I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>):
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
access is limited to devices which log into Amazon using your Amazon account. I think that there’s an upper limit on how many devices can be live on Kindle at a time, but I can’t be arsed to look it up, and I know that it’s at least 5 because I have five devices (one iPad, one iPhone, one Mac, one Win 7 system, one Win 10 system) live, as in can read and order books, right now. (The Win 7 system is ‘legacy’ and I don’t know how much longer it will be available.)
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
Yes. They have done this in the past. https://gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703 And, yes, I found it funny that 1984, of all books, was unpersoned.
I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far
away from Kindle, though lately it’s becoming more and more painful to de-DRM the books. Which means that I don’t buy many DRMed books from Amazon; certain publishers and/or authors insist that their stuff not be
encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre. Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.
So far, I've resisted going Kindle, as I do not understand, am
suspicious, of how it works - remote control of what I have, it seems.
However, I recently read about a book that is useful for genealogy (if anyone's interested, it's The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in
Britain and Ireland - see https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford for details), so I took the plunge. (The above link told me I don't have to
have a Kindle device, I can "download the Kindle app" for the computer.)
First, I tried to download it from the link provided, but was told I
don't have any devices registered, or some such wording - but it did
include a link to get the "app". So I did, and then was able to get the
book.
Among other things, I ended up with a directory
D:\document.etc\My Kindle Content (which I had accepted during the
process). [D:\document.etc is my "documents" folder.] Curiously, doing a
"dir /x m*.*" from document.etc shows that MKC _doesn't_ have a short filename.
Within MKC, there appear to be three items: a 112 KB file called book_asset.db, a directory called NoteDocuments which appears to be
empty, and a subfolder called B01N41TEO3_EBOK. None of these seem to
have short names.
I say _appear_, because a size indicator I like to use - scanner, from Steffen Gerlach (http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/), when pointed
at MKD, doesn't see the B* subdirectory.
Anyway, within B01N41TEO3_EBOK are about 21 files - a .voucher file of
size 1,165, 18 .res files and a .md file all of about 1-3 MB, and a .azw
file of 45.4 MB, totalling 97.4 MB (all sizes according to scanner).
Double-clicking on the .azw file causes "J.'s Kindle for PC" to open, displaying the book.
Because of my - OK, paranoia - about Kindle, I verified that this (double-clicking on the file) worked with my internet connection disconnected: in other words, both the book and the software to access
it are definitely on my PC.
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
Plus are the files and folders as they appear, or is what I see in File Explorer a fiction? (On my Windows 7 32 bit machine, I used to use Xtree
Gold to see what was really going on, but that won't work under 10-64 [I think it's the 64 that stops it rather than the 10].) And I didn't know things could exist without a short (8.3) name, but "dir /?" - under /X - implies they can.
Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)
On 2025/7/27 15:8:57, WolfFan wrote:
On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>):
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
access is limited to devices which log into Amazon using your Amazon account.
I think that there’s an upper limit on how many devices can be live on Kindle at a time, but I can’t be arsed to look it up, and I know that it’s at least 5 because I have five devices (one iPad, one iPhone, one Mac,
one Win 7 system, one Win 10 system) live, as in can read and order books, right now. (The Win 7 system is ‘legacy’ and I don’t know how much longer it will be available.)
You snipped the bit where I verified that I can access the book with my internet connection turned off - i. e. both the book, and the software
to access it, are definitely on this machine.>>
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
Yes. They have done this in the past. https://gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703 And,
yes, I found it funny that 1984, of all books, was unpersoned.
I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far
Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)
away from Kindle, though lately it’s becoming more and more painful to de-DRM the books. Which means that I don’t buy many DRMed books from Amazon; certain publishers and/or authors insist that their stuff not be
This one was actually free, though not presented as such: it was
presented as having a cost of 0.00, without the word free anywhere I
could see.
encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre. Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
"reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, is there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, .rtf,
.txt, or .doc(x)?
On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <1065g82$1kcc7$[email protected]>):
On 2025/7/27 15:8:57, WolfFan wrote:
On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>):
I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far >>Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)
encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from >>> sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre. >>> Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volumeAh, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or >>> Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.
"reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, is
there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, .rtf,
.txt, or .doc(x)?
EPUB does book-type things better than PDF or RTF or DOC(X). TXT doesn’t do images or formatting and so isn’t suitable for a lot of books. EPUB flows better, can handle chapters (if present) better, and can display better on many devices. PDF is the best of the above formats, but isn’t as good as EPUB for most books.
Amazon’s Kindle formats (there are at least a half
dozen) range from about as good as EPUB to slightly better tham PDF. There are a _lot_ of ebook readers out there, virtually all of which can handle EPUB but not necesarily Kindle formats, mostly due to DRM.
I like calibre. It’s free and can handle most formats, though it may choke on some Kindle DRM if you don’t have the correct 3rd-party extensions loaded. The main problem is the actual reader sub app has its quirks. That, and the fact that there’s no calibre for iPad, so I have to use something else there. I used to use Marvin, but that’s dead and I’m trying out alternatives. Apple’s Books isn’t bad, and will take de-DRMed EPUBs, but I prefer something not from The Mothership, mostly because Books insists on sticking the library onto iCloud so that you ‘can share the content with all devices logged in with your AppleID or with Family Sharing’ and I’d really rather not. Especially as I would have to be online to access iCloud in the first place.
