Want azw3 files instead of kfx

[lamont]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite.

I usually buy books through amazon and download them straight to my Kindle. Those used to be mostly azw or azw3 files. I do have some other e-books that in other formats: e-pub, pdf etc.

I also use Calibre with these book files. I like having backups of all my files, so I also back up all my azw, azw3, mobi, and e-pub files.

Recently I noticed that book files that used to be azw or azw3 files on my Kindle have turned into kfx files (I guess amazon replaced azw3 files with kfx files), which are utterly incompatible with Calibre.

I am not even sure if the kfx files are actually the books themselves, or merely links?

Reasearch showed that downloading book flles with Kindle Application 1.17.1 (not newer than that!) allows me to doenload all books as azw files. I can find these azw files in my Mac in the user/library/application support/kindle/my kindle content.

The problem is that these azw files have file names that don't show the book title as part of the file name, as azw files used to show. Howver, if I open such a weirdly named azw file in Calibre, Calibre does display the book title anyway.

But I want to make backups for my azw files, and if I don't see the book tiitle as part of the file name, it becomes a messy process. Can I edit the azw file name to include the book title in the file name, or will this cause problems?

[darryl]

This has been discussed extensively both on Mobileread and elsewhere. Rather than go into a lot of detail, the best solution for what you want currently is to go to your devices and content page on Amazon and download the ebooks concerned for transfer to your Paperwhite by USB. This will download an azw3 file which you can keep as your backup. You can also import them into Calibre, remove the DRM etc. just as always. This works at the moment. No guarantees for the future.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by lamont

I want to make backups for my azw files, and if I don't see the book tiitle as part of the file name, it becomes a messy process. Can I edit the azw file name to include the book title in the file name, or will this cause problems?

Yes, you can edit the azw filename without any problems. I do it all the time.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by lamont

I have a Kindle Paperwhite.

I usually buy books through amazon and download them straight to my Kindle. Those used to be mostly azw or azw3 files. I do have some other e-books that in other formats: e-pub, pdf etc.

I also use Calibre with these book files. I like having backups of all my files, so I also back up all my azw, azw3, mobi, and e-pub files.

Recently I noticed that book files that used to be azw or azw3 files on my Kindle have turned into kfx files (I guess amazon replaced azw3 files with kfx files), which are utterly incompatible with Calibre.

I am not even sure if the kfx files are actually the books themselves, or merely links?

Reasearch showed that downloading book flles with Kindle Application 1.17.1 (not newer than that!) allows me to doenload all books as azw files. I can find these azw files in my Mac in the user/library/application support/kindle/my kindle content.

The problem is that these azw files have file names that don't show the book title as part of the file name, as azw files used to show. Howver, if I open such a weirdly named azw file in Calibre, Calibre does display the book title anyway.

But I want to make backups for my azw files, and if I don't see the book tiitle as part of the file name, it becomes a messy process. Can I edit the azw file name to include the book title in the file name, or will this cause problems?

My workflow is to have my default device as "Kindle for PC", so that's where books get sent automatically when I buy them. Once a week or so I run K4PC, so all the queued books get downloaded. I then open the "My Documents\My Kindle Content" folder, sort it by date, and drag and drop all the books that have just downloaded (ie the ones at the top of the list) into Calibre. The filename is therefore entirely irrelevant, because the books appear with the correct title and author in Calibre.

[jhowell]

The thread Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibre discusses some of these options. Method 1 is using the older Kindle for PC/Mac. Method 3 is downloading from Amazon for USB transfer.

A forth option, importing and converting KFX format in calibre, is now possible, but is less convenient at present.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

My workflow is to have my default device as "Kindle for PC", so that's where books get sent automatically when I buy them. Once a week or so I run K4PC, so all the queued books get downloaded. I then open the "My Documents\My Kindle Content" folder, sort it by date, and drag and drop all the books that have just downloaded (ie the ones at the top of the list) into Calibre. The filename is therefore entirely irrelevant, because the books appear with the correct title and author in Calibre.

How do you handle updated eBooks with your workflow?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How do you handle updated eBooks with your workflow?

