Installation Instructions for Kobo-1, Release 1.8.1

[PeterT]

Any chance you might have either a flaky USB cable OR a flaky USB port on your PC?

The cable is easily replaced; many many devices come with the identical cable, and you can also inexpensively purchase one.

You might also try an external charger.... These are small devices that have a USB socket on them and plug into the mains. Some mobile phones for instance come with these devices.

[taming]

On a related note to Peter's suggestion, have you done a reboot on your computer? For some reason, a few Windows users have had issues related to drivers that seem to not completely install/update. I don't get it, but the universe does not care what a middle aged sorta techie type thinks. In any case, it is always worth checking the mechanical issues first, and that includes things like rebooting the computer, trying another USB port/cable, etc.

[JimPuchai]

Originally Posted by taming

On a related note to Peter's suggestion, have you done a reboot on your computer? For some reason, a few Windows users have had issues related to drivers that seem to not completely install/update. I don't get it, but the universe does not care what a middle aged sorta techie type thinks. In any case, it is always worth checking the mechanical issues first, and that includes things like rebooting the computer, trying another USB port/cable, etc.

Thanks for the suggestions.

The reboot did nothing, but a change of cable seems to have made a difference. It is quietly sitting here with the red charge light showing and none of that unseemly flashy business.

I will leave it now for some hours while I finish my beauty sleep. Time will tell

---------------------------------------
Update


Bingo!

A techie since 1957 I was fooled by a bad cable. The subtlety of an intermittent cable has escaped detection for half the time I have owned the Kobo. The language I have used in talking about battery life would have blistered the paint off an aircraft carrier

My revenge on the cable will be to use it as a cordwanglers moolee while I am grusseting my gander parts.

Ta, ever so ta.

[cmm]

edit:

nm

[Kiwiboater]

Hi all. New to this, had my Kobo since Sept 2010.
Was prompted for the 1.8.3 update tonight, and it went according to the instructions. But at the end the Kobo froze, said it was updating files, 2 hours later I got a bit worried. Unplugged it, tried the pin reset, resets to the "kobo eReading anytime anyplace" screen.
Now no power or charging light, the PC won't detect it on any USB port.
Rang Kobo and they say that it has to go back to Canada for them to look at to fix or replace.

Does anyone have any ideas. I can't exactly take the battery out!!

David

[paulak]

David, have you tried it on another computer?

[rischa]

Both times my Kobo has frozen similar to that, I've had to take it to the store and get it re-flashed - do you have an appropriate Kobo reseller nearby that might help you with that?

[paulak]

David, have you got it sorted yet?

[PenelopeWeaving]

Originally Posted by Kiwiboater

Hi all. New to this, had my Kobo since Sept 2010.
Was prompted for the 1.8.3 update tonight, and it went according to the instructions. But at the end the Kobo froze, said it was updating files, 2 hours later I got a bit worried. Unplugged it, tried the pin reset, resets to the "kobo eReading anytime anyplace" screen.
Now no power or charging light, the PC won't detect it on any USB port.
Rang Kobo and they say that it has to go back to Canada for them to look at to fix or replace.

Does anyone have any ideas. I can't exactly take the battery out!!

David

I am having the same problem - my Kobo red light comes on but it is totally dead - blank screen....nothing. I have written to Kobo and once they got past the usual useless answers, I haven't heard a thing. It really upsets me. I had enough faith in them to preorder a Kobo and they have left me hanging now for four days with no suggestions or help. I live three hours' drive from the closest Chapters. I wish now that I had purchased a Sony!

[PenelopeWeaving]

Originally Posted by AHarbin

I dont know what the new version does but it did not work properly for me. The preloaded books were fine and in the new format for dictionary use. I updated from 1.4 without problems seemingly but all of my other KOBO books were scrambled (chapters repeated and pages repeated). I resynced twice, loaded the new firmware twice by forcing on and reloaded desktop software but nothing worked. ADE still was working.

I contacted KOBO help online and got a response to factory reset within two days. This did work. I resynced my KOBO (ADE DRM) purchased books. re authorized the reader on ADE, loaded other books purchased through Sony (ADE DRM) and also some epubs (no DRM) and purchased a new KOBO book. All seems to be working now. Having to do a factory reset to load new firmware is a real pain even if the upgrade process is an improvement over 1.4

I also upgraded to 1.8.3 and now my Kobo is dead and the Kobo Desktop App. doesn't even recognize it. There is no Sync. or Eject button. No, it is not a faulty cable. My Kobo screen is totally blank. Only the red light comes on. Kobo Help Desk has been useless - no suggestions or help at all once we got past their telling me to check the FAQ. I am really upset. I had faith in Kobo and preordered and they have left me hanging now for four days.

[sabredog]

Take it to the store you purchased it from and ask them to reflash firmware with an SD card image. Sounds like your update (done via USB?) failed.

[PenelopeWeaving]

Originally Posted by sabredog

Take it to the store you purchased it from and ask them to reflash firmware with an SD card image. Sounds like your update (done via USB?) failed.

Problem is that I preordered on line and so, didn't actually go to a physical store but yes, it is looking as though I will have to take it to a store. Here again, I live three hours from Calgary and the nearest Chapters/Indigo store.

[Kiwiboater]

Hi all,
Sorry re no update or reply. been busy at work and building a house.