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday,
as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the
time.)
Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
"reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd,
is there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf,
.rtf, .txt, or .doc(x)?
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
[about Kindle]
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
No. The master version of your Kindle library lives somewhere on
Amazon's website. Assuming you have an account with Amazon, you can also access it from another PC (I assume, though I've never tried that),
your Kindle device should you acquire one, or via the Kindle app on your Android smartphone and/or tablet (should you have one).
Kindle offers a
sync function, so that after clicking on it you can resume reading a
book from the point where you left off on a different device. Obviously
you need to be online for that so it can download the necessary info (including the book itself if you've not previously opened it on this device).
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday,
as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
[about Kindle]
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
No. The master version of your Kindle library lives somewhere on
Amazon's website. Assuming you have an account with Amazon, you can also
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the
time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday,(Though presumably you either have a Kindle or take a laptop.)
as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.
I like calibre. It’s free and can handle most formats, though it may choke on some Kindle DRM if you don’t have the correct 3rd-party extensions
loaded. The main problem is the actual reader sub app has its quirks. That,
On 2025/7/27 19:22:50, John Hall wrote:
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
[about Kindle]
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
No. The master version of your Kindle library lives somewhere on
Amazon's website. Assuming you have an account with Amazon, you can also
I sort of gathered that. But I did establish that I can read the book
with my internet connection disconnected.
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday,(Though presumably you either have a Kindle or take a laptop.)
as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.
However, I recently read about a book that is useful for genealogy (if >anyone's interested, it's The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in
Britain and Ireland - see >https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford for >details), so I took the plunge. (The above link told me I don't have to
have a Kindle device, I can "download the Kindle app" for the computer.)
On 2025/7/27 19:22:50, John Hall wrote:<snip>
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the
time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
Well, Carlos says he complained about one having lots of errors in it,
and instead of fixing it, they refunded his money and deleted it.
The reason _I_ am apprehensive is that, after following a link from the >lostcousins newsletter, I have "bought" a Kindle book from Amazon for
0.00, and since it was a rather expensive book (we're talking three
figures here),
I am concerned that they might "realise they have made a
mistake" and want to kill copies downloaded.>
I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly
because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
Oh, I can certainly see the attraction - there's the ability to search,
too. I just find the huge kerfuffle involved - be it Kindle or calibre - >extremely off-putting; people moan about the Adobe Acrobat Reader for
.pdf files, but that's got _nothing_ on what's needed to use Kindle files!
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
Yes.
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday,(Though presumably you either have a Kindle or take a laptop.)
as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.
In message <1066r4n$20k28$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
On 2025/7/27 19:22:50, John Hall wrote:<snip>
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the
time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
Well, Carlos says he complained about one having lots of errors in it,
and instead of fixing it, they refunded his money and deleted it.
The reason _I_ am apprehensive is that, after following a link from the
lostcousins newsletter, I have "bought" a Kindle book from Amazon for
0.00, and since it was a rather expensive book (we're talking three
figures here),
:)
I am concerned that they might "realise they have made a
mistake" and want to kill copies downloaded.>
I doubt that it's a mistake. It's not that uncommon to see a Kindle
story priced at £0.00. I think it's sometimes done with the first novel
in a series, as a marketing ploy.
I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly
because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
Oh, I can certainly see the attraction - there's the ability to search,
too. I just find the huge kerfuffle involved - be it Kindle or calibre -
extremely off-putting; people moan about the Adobe Acrobat Reader for
.pdf files, but that's got _nothing_ on what's needed to use Kindle files!
I think you'll find that you soon get used to it.
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
Yes.
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday, >>> as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.(Though presumably you either have a Kindle or take a laptop.)
I have a Kindle and I also take my smartphone with me. I prefer to read
on the Kindle, though, as it has a larger screen. Taking a laptop, if IWell, you'd still only need to take one, not several. And I rarely go
had one, would rather defeat the object of avoiding the weight of
physical books. The only slight annoying is that the Kindle's USB
charging lead has a different-shaped plug at the device end, meaning
that I need to take two charging leads with me rather than one.
On 2025/7/27 19:22:50, John Hall wrote:
In message <10659gp$1kcc7$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
[about Kindle]
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
No. The master version of your Kindle library lives somewhere on
Amazon's website. Assuming you have an account with Amazon, you can also
I sort of gathered that. But I did establish that I can read the book
with my internet connection disconnected.
[]
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the
time.)
I imagine in theory they could, but I can't see why they'd want to.
Well, Carlos says he complained about one having lots of errors in it,
and instead of fixing it, they refunded his money and deleted it.
The reason _I_ am apprehensive is that, after following a link from the lostcousins newsletter, I have "bought" a Kindle book from Amazon for
0.00, and since it was a rather expensive book (we're talking three
figures here), I am concerned that they might "realise they have made a mistake" and want to kill copies downloaded.>
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
want to move one step at a time to something like
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more difficult (batch files for example).
