Mobi Files Crashing in Kindle Fire

[Sasssysweeet]

I've been trying to find something on this all month and am so frustrated there doesn't seem to be anyone else having this problem. After the recent Kindle Fire update I haven't been able to use any files currently converted with Calibre. Let me explain this...

Any files I made several months ago will read in my KF but files I've tried converting in the last month will not read. That is to say, I can open them but within seconds they crash and I'm returned to the main screen. Things that cause the crashing are changing the font size or background. Once it crashes then I can never get it to work again. The file will only stay open for a few seconds.

I tried completely removing calibre and using an older version of the program but even that is not working despite that it's the same version that I used to make the old files that do seem to work.

I hope I explained this clearly enough, if not please ask me questions and I'll do my best to fill in any blanks. This is very frustrating as I do a lot of conversions and am now unable to read any of the converted books done this month. I'm guessing that it has something to do with the KF update but as I am not an expert in this area I cannot be positive. Is there anyone who can help me with this??? I would so greatly appreciate any help.

[Blossom]

I use Calibre daily to convert to mobi and never have an issue. I would do a factory reset. See if that fixes it. If not then it could be your device has a bad firmware update or it could be a setting in Calibre you are using that I'm not.

[Sasssysweeet]

I've done a reset, twice. I have used the Calibre for two years and never changed the settings. This all happened a few days after the new KF update. As I said all my old files converted two years to a couple months ago work fine. I tried resetting all Calibre settings back to default, that didn't work. The settings I usually use are 'putting a space between paragraphs', 'don't add table of contents', and I used to use 'enable sharing'. I never mess with the settings too much because I don't know what most of it means. In fact I used Calibre for a whole year before I realized what metadata was and that I could insert a new cover. LOL. I was ecstatic. I found a site where one other person seems to be having this problem at the same time mine started but no one seems to be active on the thread so I came here.

[Sydney's Mom]

Have you asked this question in the Calibre forum? They are very, very helpful.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Sasssysweeet

I've done a reset, twice. I have used the Calibre for two years and never changed the settings. This all happened a few days after the new KF update. As I said all my old files converted two years to a couple months ago work fine. I tried resetting all Calibre settings back to default, that didn't work. The settings I usually use are 'putting a space between paragraphs', 'don't add table of contents', and I used to use 'enable sharing'. I never mess with the settings too much because I don't know what most of it means. In fact I used Calibre for a whole year before I realized what metadata was and that I could insert a new cover. LOL. I was ecstatic. I found a site where one other person seems to be having this problem at the same time mine started but no one seems to be active on the thread so I came here.

Try this, download a free mobi from Smashwords and sideload it. See if you get crashes still. We need to narrow down if a Calibre converted mobi is really the problem or not.

[Cinderela]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Try this, download a free mobi from Smashwords and sideload it. See if you get crashes still. We need to narrow down if a Calibre converted mobi is really the problem or not.

Since the OP hasn't responded and I have been having the exact same issue with my KF, I performed this test. (I am using the current 8.47 version of Calibre. This problem started around the time Amazon pushed the most recent update and Calibre upgraded to version .47)

The Smashwords file sideloaded worked fine. So, I guess this is a Calibre conversion issue.

The symptoms of my problem are even weirder. The epub-to-mobi files are read with no problem on my Kindle KB, but perform the "open then close" routine on my Fire. (But not *every* converted file, just some - and I haven't been able to find anything in common among the files that won't open.) I've tried resetting/reinstalling/reformatting/reconverting with every option I could search for on this forum, the Amazon Kindle forum and the Calibre help section.

At my wits end!!!! I love my Kindles (Amazon WILL synch last page read on sideloaded files) and Calibre, but I've run out of things to try!

This probably should be moved to the Calibre forum - Mods, can you take care of that?

[KevinH]

Hi,

I have access to some tools like Mobi_Unpack.py and DumpMobiHeader.py that should be able to let us compare to see what has changed.

