Troubleshooting Download and transfer gave TextEdit file instead of AZW file

Pjama · 09-16-2018, 10:24 AM

Very strange indeed, I just used 'download and transfer via USB' to access one of my kindle books as I'm interested in translating it so want to convert the file format first.

Instead of downloading it as the AZW file as usual, it's downloaded as a 'TextEdit' file, which is full of gobbledegook.

I tried again, this time selecting a different device as the destination (in the unlikely even that that made a difference), with the same result.

Has anyone else had this happen?

Does anyone know why it happened?

Does anyone know what I can do fix this?

Can I do anything to convert the TextEdit file into a readable format?

I'm using a Mac, so it might be something to do with that...

pdurrant · 09-16-2018, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pjama

I'm using a Mac, so it might be something to do with that...

Try using Chrome instead of Safari.

Pjama · 09-16-2018, 11:30 AM

Thank you so much! I tried Firefox first as I already have it on my system, and this time it downloaded the AZW file.

Do you know why this happened?

Why hasn't it happened with any of my previous downloads and transfers, all of which have been on Safari? (The last one of which was two days ago, and successfully downloaded the AZW file). Not important, just curious if anyone knows. At least I know I can use firefox in future.

pdurrant · 09-16-2018, 11:46 AM

I don't know. It might be something on Amazon's servers, or it might be something in Safari attempting to recognise the kind of file being downloaded and getting it wrong.

It would be possible to find out by checking the traffic between your machine and Amazon's servers using something like Wireshark, but since nothing we do will change what's happening, I think it's best to just work around it when it happens.

odamizu · 09-16-2018, 01:35 PM

I think it's a Safari glitch where it sometimes has trouble identifying the file type.

The file actually downloads correctly, just without an extension. You can fix this easily by adding .azw or .azw3 to the file. It will then open and function correctly.

Pjama · 09-16-2018, 02:26 PM

That worked too! Thanks to both of you.

09-16-2018, 10:24 AM	#1
Pjama Guru Posts: 751 Karma: 2891014 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: US Device: Kindle Scribe, Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Matcha	Download and transfer gave TextEdit file instead of AZW file Very strange indeed, I just used 'download and transfer via USB' to access one of my kindle books as I'm interested in translating it so want to convert the file format first. Instead of downloading it as the AZW file as usual, it's downloaded as a 'TextEdit' file, which is full of gobbledegook. I tried again, this time selecting a different device as the destination (in the unlikely even that that made a difference), with the same result. Has anyone else had this happen? Does anyone know why it happened? Does anyone know what I can do fix this? Can I do anything to convert the TextEdit file into a readable format? I'm using a Mac, so it might be something to do with that...

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09-16-2018, 11:30 AM	#3
Pjama Guru Posts: 751 Karma: 2891014 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: US Device: Kindle Scribe, Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Matcha	Thank you so much! I tried Firefox first as I already have it on my system, and this time it downloaded the AZW file. Do you know why this happened? Why hasn't it happened with any of my previous downloads and transfers, all of which have been on Safari? (The last one of which was two days ago, and successfully downloaded the AZW file). Not important, just curious if anyone knows. At least I know I can use firefox in future.

09-16-2018, 11:46 AM	#4
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,475 Karma: 318076944 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	I don't know. It might be something on Amazon's servers, or it might be something in Safari attempting to recognise the kind of file being downloaded and getting it wrong. It would be possible to find out by checking the traffic between your machine and Amazon's servers using something like Wireshark, but since nothing we do will change what's happening, I think it's best to just work around it when it happens.

09-16-2018, 01:35 PM	#5
odamizu just an egg Posts: 1,848 Karma: 8006346 Join Date: Mar 2015 Device: Kindle, iOS	I think it's a Safari glitch where it sometimes has trouble identifying the file type. The file actually downloads correctly, just without an extension. You can fix this easily by adding .azw or .azw3 to the file. It will then open and function correctly.

09-16-2018, 02:26 PM	#6
Pjama Guru Posts: 751 Karma: 2891014 Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: US Device: Kindle Scribe, Kobo Libra Colour, Kindle Matcha	That worked too! Thanks to both of you.

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