I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line - dislike them.
I've also heard that Kindle no uses mostly .epub files, and I've never managed to find a decent epub reader that works on my computer.
On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I want to move one step at a time to something like
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more difficult (batch files for example).
I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line - dislike them.
I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope
perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would
switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or
Windows Terminal
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
want to move one step at a time to something like
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more difficult (batch files for example).
I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line - dislike them.
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
want to move one step at a time to something like
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Carlos E.R. <[email protected]d> wrote:
On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
want to move one step at a time to something like
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
difficult (batch files for example).
I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
dislike them.
I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope
perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would
switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or
Windows Terminal
Same here. I haven't used short names ever since long names existed,
i.e. for me from Windows NT on. I might have used them temporarily on
Windows 95 to fix some problems. but as I mainly went from Windows 3.1
to NT, those were rare occasions.
As to "Maybe if using the old DOS console.": I spent a very large
portion of my time in Command Prompt windows and never use short names
there either.
Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
Windows as soon as I could.
On 2025-07-28 04:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
dislike them.
I would suggest other possibilities which I believe are simpler ...
+ Type 'cd ' into the console, drag and drop directory name from an Explorer window (in what seems pretty much like a bug, drag and drop
doesn't work if console was run as Admninistrator ... maddening!).
+ <Shift-rt-click> directory in Explorer and choose 'Open command
windows here'.
+ If all else fails ...
cd [First few non-blank characters of 1st-directory name]*
cd [First few non-blank characters of 2nd-directory name]*
[etc]
Notes:
+ In all cases 'cd' can be replaced by 'pushd', to allow later use of
'popd' to restore the original directory.
+ Where drag and drop works for directory names, it also works for file names.
Easier than using 'tab auto complete'? I type one or more letters, then
I use the tab key to display the first matching file. If that's the file
I want, I'm done. If not, I press tab again, and so on. Filenames with
spaces automatically get quotation marks. Each additional letter typed reduces the number of candidates offered up by the tab key.
Like the others that have responded, I haven't used short file names
since LFNs became available, about 30 years ago. I'm not sure why I
would ever go back.
<snip>
On 2025/7/28 10:4:55, John Hall wrote:<snip>
In message <1066r4n$20k28$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
I am concerned that they might "realise they have made a
mistake" and want to kill copies downloaded.>
I doubt that it's a mistake. It's not that uncommon to see a Kindle
story priced at �0.00. I think it's sometimes done with the first novel
in a series, as a marketing ploy.
Hmm. I could see that for, as you say, first novel in a series or
similar - perhaps even if it was once offered at full price, when the
series gets big enough, they might make the first one 0.00. But I can't
see The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland,
which was originally I think �400 for the print version (now
unavailable) and �280 for the Kindle version, as being a "loss leader"
or "taster"!>
At the moment, I can't see my using it for more than this one, but youI think you'll find that you soon get used to it.I confess I've largely gone over to reading on Kindle nowadays, mainly >>>> because I was running out of room to store any more physical books.
Oh, I can certainly see the attraction - there's the ability to search,
too. I just find the huge kerfuffle involved - be it Kindle or calibre - >>> extremely off-putting; people moan about the Adobe Acrobat Reader for
.pdf files, but that's got _nothing_ on what's needed to use Kindle files! >>
may be right.>>
There are also some amazing bargains to be had, especially for books
Yes.
that are out of copyright. It's also handy if I'm going away on holiday, >>>> as I no longer need to put several heavy books in my luggage.(Though presumably you either have a Kindle or take a laptop.)
I have a Kindle and I also take my smartphone with me. I prefer to read
Ah. I don't have a Kindle, and also am one of those people the world >increasingly thinks is a weirdo: I don't have a smartphone. (I have a >dumbphone for emergencies, and even finding a true PAYG for that was >difficult: lots of offers _claim_ to be PAYG, but when looked into, the
word "month" usually gets mentioned before too long.)
In message <1067ld2$21s2h$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
Hmm. I could see that for, as you say, first novel in a series or
similar - perhaps even if it was once offered at full price, when the
series gets big enough, they might make the first one 0.00. But I can't
see The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland,
which was originally I think £400 for the print version (now
unavailable) and £280 for the Kindle version, as being a "loss leader"
or "taster"!>
Ah, in that case it does look like an error. Incidentally dictionaries
and encyclopaedias are where I think that traditional books can still be superior, as I find it easier to navigate to the entry I want by
flicking through the pages than by doing it online.
(My "[]" is short for "[something snipped here]".) I had a requirementAh. I don't have a Kindle, and also am one of those people the world
increasingly thinks is a weirdo: I don't have a smartphone. (I have a
dumbphone for emergencies, and even finding a true PAYG for that was
difficult: lots of offers _claim_ to be PAYG, but when looked into, the
word "month" usually gets mentioned before too long.)
I resisted getting a mobile phone till about three years ago, when the increasing imposition by sites of 2FA forced me into it. I decided that
if I was going to get a mobile phone then it might as well be a
so-called "smart" one.