Please find an older calibre mobi conversion from an epub in your library that works and save it and then convert that epub again using the latest calibre and verify that the new conversion is faulty.

Then post a zip archive of both the broken and working mobis. And it wouldn't hurt to include the original epub as well.

With the Mobi_Unpack.py and DumpMobiHeader.py tools, we should be able to see what if anything changed to help Kovid track down the issue.

KevinH

Originally Posted by Cinderela

Since the OP hasn't responded and I have been having the exact same issue with my KF, I performed this test. (I am using the current 8.47 version of Calibre. This problem started around the time Amazon pushed the most recent update and Calibre upgraded to version .47)

The Smashwords file sideloaded worked fine. So, I guess this is a Calibre conversion issue.

The symptoms of my problem are even weirder. The epub-to-mobi files are read with no problem on my Kindle KB, but perform the "open then close" routine on my Fire. (But not *every* converted file, just some - and I haven't been able to find anything in common among the files that won't open.) I've tried resetting/reinstalling/reformatting/reconverting with every option I could search for on this forum, the Amazon Kindle forum and the Calibre help section.

At my wits end!!!! I love my Kindles (Amazon WILL synch last page read on sideloaded files) and Calibre, but I've run out of things to try!

This probably should be moved to the Calibre forum - Mods, can you take care of that?

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinderela

Since the OP hasn't responded and I have been having the exact same issue with my KF, I performed this test. (I am using the current 8.47 version of Calibre. This problem started around the time Amazon pushed the most recent update and Calibre upgraded to version .47)

The Smashwords file sideloaded worked fine. So, I guess this is a Calibre conversion issue.

The symptoms of my problem are even weirder. The epub-to-mobi files are read with no problem on my Kindle KB, but perform the "open then close" routine on my Fire. (But not *every* converted file, just some - and I haven't been able to find anything in common among the files that won't open.) I've tried resetting/reinstalling/reformatting/reconverting with every option I could search for on this forum, the Amazon Kindle forum and the Calibre help section.

At my wits end!!!! I love my Kindles (Amazon WILL synch last page read on sideloaded files) and Calibre, but I've run out of things to try!

This probably should be moved to the Calibre forum - Mods, can you take care of that?

This is such an odd thing. Let's do a factory reset and then come back and see if that fixed it. Are you using Calibre with Windows or another O/S?

[Cinderela]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Hi,

I have access to some tools like Mobi_Unpack.py and DumpMobiHeader.py that should be able to let us compare to see what has changed.

Please find an older calibre mobi conversion from an epub in your library that works and save it and then convert that epub again using the latest calibre and verify that the new conversion is faulty.

Then post a zip archive of both the broken and working mobis. And it wouldn't hurt to include the original epub as well.

With the Mobi_Unpack.py and DumpMobiHeader.py tools, we should be able to see what if anything changed to help Kovid track down the issue.

KevinH

The problem with your request is the conversion is hit or miss for the Fire. Batch converting produces files the Fire will open and files it won't. If the conversion isn't successful, it isn't successful now matter how many times I reconvert or how many options I change. The EXACT SAME FILES (converted using the FIRE output!) can be read perfectly on my Kindle KB. I can post the files that work on the KB but not the Kindle if you like.

Originally Posted by Blossom

This is such an odd thing. Let's do a factory reset and then come back and see if that fixed it. Are you using Calibre with Windows or another O/S?

I've already done this TWICE! And re-loading 1,000 books from Calibre takes so long that I don't want to do this again if I can help it. (Yes, I know it's a lot of books - long story - multiple users and tons of travel time. ) I'm using Calibre on Windows.

And, for the swift responses - you have no idea how grateful I am! This issue has been driving me nuts ever since the problem surfaced! I don't even want to think about how many hours I've wasted trying to fix the problem! Thank you!

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by Cinderela

I have no problem posting the files - the problem is the conversion is hit or miss for the Fire. (If I understand what files you want me to post) If the conversion isn't successful, it isn't successful now matter how many times I reconvert or how many options I change. The EXACT SAME FILES can be read perfectly on my Kindle KB. I can post the files that work on the KB but not the Kindle if you like.

