Problem with .azw4 files

atrcaptainjohn · 11-30-2020, 02:35 PM

Hello. I am using Calibre to manage my Kindle books, which I normally read on an iPad Pro with the Kindle App. I also have the Kindle app on my computer which allows me to download the books so I can convert them into Calibre. This has been working great for the last several years.

My new problem, which just popped up a couple of weeks ago, is that when the Kindle app downloads the books they are now in .azw4 files instead of .azw or .azw3 files. I use the DeDRM plugin with Calibre, and that still seems to work, but when I double click on a title, within Calibre, that was originally an .azw4 file the book opens in the Kindle app, not in Calibre.

Is there something that I am doing wrong, or do I need to get another plugin for Calibre? I would like the books to open in Calibre, as the ones that were originally .azw and .azw3 files do. FWIW I am using a fairly old version of Calibre, 2.82.0, because I had problems at one point when I attempted to update it and decided to not update it anymore.
Thanks in advance

jhowell · 11-30-2020, 03:02 PM

A .azw4 file is actually in PDF format with an Amazon wrapper. You can extract the actual PDF from it by using the KindleUnpack plugin for calibre.

atrcaptainjohn · 12-02-2020, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhowell

A .azw4 file is actually in PDF format with an Amazon wrapper. You can extract the actual PDF from it by using the KindleUnpack plugin for calibre.

If I do this can I then convert back to an .azw or .azw3? I ask because I also found that these new format books don't display right on my iPad in the Kindle app. I have to read them in portrait orientation, and it doesn't give me a % of book read as the other file types did. Needless to say I am not impressed with the new format they seem to want to use.

jhowell · 12-02-2020, 09:59 PM

The publisher chose to publish that book as a fixed layout PDF instead of using a reflowable format. That generally leads to a poor reading experience and is difficult or impossible to convert to a more readable format. See the thread Read this before Posting PDF Questions for more information.

11-30-2020, 02:35 PM	#1
atrcaptainjohn Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2020 Device: iPad w/Kindle App	Problem with .azw4 files Hello. I am using Calibre to manage my Kindle books, which I normally read on an iPad Pro with the Kindle App. I also have the Kindle app on my computer which allows me to download the books so I can convert them into Calibre. This has been working great for the last several years. My new problem, which just popped up a couple of weeks ago, is that when the Kindle app downloads the books they are now in .azw4 files instead of .azw or .azw3 files. I use the DeDRM plugin with Calibre, and that still seems to work, but when I double click on a title, within Calibre, that was originally an .azw4 file the book opens in the Kindle app, not in Calibre. Is there something that I am doing wrong, or do I need to get another plugin for Calibre? I would like the books to open in Calibre, as the ones that were originally .azw and .azw3 files do. FWIW I am using a fairly old version of Calibre, 2.82.0, because I had problems at one point when I attempted to update it and decided to not update it anymore. Thanks in advance

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11-30-2020, 03:02 PM	#2
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,060 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	A .azw4 file is actually in PDF format with an Amazon wrapper. You can extract the actual PDF from it by using the KindleUnpack plugin for calibre.

12-02-2020, 09:59 PM	#4
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,060 Karma: 91577715 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	The publisher chose to publish that book as a fixed layout PDF instead of using a reflowable format. That generally leads to a poor reading experience and is difficult or impossible to convert to a more readable format. See the thread Read this before Posting PDF Questions for more information.

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