<snip>
That's why you must learn to create a backup. For this DeDRM is
necessary. Not to pirate the books (I never do that), but to make
backups of your property.
If anyone's wondering: the most recent way I wanted to do these, was to investigate the contents of subdirectories created by Kindle and
calibre; in both cases, Steffen Gerlach's scanner didn't detect the size
of the contents of the subdirectories, making me wonder if they were
making File Explorer tell fibs. Since Xtree Gold - which usually shows
me the truth in these circumstances - doesn't work in 64 bit systems, I
was wondering if command prompt moving about would.
So far, I've resisted going Kindle, as I do not understand, am
suspicious, of how it works - remote control of what I have, it seems.
However, I recently read about a book that is useful for genealogy (if anyone's interested, it's The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in
Britain and Ireland - see https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford for details), so I took the plunge. (The above link told me I don't have to
have a Kindle device, I can "download the Kindle app" for the computer.)
First, I tried to download it from the link provided, but was told I
don't have any devices registered, or some such wording - but it did
include a link to get the "app". So I did, and then was able to get the
book.
Among other things, I ended up with a directory
D:\document.etc\My Kindle Content (which I had accepted during the
process). [D:\document.etc is my "documents" folder.] Curiously, doing a
"dir /x m*.*" from document.etc shows that MKC _doesn't_ have a short filename.
Within MKC, there appear to be three items: a 112 KB file called book_asset.db, a directory called NoteDocuments which appears to be
empty, and a subfolder called B01N41TEO3_EBOK. None of these seem to
have short names.
I say _appear_, because a size indicator I like to use - scanner, from Steffen Gerlach (http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/), when pointed
at MKD, doesn't see the B* subdirectory.
Anyway, within B01N41TEO3_EBOK are about 21 files - a .voucher file of
size 1,165, 18 .res files and a .md file all of about 1-3 MB, and a .azw
file of 45.4 MB, totalling 97.4 MB (all sizes according to scanner).
Double-clicking on the .azw file causes "J.'s Kindle for PC" to open, displaying the book.
Because of my - OK, paranoia - about Kindle, I verified that this (double-clicking on the file) worked with my internet connection disconnected: in other words, both the book and the software to access
it are definitely on my PC.
I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
Plus are the files and folders as they appear, or is what I see in File Explorer a fiction? (On my Windows 7 32 bit machine, I used to use Xtree
Gold to see what was really going on, but that won't work under 10-64 [I think it's the 64 that stops it rather than the 10].) And I didn't know things could exist without a short (8.3) name, but "dir /?" - under /X - implies they can.
In the United States many public libraries will lend Ebooks in Kindle
book (and/or EPub) form, typically for 2 to 3 weeks at a time and will
renew them if no one else is waiting for them. Check with your local
public library to see whether this is an option for you. Additionally,
other services will lend titles, variously with or without a link to a
local public library:
On 2025-07-28 17:09, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
If anyone's wondering: the most recent way I wanted to do these, was to
investigate the contents of subdirectories created by Kindle and
calibre; in both cases, Steffen Gerlach's scanner didn't detect the size
of the contents of the subdirectories, making me wonder if they were
making File Explorer tell fibs. Since Xtree Gold - which usually shows
me the truth in these circumstances - doesn't work in 64 bit systems, I
was wondering if command prompt moving about would.
Ensure that nothing is hidden (& optionally read only) ...
attrib [-r] -h -s /d /s <path>/*.*
... then ...
dir [/b] [/on] /<path>/*.*
... where the optional /b switch lists only files without the rest of
the normal directory output, and the option /ox swith sorts the results
into a given order, n = name.
On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
Carlos E.R. <[email protected]d> wrote:
On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I >>>> want to move one step at a time to something like
I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them. >>>>>
<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a >>>> context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more >>>> difficult (batch files for example).
I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line - >>>> dislike them.
I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope
I'm sure there are lots of things (both within and outside computing)
that _I_ haven't used for decades. That doesn't mean I automatically
hate them, and might even appreciate them if I needed them.
perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would
switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or
Windows Terminal
Batch files are often simpler than messing about with shells.
But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
Same here. I haven't used short names ever since long names existed,
i.e. for me from Windows NT on. I might have used them temporarily on
Windows 95 to fix some problems. but as I mainly went from Windows 3.1
to NT, those were rare occasions.
As to "Maybe if using the old DOS console.": I spent a very large
portion of my time in Command Prompt windows and never use short names
there either.
Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
Windows as soon as I could.
Ah yes, UNIX_where_all_spaces_are_underlines_instead (-:. (Yes, I
haven't used UNIX since the '80s, when it _was_ nearly all command-line;
I appreciate it probably _does_ allow spaces in filenames these days.)
On 2025/7/28 20:48:54, Bennett Price wrote:
[]
In the United States many public libraries will lend Ebooks in Kindle
book (and/or EPub) form, typically for 2 to 3 weeks at a time and will
renew them if no one else is waiting for them. Check with your local
I don't want to _borrow_ this book, I want it - and the software to
access it - on my machine, even when not online. It seems I _do_ have
that - I was able to open it with the internet (wifi) disabled - though
I still have to use the clunky software (Kindle or calibre) to access it.