Yes, that would help. If you have one or two .mobi ebooks that work on the Kindle KB but not the Kindle Fire that should help get things started. It would help to include the original epub they were generated from. I can then run them through the latest kindlegen and my own KF8Writer software to use as comparison cases.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinderela

I've already done this TWICE! And re-loading 1,000 books from Calibre that I don't want to do this again if I can help it. (Yes, I know it's a lot of books - long story - multiple users and tons of travel time. ) I'm using Calibre on Windows.

And, for the swift responses - you have no idea how grateful I am! This issue has been driving me nuts ever since the problem surfaced! I don't even want to think about how many hours I've wasted trying to fix the problem! Thank you!

I would do as posted above suggested and submit those files to Kovid. I don't know why it's happening to some and not others it has to be the source used in conversion or bad firmware update.

I always use the option in Look N Feel to remove fonts, margins and colors. I never have an issue with any of my books. I do however use a different profile. Maybe you could try that and see but my guess it's the source. If you take a epub from smashwords convert to mobi then sideload does it crash?

[Cinderela]

Originally Posted by KevinH

Yes, that would help. If you have one or two .mobi ebooks that work on the Kindle KB but not the Kindle Fire that should help get things started. It would help to include the original epub they were generated from. I can then run them through the latest kindlegen and my own KF8Writer software to use as comparison cases.

Here you go. Since I batch convert & send to device, I'm not sure I know HOW many files I have that won't work. I travel a lot, so I have my library duplicated on both my Fire & my KB.......can't say I have tried to open EVERY file........... I do know that files batch converted and sent to device together don't all work on the Fire.

Again, thanks for your help unraveling this problem.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I would do as posted above suggested and submit those files to Kovid. I don't know why it's happening to some and not others it has to be the source used in conversion or bad firmware update.

I always use the option in Look N Feel to remove fonts, margins and colors. I never have an issue with any of my books. I do however use a different profile. Maybe you could try that and see but my guess it's the source. If you take a epub from smashwords convert to mobi then sideload does it crash?

It didn't with the one I tested originally, but not EVERY one crashes. Of course, the idea that the source was bad never crossed my mind.

[KevinH]

Hi,

I have seen one very strange thing. Your metadata item "Description" seems to use both html tags and smart quotes in it. This is true for both books you have sent.

I have never actually seen a book with html tags used inside of a metadata field.

Could you try deleting the html tags from the "Description" and use dumb quotes and see if the Kindle Fire still gives you trouble.

EXTH MetaData
    Key: "Description"
        Value: "<div><p><em>I put it to William, particularly, that if you find someone you love in life, you must hang on to that love and look after it. . . . You must protect it. </em>

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinderela

It didn't with the one I tested originally, but not EVERY one crashes. Of course, the idea that the source was bad never crossed my mind.

You might want to PM him those files. They are Copyrighted and should be removed from the post above. I took a look at them before deleting them. The epub are Calibre converted sources not originals. You should convert from the original epub you got in ADE straight to mobi and see if that fixes it.

[KevinH]

Hi,

Yes, as Blossom said, if these are commercial copyrighted ebooks, please edit your post and remove the FilesRequested.zip attachment. They should be removed from Mobileread asap.

Both files read / viewed perfectly fine using the very latest Kindle Previewer.
Both mobi ebooks both unpack perfectly with Mobi_Unpack.py and the only unusual thing is the use of # <div> <em> tags in the metadata for Description. I looked at the epubs you sent, and they do not have the extensive metadata Description with its html tags at all. So that was something you added inside of calibre. I am not sure what the use of html tags might do when parsing the information. I do not own a Kindle Fire device to test with.

If removing the Description does not help, then creating a private "issue" in the bug reporting site for Calibre is your best bet. That way the ebooks are protected from prying eyes. Please provide step by step instructions on how to recreate the problem when using a Kindle Fire and let him know that the Kindle Previewer does not seem to have a problem with them.