The Vox is losing support

Difflugia · 01-29-2019, 11:55 AM

I have a registered Vox, so I got an email this morning that said in part,

Quote:

As of February 28, the Kobo Vox will no longer be supported by Rakuten Kobo*. This means it will no longer receive software updates, and will not be able to connect to the Kobo eBookstore. If a factory reset is performed after February 28, Kobo Vox will not exit the setup process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

I don't know if there's anyone here that still uses a Vox, but it was designed to require a connection to Kobo the first time it's powered up or after a factory reset. According to the email, that will no longer be possible after February 28.

If you are still a diehard Vox user and want to protect yourself against a failed setup in the future, the version check can be spoofed. I posted brief instructions a few years ago here. I just checked and all the files mentioned are still on the server, so you've got a month to retrieve them before they're gone.

oldyellr · 02-28-2019, 04:56 PM

I just received that email notification today and came here to report it. Your post is from about a month before. I did check for new updates, and of course, there were none. In fact, there haven't been any since 2012 according to my build number, about the time Kobo was sold to Rakuten. In fact, checking wikipedia.org for Kobo, the Vox isn't even mentioned.

I still use my Vox daily as an e-reader using Aldiko. But I had to find an old version because the Vox doesn't have enough horsepower to run newer versions and would keep crashing the app. I love the Vox and an e-reader. But if I need to connect to the Internet for anything other than to load a new book from my Dropbox, I just start up my cheapie $35 Android tablet, which is a lot faster, but does not have a very good screen for e-books.

oldyellr · 03-15-2019, 12:33 PM

Well something crazy happened with my Kobo Vox last night. I went to turn it on from sleep mode to resume reading a book and it apparently went into factory reset mode. It downloaded an update which would be many years old by now and then went into a perpetual loop saying there was not enough space on the SD card. I figured it was now virtually bricked and I'd have to upgrade to a new reader. According to that last email,
"If a factory reset is performed after February 28, Kobo Vox will not exit the setup process." That's sure what it looked like. This morning, thinking it all might have been a bad dream, I tried to start it again. Same thing, welcome screen like it was brand new, downloaded "update" and went into the same loop. I then tried connecting to a better wifi source and it completed and installed the update and restarted. I now have "brand new" Vox with all the native apps and some books I had in my Kobo library, but none of the books I was reading or apps I had installed myself. Have to start from scratch, but at least it's working.

oldyellr · 03-16-2019, 01:05 PM

Well my Vox is working again, but barely and needed a few workarounds.

I managed to find the old Aldiko 2.1.0 apk version that worked for me but could not send it to the Kobo without Dropbox and could no longer find an old Drobbox apk compatible with Android 2.3.4. So I had to download a file manager and sideload Aldiko. Amazingly, all the books I had in Aldiko before showed up in the new install. I would previously import books from my Dropbox and couldn't do that either anymore. But sideloading them and finding them with Aldiko's file explorer let me import. Sideloading books is not really convenient if I finish one in bed and need a new one, so I have to think ahead. If anybody knows where I can get an old Dropbox apk that works with Android Android Version 2.3.4, please let me know.

oldyellr · 04-01-2019, 05:16 PM

Okay folks, this is for you diehard Vox users who love the tablet as a reader and don't want to spend $100 or more to upgrade to a newer one because there are very few apps that support Gingerbread anymore. I contacted Dropbox support and they were unhelpful. But I finally found the old app here and it installed and works great.

https://www.torrapk.com/en/apps/24-o...rsion-2.3.10.4

Rob557 · 05-12-2019, 08:34 AM

Quote:

If a factory reset is performed after February 28 (2019), Kobo Vox will not exit the setup process.

May 12, 2019 - My VOX (obtained at a yard sale) has gone through a factory reset, and I'm trying to figure out how to make it functional. In the 2nd step in the setup process, it connects okay to my wifi then briefly checks (apparently unsuccessfully) to find software updates. In the 3rd step, I set the date and time. But in the 4th and final step when it tries to either locate (or create) my Kobo account, the VOX setup process stops with a "connection error" message, apparently because of a "web page not available" message for a website link that no longer exists (https://partner.kobobooks.com/ ...).

Any thoughts how to get around the setup process and just use the basic functionality of the VOX as an e-reader/tablet?

oldyellr · 05-12-2019, 10:24 AM

Do you have a Kobo account? If not, then create it using another device like a computer. If that still doesn't work for you, maybe it's time to get a new e-reader. The Vox was great back in its day, the only fault I found was its short battery life. Even if you get it working, you'll find most Android apps will not be compatible with that old Android version. Even after finding an old Dropbox app for mine, I'm now getting email warnings from Dropbox that it's obsolete and will stop working. Planned obsolescence is real.You can get a new Android tablet for under $50 and use any of a multitude of e-reader apps.