On 2025/7/28 13:34:26, Carlos E.R. wrote:
[]
That's why you must learn to create a backup. For this DeDRM is
necessary. Not to pirate the books (I never do that), but to make
backups of your property.
That - and, the option of accessing without having to use either Kindle
or calibre - is what I'm about. I haven't succeeded so far. (The latest wrinkle is that someone suggested using an earlier version of
Kindle-for-PC; I obtained that, and re-downloaded the book. I actually
like the user interface of that Kindle-for-PC better. But now, calibre - still with those two plugins installed - won't even _open_ the file.
[Can you have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed? I'd foolishly
deleted - with prejudice, i. e. can't undelete - the book from calibre, before trying to load the "new" version of the book into calibre. So I
need to download it _again_ with newer Kindle-for-PC, assuming I'm going
to use calibre to de-DRM it.])
On 2025/7/28 15:40:24, Java Jive wrote:[...]
+ In all cases 'cd' can be replaced by 'pushd', to allow later use of 'popd' to restore the original directory.
I didn't know about those! Thanks. (Now, how to remember they exist!)>
J. P. Gilliver <[email protected]> wrote:
On 2025/7/28 15:40:24, Java Jive wrote:[...]
+ In all cases 'cd' can be replaced by 'pushd', to allow later use of
'popd' to restore the original directory.
I didn't know about those! Thanks. (Now, how to remember they exist!)>
About "Now, how to remember they exist!": I document these kind of tips/tricks in (plain text) documentation files and try to give these
files some reasonably sensible names.
Next is of course to 'remember' the names of these files. I manage
most of the time by putting some sensible keyword in wildcards in a
'dir' command. For example in this case 'dir *command*', which, amongst others, gives me my file Command_Prompt_DOS_commands, but also several
other files with Windows commands which can be used in a Command Prompt window.
If those kind of 'dir' commands don't turn up anything, I do a keyword search *in* my files. Because I have a Unix-like environment in Windows (Cygwin), I use the Unix 'grep' command to search, because that can use (quite sophisticated) regular expressions. In plain Windows, you could
use the 'findstr' ("Searches for strings in files.") command or <barf!> Windows' Search in File Explorer.
If those kind of 'dir' commands don't turn up anything, I do a keyword search *in* my files. Because I have a Unix-like environment in Windows (Cygwin), I use the Unix 'grep' command to search, because that can use (quite sophisticated) regular expressions. In plain Windows, you could
use the 'findstr' ("Searches for strings in files.") command or <barf!> Windows' Search in File Explorer.
[...]
On 2025-07-28 18:21, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/28 13:34:26, Carlos E.R. wrote:
[]
That's why you must learn to create a backup. For this DeDRM is
necessary. Not to pirate the books (I never do that), but to make
backups of your property.
That - and, the option of accessing without having to use either Kindle
or calibre - is what I'm about. I haven't succeeded so far. (The latest
wrinkle is that someone suggested using an earlier version of
Kindle-for-PC; I obtained that, and re-downloaded the book. I actually
like the user interface of that Kindle-for-PC better. But now, calibre -
still with those two plugins installed - won't even _open_ the file.
[Can you have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed? I'd foolishly
deleted - with prejudice, i. e. can't undelete - the book from calibre,
before trying to load the "new" version of the book into calibre. So I
need to download it _again_ with newer Kindle-for-PC, assuming I'm going
to use calibre to de-DRM it.])
Sorry, I am not familiar with the Kindle. I have a Kobo myself.
On 2025-07-29 02:10, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/28 20:48:54, Bennett Price wrote:
[]
In the United States many public libraries will lend Ebooks in Kindle
book (and/or EPub) form, typically for 2 to 3 weeks at a time and will
renew them if no one else is waiting for them. Check with your local
I don't want to _borrow_ this book, I want it - and the software to
access it - on my machine, even when not online. It seems I _do_ have
that - I was able to open it with the internet (wifi) disabled - though
I still have to use the clunky software (Kindle or calibre) to access it.
If Calibre is able to access (and read) the purchased book, the DeDRM
thing must be working. Otherwise you'd see gibberish. What you need now
is how to export or backup the book. I don't know how it is done with
the Kindle.
On 2025/7/29 13:45:10, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-28 18:21, J. P. Gilliver wrote:I don't have any Kindle _device_; I have been using the Kindle-for-PC
On 2025/7/28 13:34:26, Carlos E.R. wrote:
[]
That's why you must learn to create a backup. For this DeDRM is
necessary. Not to pirate the books (I never do that), but to make
backups of your property.
That - and, the option of accessing without having to use either Kindle
or calibre - is what I'm about. I haven't succeeded so far. (The latest
wrinkle is that someone suggested using an earlier version of
Kindle-for-PC; I obtained that, and re-downloaded the book. I actually
like the user interface of that Kindle-for-PC better. But now, calibre - >>> still with those two plugins installed - won't even _open_ the file.