Well what a saga. Ended up phoning Kobo twice. They promised to get the courier info to me so I could return the reader. NOTHING.
So I went into Whitcoulls. They rang Kobo. 4 days later nothing. Went into Whitcoulls again, phoned Kobo again, a few days later still nothing.
At 2 weeks having received no return instructions I went back to Whitcoulls and demanded my money back. They offered me a new Wifi Kobo.
Now, just when you're thinking that my troubles are over ...think again.
I charged the new Kobo, followed the instructions, it picked up my 4 books that were on the site, but has lost the 100 free books. Says that only 11mb of memory is being used when I recall that the freebies used 110mb
I don't care because I was going to delete them anyway, however some of my purchased books are corrupted. The first sentance of each chapter is faded out so you can't read it!!
Going to phone Kobo tonight to see if their excellent customer services can assist. I'll update you all.
Cheers David

[Kiwiboater]

Hi all update.

Well my 100 free books suddenly appeared afeter a couple more days after syncing the Kobo. Bugger!! I then had to delet 60 books - what a manual process, but at least you can do it on Kobo 2.

Now still ahve a corrupted book. After ringing Kobo 3 times, finally struck someone who had a oretty good idea. She thinks the book at their end has been updated by the publisher, release dto them, when I sync I pick up the update, and hey presto I have a book that I can't read.
Kobo are now investigating. Seems that this does happen from time to time.
Funnily enough, the first few pages had changed, with a lot of 2nd 'blank' pages there now where before they were not there.

Apart from this one book I love my Kobo Wifi. Heaps faster.
Cheers
David

[fglaysher]

Originally Posted by taming

Installation of 1.8.1 Original Kobo

I am updating this as things come up. Please read the whole (very long) post before you begin.

This update is only for the original Kobo--not the WiFi version.


On December 21, Kobo released 1.8.2 which addresses the problems people were having with Adobe DRM books. Please see JC Kobo's post for more information. Note that he recommends this update to anyone who is having related issues with 1.8.1. If all your problems are resolved, you can pass on this one, if you wish.

As far as I can tell, people who have 1.8 or 1.8.1 or 1.8.2 or 1.8.3 working properly need not do any new updates (in the 1.8.X series) if the reader is working well. Each of those incremental updates past 1.8.0 were created, to address difficulties people were having with the 1.8.0 update (and beyond). The features and function are the same for all of them.

The 1.8.3 release addresses an issue where KXML books were having repeating pages (this was the only change made from 1.8.2).



It works best if you to do a factory reset (in settings--advanced) before doing the update. If you pass on this, and have strange things happening, try a factory reset at that point.

If you have sideloaded books (books not added through sync with the desktop reader), things go more smoothly if you remove them if they are still on your reader after the factory reset.

The 0.7.34 Calibre version is Kobo 1.8.1 friendly. If you ran 1.8.1 with earlier versions, you may have a corrupted data base. There are other reasons, of course that folks sometimes have a corrupted Db.

If you do have a corrupted Db, then instructions for replacing it can be found here. . Please note: when you are installing a new database, in 1.8 you will replace 3 things: the entire images directory, kepub directory, and database. this is different than 1.4 which did not have a kepub directory. Your preloaded books will have dictionary support after you replace these files.

One MR user stated that after she did the update she replaced the db and re-synced. All of her Calibre loaded books were still there and she didn't have to re-authorize ADE at all. Since my reader is fine, I can't repeat this to confirm.

When you have done a factory reset you will have to reauthorize your Kobo reader with Adobe Digital Editions (if you load ePUB files).If you run out of authorizations in ADE, go to this page in Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/support/digitaleditions/. Look to your left, you will see "submit a web case". Make a request to have your authorizations reset. They seem to do this fairly quickly. The reader will appear to work without an authorization and not need a de-authorization and then a re-authorization, but it does. Instructions are in the WiKi for doing this.

Some Windows user may have to try the update twice. On some machines, the finding new hardware script interrupts the update. It looks like the script then completes, so the 2nd attempt at the update goes through just fine.

There is a small group of people that have downloaded the 1.8 firmware. Those people will have to do press Control+Shift+U (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+U (MAC) when the desktop application opens to get upgrades.

Anyone who has the 1.8 desktop will get the upgrade prompt if they plug in a 1.0 or 1.4 Kobo Reader.

Any Kobo Wi Fi users will get the new Desktop at the same rate as original Kobo users. They'll get the new Desktop features but there won't be any change to their Kobo Wi Fi's.

I asked Kobo staff about partners like Borders AU and they said: "We will be updating those partners soon. Right now the only people who are getting the 1.8 upgrades are those that see pink and teal in their desktop apps."

An unofficial Linux desktop application is now available. It is in the ongoing Linux thread here. Note: Kobo does not officially support Linux and this update is for Ubuntu.

The dictionary works on kepub files only. Books that are on your reader in the old kobo format will not have dictionary support. That means if you are doing an update from 1.0 or 1.4, any of the books that were on your reader before the update and stayed on the reader after it was done will NOT have dictionary support as they continue to be on in the old kobo format.

If Calibre sideloaded books stay in "I'm Reading", remember that you can change their status from the Calibre application. With the kobo plugged in and detected, go into "show books in main memory of the device" or "show books in storage slot a", depending on where the books are, and set the flag for "collections" to blank if they are showing up as "Im_reading". Setting the status as "Read" also works.

I bought my kobo reader online and at Border's and have the Border's desktop. It hasn't automatically updated. I still have version 1.4 (Jun 27, 2010). I have the first Kobo reader, non-wireless, if that helps figure out what to do.

The "Sticky Installation Instructions for Kobo-1, Release 1.8.1" doesn't seem to have any links to another firmware update that I can find in it.

I installed the Kobo Desktop on my computer from their website. The Control+Shift+U on my PC doesn't work because I don't have the 1.8 version, but the original 1.4, so nothing happens and again it isn't automatically updating.

I'm kind of stuck. Not sure what to do... open to all suggestions!

I appreciate your help...