They're sent to the default device, so they download automatically when I run K4PC.

[lamont]

Originally Posted by darryl

This has been discussed extensively both on Mobileread and elsewhere. Rather than go into a lot of detail, the best solution for what you want currently is to go to your devices and content page on Amazon and download the ebooks concerned for transfer to your Paperwhite by USB. This will download an azw3 file which you can keep as your backup. You can also import them into Calibre, remove the DRM etc. just as always. This works at the moment. No guarantees for the future.

Thank you for the response. I googled for answers to my questions before I posted here. As you say, I am supposed to be able to get azw3 files if I download book files from amazon via USB into the Paperwhite. What is the exact procedure for this?

Is the following correct?

1. Go to my Content and Devices on Amazon.
2. Connect Kindle via USB to Mac.
3. Choose book file to be downloaded and choose "transfer via USB"
4. azw(3) file gets downloaded into Kindle


These are the methods I have been using:

My 1st Method:

1. I go to Content and Devices in my Amazon account.

2. I download book files to my Mac. The files go into my Mac's Download folder. Until recently the downloaded files were azw or azw3. Now I can get only kfx files.

3. I connect my Kindle to my Mac via USB and drag the book files into my Kindle.

My 2nd Method:

Buy a book through Amazon and wirelessly download straight into the Kindle. Same as above: I used to get azw or azw3 files, now all kfx.

My 3rd Method:
Launch Kindle Application 1.17.10 and download books from Amazon through Kindle App. Book files can be found in Application Support/Kindle/Kindle Content and are azw, but titles are missing from file names.

[lamont]

Originally Posted by jhowell

The thread Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 and KFX in calibreA forth option, importing and converting KFX format in calibre, is now possible, but is less convenient at present.

Can you please point me to directions for this procedure?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by lamont

Is the following correct?

1. Go to my Content and Devices on Amazon.
2. Connect Kindle via USB to Mac.
3. Choose book file to be downloaded and choose "transfer via USB"
4. azw(3) file gets downloaded into Kindle

No need to connect the Kindle. Even though you are telling Amazon that you are downloading the file with the intent to copy it to your Kindle via USB, you do not actually need to do that. Just add the downloaded file to calibre instead.

Originally Posted by lamont

1. I go to Content and Devices in my Amazon account.

2. I download book files to my Mac. The files go into my Mac's Download folder. Until recently the downloaded files were azw or azw3. Now I can get only kfx files.

Are you sure that files are being downloaded from Amazon's website in KFX format? If so that is a major and important change!

Can anyone else confirm this behavior? It is not working that way for me.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by lamont

Can you please point me to directions for this procedure?

Just click the underlined link.

[lamont]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Are you sure that files are being downloaded from Amazon's website in KFX format? If so that is a major and important change!

Let me say it this way: The files that I now download from Amazon cannot be opened by my Mac properly or by Calibre at all. If I open them they open in Text Edit and I see merely gibberish. File info says "document." So I merely presume these are kfx files. That would be in line what I get downloading from Amazon to Mac via Kindle Application 1.17.10.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by lamont

Let me say it this way: The files that I now download from Amazon cannot be opened by my Mac properly or by Calibre at all. If I open them they open in Text Edit and I see merely gibberish. File info says "document." So I merely presume these are kfx files.

I believe that is a known problem with some versions of Mac OS using Safari and does not indicate that they are KFX files. Try using the Chrome browser instead.

[lamont]

Originally Posted by jhowell

I believe that is a known problem with some versions of Mac OS using Safari and does not indicate that they are KFX files. Try using the Chrome browser instead.

I'll try that. Thanks! Unfortunately my Mac died yesterday (HD failure), and it will take me a week or two to replace it and get the new Mac up and running. I will return to this topic ASAP.

EDIT: You are correct. Safari is at fault for not giving me azw3 files!
Because my Mac died, I am now using my girlfriend's old iMac and I had to install Chrome anyway because her Safari is hopelessly outdated. As you suspected, with Chrome I am getting azw3 files when I download from Amazon to Mac. I would have never suspected my browser to mess up a download. I thank you very much for your help!