[Can you have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed? I'd foolishly
deleted - with prejudice, i. e. can't undelete - the book from calibre,
before trying to load the "new" version of the book into calibre. So I
need to download it _again_ with newer Kindle-for-PC, assuming I'm going >>> to use calibre to de-DRM it.])
Sorry, I am not familiar with the Kindle. I have a Kobo myself.
"app", as they call it, to read the Kindle book on the PC. (And
regretting, really, the whole exercise.)
On 2025/7/29 13:48:52, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-29 02:10, J. P. Gilliver wrote:Calibre was indeed able to access the book (downloaded when I had the
On 2025/7/28 20:48:54, Bennett Price wrote:If Calibre is able to access (and read) the purchased book, the DeDRM
[]
In the United States many public libraries will lend Ebooks in Kindle
book (and/or EPub) form, typically for 2 to 3 weeks at a time and will >>>> renew them if no one else is waiting for them. Check with your local
I don't want to _borrow_ this book, I want it - and the software to
access it - on my machine, even when not online. It seems I _do_ have
that - I was able to open it with the internet (wifi) disabled - though
I still have to use the clunky software (Kindle or calibre) to access it. >>
thing must be working. Otherwise you'd see gibberish. What you need now
is how to export or backup the book. I don't know how it is done with
the Kindle.
current version of Kindle-for-PC; it seems unable to even access the
version downloaded with an _old_ version of Kindle-for-PC). But just
because calibre could _access_ it, didn't mean it could _convert_ (is
that what you mean by "export or backup"?) it; when I tried - either to
EPUB or PDF - it said something about DRM. So there seem to be (at
least) two levels of de-DRM-ing required - firstly to let Calibre open
it, and secondly to let calibre convert it. I'm not even sure the De-DRM plugin _did_ let calibre _access_ it: I loaded the two plugins in the
order De-DRM first, then KFX; when I just had De-DRM installed, calibre couldn't open the book.
(Is it possible to have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed, or does installing either [old or current] disable the other? It doesn't seem to "install" like ordinary software - no new entry appeared in my Start
menu tree, the only way to open it seems to be to double-click on the downloaded file. [Actually when it _was_ open after doing that, I did a
"pin to taskbar".])
On 2025-07-28 17:58, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
Hostility? No. We simply do not understand using them this side of the >century. Everything is designed for long names nowdays; using short
names can be asking for trouble.
Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
Windows as soon as I could.
On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:40:49 +0200, "Carlos E.R."
<[email protected]d> wrote:
On 2025-07-28 17:58, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
Hostility? No. We simply do not understand using them this side of the
century. Everything is designed for long names nowdays; using short
names can be asking for trouble.
I use several MS-DOS programs that do not understand long file names,
and frequently copy the data files back and and forth between my
desktop and laptop computers using batch files, so using long
filenames in those circumstances is just asking for trouble.
On Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:21:31 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <[email protected]> wrote:
someone suggested using an earlier version of Kindle-for-PC
I think you will find that the older version will eventually auto-update. That might be stoppable, but I don't know how to do that.
On 2025-07-30 00:23, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Calibre was indeed able to access the book (downloaded when I had the
current version of Kindle-for-PC; it seems unable to even access the
version downloaded with an _old_ version of Kindle-for-PC). But just
because calibre could _access_ it, didn't mean it could _convert_ (is
that what you mean by "export or backup"?) it; when I tried - either to
EPUB or PDF - it said something about DRM. So there seem to be (at
least) two levels of de-DRM-ing required - firstly to let Calibre open
it, and secondly to let calibre convert it. I'm not even sure the De-DRM
plugin _did_ let calibre _access_ it: I loaded the two plugins in the
order De-DRM first, then KFX; when I just had De-DRM installed, calibre
couldn't open the book.
If you can read the book in Calibre, it has already been decoded.
I would guess that the decoded file is in the Calibre library directory.
At least, it is so with epubs.
(Is it possible to have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed, or does
installing either [old or current] disable the other? It doesn't seem to
"install" like ordinary software - no new entry appeared in my Start
menu tree, the only way to open it seems to be to double-click on the
downloaded file. [Actually when it _was_ open after doing that, I did a
"pin to taskbar".])
On 2025/7/29 14:43:33, Frank Slootweg wrote:
[]
If those kind of 'dir' commands don't turn up anything, I do a keyword search *in* my files. Because I have a Unix-like environment in Windows (Cygwin), I use the Unix 'grep' command to search, because that can use (quite sophisticated) regular expressions. In plain Windows, you could
use the 'findstr' ("Searches for strings in files.") command or <barf!> Windows' Search in File Explorer.
[...]
Hmm. I used to use Agent Ransack for the rare occasions where I wanted
to do a content search; I haven't got round to installing that on this machine. I've just looked at findstr /? (needed | more), and it sure
looks powerful - I fear I'd never learn all those switches now, unlike
when I started with DOS and the like.
