Kobo Aura HD - SD Card Problems

Chopster · 02-25-2016, 05:09 AM

I am having issues getting a microSD card to work with my Kobo Aura HD.

I have put the card in, and it shows up in device information on the reader - listing the SD card, used space and space available. So it's mounting OK, and the ereader can read it.

When I plug the Kobo into my PC using a USB cable, two drives appear. One is the Kobo itself (as usual), the other is the SD card. The SD card has a directory that the Kobo reader has clearly created and named.

The books I have are epubs. I can copy books to the ereader (as usual), or to the SD card. Copied to the device, they work fine (as usual), showing up in the library and being readable.

Copying the same books to the SD card they show up in the directory (using windows explorer). Moreover, when I copy a bunch over the card and then select "device information" from the readers menu it shows the SD card with used and free space, with the respective space numbers changing to reflect the space taken when the books were copied over.

My problem is that the books on the SD card don't show up in the ereader's library, at all. They might as well not be there.

I have done a hard power off and restart, which had no effect.

Is there anything I need to do to make the books on the microSD card show up in the library?

John F · 02-25-2016, 05:55 AM

Hello Chopster, and welcome to the forum. Any chance the folder on the SD card begins with a "."; I believe Kobo doesn't scan folders that begin with a ".".

Good luck.

Chopster · 02-25-2016, 02:56 PM

Nope. That's not causing the issue.

When I go to the SD card (which mounts as a separate drive to the reader itself win windows explorer, when I connect the reader), it has one subdirectory "koboExtStorage" which the reader has obviously created.

I have tried putting books in that directory, and in sub-directories below it. In neither case do they get picked up by the library.

I'm confident that it's not the formatting of the books, as they work fine when copied to the reader itself rather than the SD card.

Is there any way to force the library to do a rebuild, including a scan of the SD card?

PeterT · 02-25-2016, 03:19 PM

I think that if with the Kobo turned on you remove the SD card and then reinsert it, it will rescan the card.

GeoffR · 02-25-2016, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chopster

When I go to the SD card (which mounts as a separate drive to the reader itself win windows explorer, when I connect the reader), it has one subdirectory "koboExtStorage" which the reader has obviously created.

I have tried putting books in that directory, and in sub-directories below it. In neither case do they get picked up by the library.

Don't put anything in the koboExtStorage directory. Put your books in the root directory, or create your own directory below root.

filmo · 02-25-2016, 07:20 PM

Use Calibre and run Calibre welcome wizard then Calibre will store books at proper place for your e-reader. I have it set to store side loaded books on external SD card except Kobo Mini that has no external SD card.

Chopster · 02-28-2016, 03:37 PM

Many thanks for that. Moving them out of the koboExtStorage directory, and putting them into different directories below \root did the trick. Simply doing it with Windows explorer was enough, Calibre wasn't required.

Many thanks to a fellow Kiwi!

I do think it's a bit of an odd design choice, and highly counterintuitive, that when you put an SD card in the reader creates a clearly labelled koboExtStorage directory. Logically that's where files for the reader should be placed, when in fact it's the one place you *shouldn't* put any ebooks if you want them to be detected. Plus, there was nothing in the manual about that.

davidfor · 02-28-2016, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chopster

I do think it's a bit of an odd design choice, and highly counterintuitive, that when you put an SD card in the reader creates a clearly labelled koboExtStorage directory. Logically that's where files for the reader should be placed, when in fact it's the one place you *shouldn't* put any ebooks if you want them to be detected. Plus, there was nothing in the manual about that.

As with the main memory, the device scans the the full card looking for books. The places it doesn't are directories whose name starts with a dot and the koboExtStorage directory. The former is because Unix-like systems treat these as hidden or system files and directories. The latter is because the koboExtStorage directory is created by the firmware for it to store things it creates.

02-25-2016, 05:09 AM	#1
Chopster Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: New Zealand Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Keyboard, Nexus 7 Tablet	Kobo Aura HD - SD Card Problems I am having issues getting a microSD card to work with my Kobo Aura HD. I have put the card in, and it shows up in device information on the reader - listing the SD card, used space and space available. So it's mounting OK, and the ereader can read it. When I plug the Kobo into my PC using a USB cable, two drives appear. One is the Kobo itself (as usual), the other is the SD card. The SD card has a directory that the Kobo reader has clearly created and named. The books I have are epubs. I can copy books to the ereader (as usual), or to the SD card. Copied to the device, they work fine (as usual), showing up in the library and being readable. Copying the same books to the SD card they show up in the directory (using windows explorer). Moreover, when I copy a bunch over the card and then select "device information" from the readers menu it shows the SD card with used and free space, with the respective space numbers changing to reflect the space taken when the books were copied over. My problem is that the books on the SD card don't show up in the ereader's library, at all. They might as well not be there. I have done a hard power off and restart, which had no effect. Is there anything I need to do to make the books on the microSD card show up in the library?

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02-25-2016, 05:55 AM	#2
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,886 Karma: 70186493 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Clara 2E	Hello Chopster, and welcome to the forum. Any chance the folder on the SD card begins with a "."; I believe Kobo doesn't scan folders that begin with a ".". Good luck.

02-25-2016, 02:56 PM	#3
Chopster Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: New Zealand Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Keyboard, Nexus 7 Tablet	Nope. That's not causing the issue. When I go to the SD card (which mounts as a separate drive to the reader itself win windows explorer, when I connect the reader), it has one subdirectory "koboExtStorage" which the reader has obviously created. I have tried putting books in that directory, and in sub-directories below it. In neither case do they get picked up by the library. I'm confident that it's not the formatting of the books, as they work fine when copied to the reader itself rather than the SD card. Is there any way to force the library to do a rebuild, including a scan of the SD card?

02-25-2016, 03:19 PM	#4
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,381 Karma: 78877538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	I think that if with the Kobo turned on you remove the SD card and then reinsert it, it will rescan the card.

02-25-2016, 07:20 PM	#6
filmo Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 1077205 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Kobo Touch, Sony T1, Kobo Mini	Use Calibre and run Calibre welcome wizard then Calibre will store books at proper place for your e-reader. I have it set to store side loaded books on external SD card except Kobo Mini that has no external SD card.

02-28-2016, 03:37 PM	#7
Chopster Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: New Zealand Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Keyboard, Nexus 7 Tablet	Many thanks for that. Moving them out of the koboExtStorage directory, and putting them into different directories below \root did the trick. Simply doing it with Windows explorer was enough, Calibre wasn't required. Many thanks to a fellow Kiwi! I do think it's a bit of an odd design choice, and highly counterintuitive, that when you put an SD card in the reader creates a clearly labelled koboExtStorage directory. Logically that's where files for the reader should be placed, when in fact it's the one place you shouldn't put any ebooks if you want them to be detected. Plus, there was nothing in the manual about that.

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