.acsm File Not Being Downloaded

[SomeSteve]

For the past week or so I've been having trouble downloading purchased books from the Kobo store onto my computer. When I click on "Download Now" on the website, instead of the acsm file downloading, a blank browser page is loaded (not in a new tab or window) and in the address bar there is a long address that begins with "https://acs4.kobo.com/fulfillment/URLLink.acsm?".

Sometimes when I've returned to the site later in the day the download has worked as usual (that is, as it should), but sometimes even that doesn't help, and despite repeated tries all I get is the empty window. I've restarted the browser, restarted the computer, cleared the browser cache, but none of those things seem to make any difference.

Is this happening to anybody else, or am I just lucky? And is there a way to get things working normally again?

[bluepeter]

The obvious first question is "have you checked your browser settings?" Are .acsm files explicitly set to download? If not, does adding the file type help you?

Apologies if you think I'm being patronising; I know it's an obvious point, but you haven't said anything about it.

[SomeSteve]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

The obvious first question is "have you checked your browser settings?" Are .acsm files explicitly set to download? If not, does adding the file type help you?

Apologies if you think I'm being patronising; I know it's an obvious point, but you haven't said anything about it.

No harm in asking the obvious. What's obvious to you may not be obvious to me, and indeed, this wasn't obvious to me. No, .acsm files are not listed, but under the question what the browser should do with other files, the box "Save files" is checked. And up until a few days ago, it has always saved them, and I haven't changed any settings or installed any new software. And as I said, waiting a while has fixed the problem -- until today.

[Sirtel]

Have you tried another browser, preferably without cookies or any customizations?

[SomeSteve]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Have you tried another browser, preferably without cookies or any customizations?

Hours later still no luck with the browser I've been using. With a different browser, however, the .acsm files were promptly downloaded. So apparently within the last week or so something has fouled up my usual browser. Perhaps there was an update I've forgotten about that somehow gummed up the works.

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by SomeSteve

Perhaps there was an update I've forgotten about that somehow gummed up the works.

Who knows? Sometimes these things happen for no apparent reason, and we never know why. I have two computers: a desktop upstairs in my study and a laptop that I keep downstairs in the living room. Both run Windows 11, and my preferred browser on both is Firefox. I have to use Chrome to log in to one building society account on the desktop PC, because that Firefox installation refuses to do so. Meanwhile, Firefox on the laptop is happy to do it. It's the same version of Firefox on both.

Anyway, I'm glad that you've managed to download your books.

[Tawn]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Who knows? Sometimes these things happen for no apparent reason,...that Firefox installation refuses to do so. Meanwhile, Firefox on the laptop is happy to do it. It's the same version of Firefox on both.

Usually cases like that are caused by some difference in the Fx profile. You can try testing in a clean profile, if you're comfortable with doing that.

[bluepeter]

Originally Posted by Tawn

Usually cases like that are caused by some difference in the Fx profile. You can try testing in a clean profile, if you're comfortable with doing that.

Thanks, but I don't have the faintest idea what you mean by "profile" in this context, let alone a "clean" one. But please don't worry about it on my account: it's no more than a minor inconvenience with which I can live.

[gbm]

Profiles - Where Firefox stores your bookmarks, passwords and other user data

All of the changes you make in Firefox, such as your home page, what toolbars you use, extensions you have installed, saved passwords and your bookmarks, are stored in a special folder called a profile.

If you use Firefox bookmark this page.


bernie

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Thanks, but I don't have the faintest idea what you mean by "profile" in this context, let alone a "clean" one. But please don't worry about it on my account: it's no more than a minor inconvenience with which I can live.

[SomeSteve]

Originally Posted by bluepeter

Who knows? Sometimes these things happen for no apparent reason, and we never know why.

I think I know why now. Apparently the browser was choking on a bad cookie. After I deleted all Kobo cookies, things started working normally again.

Anyway, I'm glad that you've managed to download your books.

Thanks.

[JSWolf]

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