Did BN change DRM scheme AGAIN?

[gforgiraffe39935]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Unfortunately, I uninstalled the Nook app shortly after the initial failure, which deleted all the downloads from appdata.

Can you restore from a Windows backup? I am not too familiar with Windows backup / recovery, but that could be a way to put the program back on your computer.

To clarify my previous post: I purchased ($0.00 free) several books to confirm that DeDRM still works. It's just that my Windows NOOK app library took several tries to update the library to download the newly purchased books, and I got errors a few times before they downloaded.

It reminds me of how the June 2024 discontinued NOOK HDs and GlowLights were behaving in May 2024 before being entirely cut off.

[ownedbycats]

I have the appx file still saved, so I'll see if I can reinstall it.

EDIT: Installation fails. Error code 0x80070003.

ANOTHER EDIT: I fixed it.

[ownedbycats]

Okay, got it all working. I downloaded a couple of previous eBooks. Opening them directly in 7zip (instead of importing into Calibre first) and I see rights.xml and encryption.xml.

in rights.xml, I'm seeing a <encryptedKey keyInfo="passHash"> with 64 chars.

Importing to Calibre worked after I re-imported the Nook PassHash key to DeDRM. I'm not sure if this is a side effect of uninstalling and reinstalling, or something else.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Okay, got it all working. I downloaded a couple of previous eBooks. Opening them directly in 7zip (instead of importing into Calibre first) and I see rights.xml and encryption.xml.

in rights.xml, I'm seeing a <encryptedKey keyInfo="passHash"> with 64 chars.

Importing to Calibre worked after I re-imported the Nook PassHash key to DeDRM. I'm not sure if this is a side effect of uninstalling and reinstalling, or something else.

Did you install the version of DeDRM that I linked? That will get the correct key if you don't already have it.

[ownedbycats]

I already had it installed I think.

[downeaster59]

I installed the alpha that Jon recommended. I got the same result when I try to open a Nook ePub in Calibre. The book opens, but the attached is what I see.

[ownedbycats]

Since it worked for me, try re-adding the PassHash key in the DeDRM settings. DeDRM_ADE PassHash Key_Help.htm will help with that.

[downeaster59]

I have been trying other Nook books, to test this out. Calibre works fine with them. It appears to be some problem with this one specific eBook only. I have tried deleting the file and downloading it again. Still the same result!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

I installed the alpha that Jon recommended. I got the same result when I try to open a Nook ePub in Calibre. The book opens, but the attached is what I see.

On that computer, do you have the nook app from the Windows store installed? It needs to be on that computer so it can read the key. If the nook app is installed on another computer, you'll need to install the alpha DeDRM on that computer with calibre to get the key and then you can export the key and import it to the other computer.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

On that computer, do you have the nook app from the Windows store installed? It needs to be on that computer so it can read the key. If the nook app is installed on another computer, you'll need to install the alpha DeDRM on that computer with calibre to get the key and then you can export the key and import it to the other computer.

I somehow missed the part about needing the Nook app installed as well. I will check that out.

On the other hand, my problem affects only one eBook so far and not any others I have downloaded. That's the weird part.

[gforgiraffe39935]

This is probably not helpful...but I got the NOOK key from an Android app emulation a couple of years ago and set it up with the DeDRM on a Mac. After the Android app emulation stopped pulling my newer purchases, I just used the Windows NOOK app on my husband's computers to get my purchases. I never bothered generating a new key and it has always worked. I use multiple Windows computers to get the books and it always worked and continues to work.

[nookreader]

Some experimenting today after fighting an import failure tells me that the DRM has changed, sort of.

I downloaded two books using the Microsoft Store App and pulled in the ePubs to Calibre as usual. One decrypted, and one didn't.

Some looking at old threads online suggested I use "DB Browser for SQLite" to look at the local db3 files. Sure enough, in NookDownloads.db3, I found something interesting - the book that I couldn't decrypt had a new and different value in the mediaType column, "drp".

I don't know what that means or anything mind you... when I looked at the license column and saved it to a rights.xml file, that didn't get me anywhere - the key in that file didn't work in Calibre. Something is definitely being done differently, at least for some downloads, but not all.

[tas03]

I started having the same issue a few months ago - opening a new book in Calibre sometimes came out gibberish. In desperation, I archived the book in the Nook app, unarchived it, redownloaded it and opened it. It came out fine the second time.

[cgsmom]

Originally Posted by tas03

I started having the same issue a few months ago - opening a new book in Calibre sometimes came out gibberish. In desperation, I archived the book in the Nook app, unarchived it, redownloaded it and opened it. It came out fine the second time.

Lucky you. I tried archiving and unarchiving several books. It did not help. Out of the last 6 books I’ve bought from Barnes & Noble, 3 show as gibberish in Calibre. For now I have stopped buying from them, again. I get so frustrated because I really like my Nook devices. I wish they didn’t hate their customers.

I can still read them with my Nooks, so it’s not the end of the world.

[gforgiraffe39935]

Originally Posted by cgsmom

Lucky you. I tried archiving and unarchiving several books. It did not help. Out of the last 6 books I’ve bought from Barnes & Noble, 3 show as gibberish in Calibre. For now I have stopped buying from them, again. I get so frustrated because I really like my Nook devices. I wish they didn’t hate their customers.

I can still read them with my Nooks, so it’s not the end of the world.

Glad you can at least read your books.

You serve as a warning to anyone thinking of buying into this brand.

The writing is on the wall with this company. I do not think B&N will exist in 10 years given their current business decisions. I would be surprised if they made it beyond that. Between the unionizing of some of its stores, the poor digital division decisions and the increase in prices compared to stores like Target, Half Price Books, Walmart or even Ralph's, I cannot see how they'll survive. I haven't been inside of their stores ever since they got rid of the B&N Read-in-Store program and then increased the membership to $40. The membership discount is still more expensive than the grocery store or Half Price. The membership stamps are NOT points and are only in full units of $10, so if you spend $29.99 after tax...you get 2 stamps.

Sorry, this was a tangent.

Are you buying from Kobo now at least?