On 2025/7/30 1:58:51, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-30 00:23, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
[]
Calibre was indeed able to access the book (downloaded when I had the
current version of Kindle-for-PC; it seems unable to even access the
version downloaded with an _old_ version of Kindle-for-PC). But just
because calibre could _access_ it, didn't mean it could _convert_ (is
that what you mean by "export or backup"?) it; when I tried - either to
EPUB or PDF - it said something about DRM. So there seem to be (at
least) two levels of de-DRM-ing required - firstly to let Calibre open
it, and secondly to let calibre convert it. I'm not even sure the De-DRM >>> plugin _did_ let calibre _access_ it: I loaded the two plugins in the
order De-DRM first, then KFX; when I just had De-DRM installed, calibre
couldn't open the book.
If you can read the book in Calibre, it has already been decoded.
_Decoded_, maybe; de-DRMd, I think not.>
I would guess that the decoded file is in the Calibre library directory.Yes, the calibre library (at least, as things appeared in File Manager) seemed to be nearly 100M bigger, when I was in the position of calibre
At least, it is so with epubs.
being able to "see" the book. (The Kindle library has a 45.4 MB .azw
file and lots of other files mostly 1-3 MB, totalling 97.4 MB.) but
though it could see (open) it, calibre couldn't _convert_ it, either to
EPUB or PDF.>>
(Is it possible to have two versions of Kindle-for-PC installed, or does >>> installing either [old or current] disable the other? It doesn't seem to >>> "install" like ordinary software - no new entry appeared in my Start
menu tree, the only way to open it seems to be to double-click on the
downloaded file. [Actually when it _was_ open after doing that, I did a
"pin to taskbar".])
On 2025-07-30 23:23, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/30 1:58:51, Carlos E.R. wrote:
If you can read the book in Calibre, it has already been decoded.
_Decoded_, maybe; de-DRMd, I think not.>
By decoded, I mean dedrmed. It is impossible for calibre to read a DRM protected ebook.
On 2025/7/31 14:30:17, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-30 23:23, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/7/30 1:58:51, Carlos E.R. wrote:
[]
Well when I did have a version of the book that I could open in calibre, calibre failed when I tried to create either an EPUB or a .pdf versionIf you can read the book in Calibre, it has already been decoded.
_Decoded_, maybe; de-DRMd, I think not.>
By decoded, I mean dedrmed. It is impossible for calibre to read a DRM
protected ebook.
of it: I could look at the book, in cabibre, but when I tried to
_convert_ it, in calibre, I got a message (same for both types of
conversion attempt) that it couldn't; I don't remember the exact
message, but I think it involved "protected" and "DRM".
[]
someone suggested using an earlier version of Kindle-for-PC
On 2025-07-31 17:11, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Well when I did have a version of the book that I could open in calibre,
calibre failed when I tried to create either an EPUB or a .pdf version
of it: I could look at the book, in cabibre, but when I tried to
_convert_ it, in calibre, I got a message (same for both types of
conversion attempt) that it couldn't; I don't remember the exact
message, but I think it involved "protected" and "DRM".
[]
Yes, I don't understand that. I'm not familiar with the Kindle
ecosystem, so I'm sorry that I can not help. But I do know that Calibre
alone would display giberish when reading a book with DRM. It needs a
DeDRM plugin in order to show you the readable text.
Maybe the plugin only allows reading, not exporting?
On 2025/7/31 21:39:24, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-07-31 17:11, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
[]
Well when I did have a version of the book that I could open in calibre, >>> calibre failed when I tried to create either an EPUB or a .pdf version
of it: I could look at the book, in cabibre, but when I tried to
_convert_ it, in calibre, I got a message (same for both types of
conversion attempt) that it couldn't; I don't remember the exact
message, but I think it involved "protected" and "DRM".
[]
Yes, I don't understand that. I'm not familiar with the Kindle
Ah, I thought you were! Sorry about that.
ecosystem, so I'm sorry that I can not help. But I do know that Calibre
alone would display giberish when reading a book with DRM. It needs a
DeDRM plugin in order to show you the readable text.
In this case, I think it also needed the other plugin (a three-letter
name - something like KRX?) before it would display other than gibberish.>
Maybe the plugin only allows reading, not exporting?It sure looks that way!
On 2025-08-01 22:03, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
Ah, I thought you were! Sorry about that.
No, I use the epub ecosystem (with Kobo). So I go by similarities, I
can't know the details.
ecosystem, so I'm sorry that I can not help. But I do know that Calibre
alone would display giberish when reading a book with DRM. It needs a
DeDRM plugin in order to show you the readable text.
In this case, I think it also needed the other plugin (a three-letter
name - something like KRX?) before it would display other than gibberish.> >>> Maybe the plugin only allows reading, not exporting?
It sure looks that way!
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how I
_can_ convert this book - ><https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> -
to PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe
the situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and
KFX plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
On 2025/8/2 2:42:22, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-08-01 22:03, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
[]
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how IAh, I thought you were! Sorry about that.
No, I use the epub ecosystem (with Kobo). So I go by similarities, I
can't know the details.
ecosystem, so I'm sorry that I can not help. But I do know that Calibre >>>> alone would display giberish when reading a book with DRM. It needs a
DeDRM plugin in order to show you the readable text.