Rob557 · 05-12-2019, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

... maybe it's time to get a new e-reader .,,

Thanks oldyellr. Understood. I have a regular Kobo reader that I use, and use a desktop computer rather than a tablet. The objective with the Vox is partly experimental and seeing if there is some workaround past the setup process to play with its functionality. (yes, I do have a Kobo account, but the error message kicks in immediately and there is no option to change what web-link it is searching)

oldyellr · 05-12-2019, 01:00 PM

When I click the link you posted I get "DeviceId is a required parameter in KEWs.". It seems that it does not recognize the Vox as a registered device, expecting your regular Kobo reader. When I enter that URL in my Vox browser I get a message that a secure connection could not be established. Odd.

DNSB · 05-12-2019, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldyellr

When I click the link you posted I get "DeviceId is a required parameter in KEWs.". It seems that it does not recognize the Vox as a registered device, expecting your regular Kobo reader. When I enter that URL in my Vox browser I get a message that a secure connection could not be established. Odd.

Part of the issue is Kobo's changes so that a minimum of TLS 1.1 (possibly TLS 1.2) is required to do a secure connection. This change is pretty much required since SSL and TLS 1.0 are no longer considered secure. From the PCI compliance information, TLS 1.1 is going to join the no longer supported list by the end of 2019.

Difflugia · 05-12-2019, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob557

May 12, 2019 - My VOX (obtained at a yard sale) has gone through a factory reset, and I'm trying to figure out how to make it functional. In the 2nd step in the setup process, it connects okay to my wifi then briefly checks (apparently unsuccessfully) to find software updates. In the 3rd step, I set the date and time. But in the 4th and final step when it tries to either locate (or create) my Kobo account, the VOX setup process stops with a "connection error" message, apparently because of a "web page not available" message for a website link that no longer exists (https://partner.kobobooks.com/ ...).

Any thoughts how to get around the setup process and just use the basic functionality of the VOX as an e-reader/tablet?

I don't remember where I stashed my Vox at the moment, but I'll see if I can find it. I'm pretty sure I had it so that it didn't need to connect for an account after a reset. The hard part is that you need to have root access to it one way or another, either by opening the back to get at the internal SD Card or by spoofing the initial firmware check with the Apache web server and sideloading a rooted firmware image. You'll essentially need to do either this or this.

I'm pretty sure the account setup can be skipped by deleting an app from the device, but deleting the wrong one will cause the Vox to do a factory reset again after something like five boots. If I can find my Vox and the battery will still take a charge, I'll see if I can narrow down what needs to be done.

mightyzazz · 07-15-2019, 07:05 AM

Hi Difflugia, Old Friend.
You helped me years ago root my kids two Kobo Voxs, and they have worked to this day. Like others on this forum, I had to reset one of them last week, and Yes, I now have the same problem. This week I successfully created a new rooted sdcard using your original instructions (they still work! including the firmware download, but the signed superuser zip has to be sourced elsewhere now), but it also gets stuck in the forced reset stage. I have the original unrooted sd card which still works fine. I also tried to create an image of my still working rooted sd card from my other Vox, to put on an sdcard into my bricked device, but it failed. If either of these sd card images could be of use to you, let me know.

By the way, if you take apart your Vox to get to the internal sd card, and you break off the small square of plastic internally covering the sd card and re assemble it, you never more have to unscrew it to have internal sd card access.

Please let me know if you have any hacks I could try to get around this problem.

Thanks Again.

Roberto.

oldyellr · 08-27-2020, 01:04 PM

Well my Vox finally bit the dust. Seems the battery had died and when I started it plugged it, it was like it was brand new. I went through the steps, but it choked on the last steo, signing into my account with "We page not available" and a connection error message. It looks like Rakuten does not support loging in from the Vox.

PeterT · 08-27-2020, 10:36 PM

Isn't that what the initial post of this thread says?

oldyellr · 08-28-2020, 10:20 AM

As I said in post #3, this same thing happened ocer a year ago, but I managed torecover and start from scratch, having to search for old versions of apps compatible with the old Vox Android version. This time it wouldn't connect. I got a good almost 10 years out of it. Meanwhile I'm finishing my current book on a crappy $35 Android tablet.

07-15-2019, 07:05 AM	#12
mightyzazz Enthusiast Posts: 32 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: kobo vox	Kobo Vox not dead yet! Hi Difflugia, Old Friend. You helped me years ago root my kids two Kobo Voxs, and they have worked to this day. Like others on this forum, I had to reset one of them last week, and Yes, I now have the same problem. This week I successfully created a new rooted sdcard using your original instructions (they still work! including the firmware download, but the signed superuser zip has to be sourced elsewhere now), but it also gets stuck in the forced reset stage. I have the original unrooted sd card which still works fine. I also tried to create an image of my still working rooted sd card from my other Vox, to put on an sdcard into my bricked device, but it failed. If either of these sd card images could be of use to you, let me know. By the way, if you take apart your Vox to get to the internal sd card, and you break off the small square of plastic internally covering the sd card and re assemble it, you never more have to unscrew it to have internal sd card access. Please let me know if you have any hacks I could try to get around this problem. Thanks Again. Roberto.

