Amazon removed books from my Kindle

[DNSB]

The books were actually deleted. I didn't look at the .sdr directories. I didn't make any annotations since these were not ebooks that I was editing/formatting which is my only use for annotations on my ereaders.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Are we talking about the extension used when a file is downloaded by an app which seems to have no relationship to the ebook type (for instance, K4PC downloads all ebooks as .azw while K4A downloads everything as .prc.) or are we talking about the extensions used for different Amazon ebook formats? Where KF8/azw3, azw4, KFX, mobi, azw, etc. are used. In that use, .mobi is used for unprotected files and .azw is used for DRMmed files.

.azw is the file extension Amazon uses when KindleForPC download them.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Are we talking about the extension used when a file is downloaded by an app which seems to have no relationship to the ebook type (for instance, K4PC downloads all ebooks as .azw while K4A downloads everything as .prc.) or are we talking about the extensions used for different Amazon ebook formats? Where KF8/azw3, azw4, KFX, mobi, azw, etc. are used. In that use, .mobi is used for unprotected files and .azw is used for DRMmed files.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

.azw is the file extension Amazon uses when KindleForPC download them.

Did you take the time to read my message before you posted your response? Pay special attention to the part that I bolded in the quote above. BTW, K4PC is another way of saying Kindle for PC.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The books were actually deleted. I didn't look at the .sdr directories. I didn't make any annotations since these were not ebooks that I was editing/formatting which is my only use for annotations on my ereaders.

Thanks again.

I think we can provisionally conclude that when books vanish from the UI but the book files remain on the device that the cause is something other than the cdetype in the EXTH header being set to EBOK by some non-amazon process. (And that when people report disappearing books they should be clear about whether the book file was actually removed from the ereader's storage.)

[Kindleing]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Do you loose any features when an eBook is set to PDOC vs EBOK?

I seem to remember back when I first got a Kindle that sideloading a book, like a publc domain book, through a USB connection and the computer's file manager resulted in the Kindle treating the book as a "personal document". It did not show up in the book list and covers did not display. It went into wherever a random PDF document goes.

But I found out Calibre "fixed" the problem somehow and was able to sideload a book onto a Kindle such that it showed up in the "Books" list and covers were displayed. I have no idea how Calibre did it, but that's why I started using it.

My guess now is that's the result of the difference between EBOK vs PDOC.

Maybe that's not the way it works now, but I believe that's the way it worked back when I got my shiny new Kindle Keyboard.

[Mudchild]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The entries in cc.db for the books got changed.

One column is named something like is_visible.


MyClippings.txt is just a log file. The kindle only ever writes to it, never reads. The loacations of the highlights for a book are stored in a file in the .sdr directory for that book.


Copy the entire documents directory on the kindle to a computer, then delete or move all the books and .sdr directories in the documents directory on the kindle. Then copy the books and .sdr directories from the computer back to the documents directory on the kindle over USB. Then safely eject the kindle. The books should show up as "new" and when you open them the highlights should be there.

If you use any other method to tranfer the books, the metadata might change in a way that the contents of the old .sdr don't correspond to the book files then they might not be recognized as matching.


If the kindle is jailbroken, it might be possible to manipulate cc.db to make the books show up again, which would be easier for some and next to impossible for most.

Ah many thanks. OK, i should have clarified, Kindle is NOT jailbroken, but I did use Calibre to put the books on in the first place. This is probably why your suggested method above didn't work.

Is there a route I can take to try and get the Kindle to see the books and their highlights again in this case?

Thanks again

[neil_swann80]

[Comfy.n]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

Thanks for sharing, will take a look ASAP

[DNSB]

1984 really had nothing to do with the current issue. The version of 1984 in question was published on Amazon by a person who did not have the right to do so. Then Amazon compounded the issue by removing the book without notice or offering to replace it with a legal copy.

The current issue is that if you place an ebook on your Kindle and it is labelled as an EBOK rather that a PDOC and it has an ASIN, Amazon will remove it as a book that their system considers you have no right to when a Kindle connects after an extended offline period. I tend to suspect that this was done as an attempt to keep people from retaining acess to KU content after the loan is returned though I have never tested if a KU loan on a offlline Kindle remains accessible until the Kindle goes back online.

[Scoob]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I tend to suspect that this was done as an attempt to keep people from retaining acess to KU content after the loan is returned though I have never tested if a KU loan on a offlline Kindle remains accessible until the Kindle goes back online.

My method of reading KU books is as folows: get my total allotment of titles I think its 20. Download them to kindle then turn on airplane mode. Turn on wifi when I want say book 2 or a new book. I have not noticed any problems with that method when I connect back like the other books going poof.
Something I have wanted to try is connecting two kindles to wifi filling one with KU books syncing both kindles to get the books on both then turning on airplane mode on one Kindle. On the other still connected kindle return all the previously synced books and see if I can download a new different set of KU books to it.

[neil_swann80]

Originally Posted by DNSB

1984 really had nothing to do with the current issue. The version of 1984 in question was published on Amazon by a person who did not have the right to do so. Then Amazon compounded the issue by removing the book without notice or offering to replace it with a legal copy.

The "1984" removal is just one topic covered. It also covers issues like Amazon changing the cover image for books in the device library. I think that this thread and the additional topics raised in the video demonstrate Amazon's attitude to their user's ebook libraries on Kindle devices.

[John F]

Originally Posted by neil_swann80

The "1984" removal is just one topic covered. It also covers issues like Amazon changing the cover image for books in the device library. I think that this thread and the additional topics raised in the video demonstrate Amazon's attitude to their user's ebook libraries on Kindle devices.

I didn't watch the entire video, TLDNW. As far as covers changing, was that for purchased content?

Edit: removed number of purchased books.

[issybird]

I admit it; they lose me as soon as they invoke paper books and how ebooks are different. Well, yeah. The implication being that ebook purchasers are entitled to all of the perks of paper books. Can't happen, for obvious reasons, and there's also an obvious solution if you want all the perks of paper books.

And then I skimmed, because it was way too long. He kvetched about a change in cover and eventually swallowed an acknowledgment that that (and other changes) can be avoided in settings. And then! Said in so many words that he knows nothing about alternatives to Kindle. Alrighty! So much for an authoritative commentary! And if he thinks there's some magic device out there where he'll actually own digital copyrighted content.... Good luck with that, bud.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by issybird

And if he thinks there's some magic device out there where he'll actually own digital copyrighted content.... Good luck with that, bud.

I admit I didn't watch the video, because I'm thoroughly fed up with that old 1984 story - enough is enough, and I no longer want to hear even a word about it. But as to owning digital content... no, de jure you can't, of course. But de facto you can, if you remove the DRM and make your own backups.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I admit I didn't watch the video, because I'm thoroughly fed up with that old 1984 story - enough is enough, and I no longer want to hear even a word about it.

Yep. That was a one-two punch at the very beginning. "1984"! "But paper books!" What an idiot.