In this case, I think it also needed the other plugin (a three-letter
name - something like KRX?) before it would display other than gibberish.> >>>> Maybe the plugin only allows reading, not exporting?
It sure looks that way!
_can_ convert this book - <https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> - to
PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe the situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and KFX plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how I
_can_ convert this book -
<https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> - to
PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe the
situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and KFX
plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
<https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-dictionary-of-family-names-in-britain-and-ireland-9780199677764?cc=es&lang=en&>
9780199677764
This title is available as an e-book. To purchase, visit your preferred e-book provider.
Let's try.
<https://www.kobo.com/es/en/ebook/the-oxford-dictionary-of-family-names-of-ireland?sId=d5ce0a05-41ae-4643-bfdc-b49e58bfc824>
Seems they have the epub, for 135.40€, 2021 edition.
Ohhh, sorry, it is not the same book. The Kobo search is quite
imprecise. Thus the Oxford people are wrong, when they say "visit your preferred ebook provider".
On 2025/8/2 2:42:22, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-08-01 22:03, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
[]
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how IAh, I thought you were! Sorry about that.
No, I use the epub ecosystem (with Kobo). So I go by similarities, I
can't know the details.
ecosystem, so I'm sorry that I can not help. But I do know that Calibre >>>> alone would display giberish when reading a book with DRM. It needs a
DeDRM plugin in order to show you the readable text.
In this case, I think it also needed the other plugin (a three-letter
name - something like KRX?) before it would display other than gibberish.> >>>> Maybe the plugin only allows reading, not exporting?
It sure looks that way!
_can_ convert this book - ><https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> - to
PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe the >situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and KFX >plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
I don't want to _borrow_ this book, I want it - and the software to
access it - on my machine, even when not online. It seems I _do_ have
that - I was able to open it with the internet (wifi) disabled - though
I still have to use the clunky software (Kindle or calibre) to access it.
In message <106kepr$un51$[email protected]>, J. P. Gilliver
<[email protected]> writes
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how I
_can_ convert this book -
<https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> -
to PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe
the situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and
KFX plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
The Amazon website provides a way of importing EPUB and PDF files from
your PC into Kindle, but I've never investigated whether it's possible
to do it the other way round. However a quick search on the web turned
up this:
https://www.epubor.com/convert-kindle-ebooks-to-epub.html
However it requires downloading a conversion utility and it doesn't make clear whether it will run on 32-bit Windows or only on 64-bit.
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 08:30:03 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <[email protected]>
wrote:
So - anyone familiar enough with the Kindle system to tell me how I
_can_ convert this book -
<https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford> - to
PDF or EPUB? Unfortunately, in as much as I understand these things,
it's only available in Kindle (if that's the correct way to describe the
situation). If calibre is the answer, I already have the DeDRM and KFX
plugins. Or, can anyone tell me for definite that it _can't_ be done?>
As I said before, I can read Kindle books on my Widows computer using
the MobiPocket Reader, though when I tried to go to their web site its
was 403 Forbidden.
But you might be able to pick it up from a shareware distribution
site.
On 2025/8/2 17:6:49, Steve Hayes wrote:
On Sat, 2 Aug 2025 08:30:03 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <[email protected]>
wrote:
Incidentally: anyone know what _constitutes_ the Kindle file? In the
folder B01N41TEO3_EBOK created in "My Kindle Content" during download
(though the process seemed far more complex than just a download), there
are multiple files: B01N41TEO3_EBOK.azw nearly 50 MB, lots of .res and
one .md file with long names just of characters of sozes about 1 to 3
MB, and a 1.05 KB .voucher file. Are all these part of the book, or just
the .azw file (if just that one, what are the rest)?
J. P. Gilliver <[email protected]> wrote:
[OP deleted.]
'Wild' suggestion: Why don't you try to get *another* Kindle e-book, preferably from Kindle itself and preferably with DRM, and try to
convert that to de-DRMed epub format?
That way you'll know if you have a general problem with Kindle DRM
e-books or just with this particular one [1].
Like Carlos, I don't do Kindle e-books, but Kobo ones. For Kobo, I
could get some free - as in no-cost - DRM e-books, so probably Kindle
has something like that as well.
[1]
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford
On 2025/8/4 14:5:37, Frank Slootweg wrote:
J. P. Gilliver <[email protected]> wrote:
[OP deleted.]
'Wild' suggestion: Why don't you try to get *another* Kindle e-book,
preferably from Kindle itself and preferably with DRM, and try to
convert that to de-DRMed epub format?
That way you'll know if you have a general problem with Kindle DRM
e-books or just with this particular one [1].
With considerable assistance from ChatGPT, I finally managed to create a
PDF version of the book. I'm not going to have trouble with other Kindle books, as this whole experience has put me off them for (what's left of
my) life.>
Like Carlos, I don't do Kindle e-books, but Kobo ones. For Kobo, I
could get some free - as in no-cost - DRM e-books, so probably Kindle
has something like that as well.
[1]
The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland
https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford
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