08-27-2020, 01:04 PM	#13
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	End of the line. Well my Vox finally bit the dust. Seems the battery had died and when I started it plugged it, it was like it was brand new. I went through the steps, but it choked on the last steo, signing into my account with "We page not available" and a connection error message. It looks like Rakuten does not support loging in from the Vox.

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02-28-2019, 04:56 PM	#2
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	I just received that email notification today and came here to report it. Your post is from about a month before. I did check for new updates, and of course, there were none. In fact, there haven't been any since 2012 according to my build number, about the time Kobo was sold to Rakuten. In fact, checking wikipedia.org for Kobo, the Vox isn't even mentioned. I still use my Vox daily as an e-reader using Aldiko. But I had to find an old version because the Vox doesn't have enough horsepower to run newer versions and would keep crashing the app. I love the Vox and an e-reader. But if I need to connect to the Internet for anything other than to load a new book from my Dropbox, I just start up my cheapie $35 Android tablet, which is a lot faster, but does not have a very good screen for e-books.

03-15-2019, 12:33 PM	#3
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	Well something crazy happened with my Kobo Vox last night. I went to turn it on from sleep mode to resume reading a book and it apparently went into factory reset mode. It downloaded an update which would be many years old by now and then went into a perpetual loop saying there was not enough space on the SD card. I figured it was now virtually bricked and I'd have to upgrade to a new reader. According to that last email, "If a factory reset is performed after February 28, Kobo Vox will not exit the setup process." That's sure what it looked like. This morning, thinking it all might have been a bad dream, I tried to start it again. Same thing, welcome screen like it was brand new, downloaded "update" and went into the same loop. I then tried connecting to a better wifi source and it completed and installed the update and restarted. I now have "brand new" Vox with all the native apps and some books I had in my Kobo library, but none of the books I was reading or apps I had installed myself. Have to start from scratch, but at least it's working.

03-16-2019, 01:05 PM	#4
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	Well my Vox is working again, but barely and needed a few workarounds. I managed to find the old Aldiko 2.1.0 apk version that worked for me but could not send it to the Kobo without Dropbox and could no longer find an old Drobbox apk compatible with Android 2.3.4. So I had to download a file manager and sideload Aldiko. Amazingly, all the books I had in Aldiko before showed up in the new install. I would previously import books from my Dropbox and couldn't do that either anymore. But sideloading them and finding them with Aldiko's file explorer let me import. Sideloading books is not really convenient if I finish one in bed and need a new one, so I have to think ahead. If anybody knows where I can get an old Dropbox apk that works with Android Android Version 2.3.4, please let me know.

04-01-2019, 05:16 PM	#5
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	Okay folks, this is for you diehard Vox users who love the tablet as a reader and don't want to spend $100 or more to upgrade to a newer one because there are very few apps that support Gingerbread anymore. I contacted Dropbox support and they were unhelpful. But I finally found the old app here and it installed and works great. https://www.torrapk.com/en/apps/24-o...rsion-2.3.10.4

05-12-2019, 10:24 AM	#7
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	Do you have a Kobo account? If not, then create it using another device like a computer. If that still doesn't work for you, maybe it's time to get a new e-reader. The Vox was great back in its day, the only fault I found was its short battery life. Even if you get it working, you'll find most Android apps will not be compatible with that old Android version. Even after finding an old Dropbox app for mine, I'm now getting email warnings from Dropbox that it's obsolete and will stop working. Planned obsolescence is real.You can get a new Android tablet for under $50 and use any of a multitude of e-reader apps.

05-12-2019, 01:00 PM	#9
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	When I click the link you posted I get "DeviceId is a required parameter in KEWs.". It seems that it does not recognize the Vox as a registered device, expecting your regular Kobo reader. When I enter that URL in my Vox browser I get a message that a secure connection could not be established. Odd.

08-27-2020, 10:36 PM	#14
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 12,757 Karma: 75000002 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	Isn't that what the initial post of this thread says?

08-28-2020, 10:20 AM	#15
oldyellr Evangelist Posts: 484 Karma: 26106 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Vox, Amazon Fire 7	As I said in post #3, this same thing happened ocer a year ago, but I managed torecover and start from scratch, having to search for old versions of apps compatible with the old Vox Android version. This time it wouldn't connect. I got a good almost 10 years out of it. Meanwhile I'm finishing my current book on a crappy $35 Android tablet.

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