. Thanks...

abhisheknandi · 05-20-2020, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

Oh dear.

This is far from assuring. Thanks...

if we can find out why it is NOT happening with all the 'recent' books, maybe we will get more clarity.

I tried comparing a recent 'good vs bad book' and even copied the metadata of good book to the bad book but still it didn't work.
Someone got the source code of the kindle job that updates the book cover?

kovidgoyal · 05-20-2020, 11:17 PM

It seems fairly clear that the kindle firmware tries to update covers for "newly" uploaded books, exactly once. Before the change to amazon's servers, the firmware would do it, and fail and keep the calibre generated thumbnail. After the update, it does it and replaces the thumbnail with its spurious "no cover available" image.

So this will affect any book that the firmware thinks is "newly added" on a date after the amazon server was changed.

Assuming amazon refuses to fix their firmware/servers to do the sensible thing, the best possible workaround seems to be for calibre to restore changed thumbnails on subsequent reconnects. This means to send a book to the kindle, with cover, you have to send, disconnect, wait for the Kindle to destroy the cover, then re-connect and have calibre restore the cover.

DNSB · 05-20-2020, 11:42 PM

Perhaps something like the KoboUtilities Upload covers for selected books option would be usable.

abhisheknandi · 05-21-2020, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

It seems fairly clear that the kindle firmware tries to update covers for "newly" uploaded books, exactly once. Before the change to amazon's servers, the firmware would do it, and fail and keep the calibre generated thumbnail. After the update, it does it and replaces the thumbnail with its spurious "no cover available" image.

So this will affect any book that the firmware thinks is "newly added" on a date after the amazon server was changed.

Assuming amazon refuses to fix their firmware/servers to do the sensible thing, the best possible workaround seems to be for calibre to restore changed thumbnails on subsequent reconnects. This means to send a book to the kindle, with cover, you have to send, disconnect, wait for the Kindle to destroy the cover, then re-connect and have calibre restore the cover.

Hi Kovid,
How can Calibre restore the cover? I mean is there any button or option in calibre? It doesn't happen automatically I believe as I've connected to Calibre few times in the last week.

Kindly share the steps.
Also one small correction. It doesn't remove the covers for all 'new' books.

kovidgoyal · 05-21-2020, 01:05 AM

It doesn't, this is a description of a future workaround.

shamanNS · 05-21-2020, 06:20 AM

Would setting last modified and date created (on thumbnail file) to a past date make any difference?

kovidgoyal · 05-21-2020, 07:01 AM

I doubt the kindle considers only timestamps when deciding a file is new, but it should be easy to test, just change the timestamps yourself for the newly sent files before ejecting the kindle and see if it works.

JSWolf · 05-21-2020, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

Also I noticed the readers are overpriced. Also, they have no 32 GB readers anymore FML

Kobo Readers cost less then Kindles. So how are Kobo's overpriced if Kindles are not?

The Forma has a 32GB model, but it is out-of-stock.

Kobo prices from Walmart. Kindle prices are with special offers. Without special offers, Kindle prices increase $20.

Kobo Libra H2O: $169.96
Kindle Oasis 3 8GB: $279.99
Kobo Forma: 8GB: $299.99
Kobo Clara HD: $89.96
Kobo Paperwhite 4: $129.99

So I would say that Kobo Readers are priced less then Kindles.

BiliBug · 05-21-2020, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hengyu

Not sure about Mac, but on Windows you have to uncheck the "hide protected OS files" thingy before the folder shows up.

Mac:

When in Kindle finder window,

Command + Shift + .

Same to revert.

-BiliBug

MrSlow&Steady · 05-21-2020, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhisheknandi

if we can find out why it is NOT happening with all the 'recent' books, maybe we will get more clarity.

I tried comparing a recent 'good vs bad book' and even copied the metadata of good book to the bad book but still it didn't work.
Someone got the source code of the kindle job that updates the book cover?

I hope Calibre is working on an update that will fix that.

Fivepoints · 05-21-2020, 05:17 PM

Between this and the weird main menu button for Inverted Mode showing up on random people's Kindles, there is a lot of weirdness going on.

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05-20-2020, 11:17 PM	#51
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It seems fairly clear that the kindle firmware tries to update covers for "newly" uploaded books, exactly once. Before the change to amazon's servers, the firmware would do it, and fail and keep the calibre generated thumbnail. After the update, it does it and replaces the thumbnail with its spurious "no cover available" image. So this will affect any book that the firmware thinks is "newly added" on a date after the amazon server was changed. Assuming amazon refuses to fix their firmware/servers to do the sensible thing, the best possible workaround seems to be for calibre to restore changed thumbnails on subsequent reconnects. This means to send a book to the kindle, with cover, you have to send, disconnect, wait for the Kindle to destroy the cover, then re-connect and have calibre restore the cover.

05-20-2020, 11:42 PM	#52
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 35,356 Karma: 145435140 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Forma, Clara HD, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	Perhaps something like the KoboUtilities Upload covers for selected books option would be usable.

05-21-2020, 01:05 AM	#54
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	It doesn't, this is a description of a future workaround.

05-21-2020, 06:20 AM	#55
shamanNS Guru Posts: 885 Karma: 10113994 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Serbia Device: Kindle PW5 [bricked], Kindle PW1	Would setting last modified and date created (on thumbnail file) to a past date make any difference?

05-21-2020, 07:01 AM	#56
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I doubt the kindle considers only timestamps when deciding a file is new, but it should be easy to test, just change the timestamps yourself for the newly sent files before ejecting the kindle and see if it works.

05-21-2020, 05:17 PM	#60
Fivepoints Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2020 Device: Oasis 3	Between this and the weird main menu button for Inverted Mode showing up on random people's Kindles, there is a lot of weirdness going on.

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