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csziggy

(34,189 posts)
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 09:06 PM Aug 2020

Need help with Kindle book transfer

I have an old Lenovo Android tablet that has been my e reader for about a year now. Suddenly it will not connect to the WiFi on my modem. (That is a whole other problem that will be discussed tomorrow with my internet provider.)

I figured that I can probably sync the books I have paid for from Amazon with Kindle on my computer (where I have not had Kindle, but will install it in a few minutes, after it finishes downloading). Amazon only talks about transferring Kindle files to their devices - is it as easy as that with non-Amazon devices? All they say to do is to hook up the Kindle device via USB, and transfer the files into the correct folder on the tablet or whatever.

I've tried that, put the files into the folder on the Andriod tablet where the other book files were, but the ones that had not been previously downloaded on the Android tablet do not show in the Kindle library.

If I can't figure out how to do this or how to get the tablet to connect to the WiFi, it may be the end for my tablet.

7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Need help with Kindle book transfer (Original Post) csziggy Aug 2020 OP
It works Timewas Aug 2020 #1
Using sync from the library in the Kindle app on my computer did not csziggy Aug 2020 #2
Install Kindle Timewas Aug 2020 #5
calibre is the app you want RazzleCat Aug 2020 #3
I've only got Kindle books - but some are on a Windows computer csziggy Aug 2020 #4
If it is kindle Timewas Aug 2020 #6
These all seem to be KFX and calibre can't convert those csziggy Aug 2020 #7

csziggy

(34,189 posts)
2. Using sync from the library in the Kindle app on my computer did not
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 09:17 PM
Aug 2020

Since I was still connected to Amazon (I did not have Kindle installed on my desktop computer), I tried to do it from my Amazon account. That told me I had no devices that would sync from it.

If the tablet could still connect to the WiFi, I wouldn't have a problem - sync was working fine until that went out.

Tomorrow I will call CenturyLink and see if I can convince them to replace the modem. It's well over ten years old and probably needs to be replaced!

Timewas

(2,281 posts)
5. Install Kindle
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 10:01 PM
Aug 2020

On your computer and let it log into your amazon account it will then sync with whatever your kindle had.... I have kindle on an android tablet a fire tablet my phone and my window computer they all sync just fine as long as you log into your kindle account with that particular unit regardless of what it is.

RazzleCat

(732 posts)
3. calibre is the app you want
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 09:30 PM
Aug 2020

I am not certain if this would help. It is an app that allows you to change the formate of e-books. So if you have an e-book in X format you can change it to the kindle format and vise versa. I have used it to change to kindle from an old Sony e-reader.

So if your problem is you have different formats this will work. kindles only read kindle format and there are many different formats they used to be device specific, so if what your are transferring is not from amazon (kindle format), your kindle will not be able see/read it.

When I did it, I used it on my laptop to reformat my books, then I synced the kindle while attached to the laptop to transfer them over. Now I keep it and also use to keep a copy of all my books just in case anything should ever happen to my Amazon account.

So in your case. Download Calibre (proper one for your system), then plug you tablet into you computer open Open Calibre and use it to navigate to your e-books, select one, and then select what you want to do with it. I think (if I understand what your doing) would select change from X format to kindle, then click it and wait a moment. Next up create a folder for keeping your converted file (calibre will let you do this in there interface). Just keep repeating till you have all you want (can't remember if you can do it in bulk). Next pug in the kindle, open calibre and select to transfer over.

This was the best app I could find when I did this a few years ago. I still keep it as I find it has many uses when it comes to working with an e-reader. One nice thing you can do with it is remove the encoding so if you and (in my case) your sister both have one you can loan your book to them, download remove the DRM, then email and they can upload via the app to there kindle.

csziggy

(34,189 posts)
4. I've only got Kindle books - but some are on a Windows computer
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 09:48 PM
Aug 2020

And I need to move them to the Android tablet. Would they use different formats for Kindle books downloaded from Amazon?

What pisses me off - and did the entire time I was in the UK - is that I buy a Kindle book. It's all paid for and in my library, but unless I force it, Kindle does not download it to my device until I want to read it. This is not a problem when you are where you can get a WiFi signal, but in the mountains of Northern Scotland it sucks to finish a book, then realize the next one I want to read did not download like I though it would and I have NOTHING available to read for two days until I get back to civilization!

Oh - and yeah, I want to spend $$$ a minute to download books while on a cruise. That was the fucking POINT to using the Kindle app and selecting a few dozen books AHEAD of time!

Most of the books currently on the Android tablet are ones I downloaded for my travels and I have already read. I didn't think I needed to make sure the others needed to be downloaded ahead of time. I just hope the WiFi on this old tablet hasn't gone bad. Then I am screwed since all of my real books are currently in storage.

I'll check out calibre and see if that can help.

Timewas

(2,281 posts)
6. If it is kindle
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 10:07 PM
Aug 2020

If it is kindle it uses MOBI format the other formats are EPUB and PDF normally they are not interchangeable but Calibre will re-format them to whatever you want PDF is basic text. I use an android tablet mostly, I do have kindle on it but mainly use Aldiko which uses EPUB format. I like Aldiko much more than kindle


On edit: I really do not like kindle all that much and the fire tablet was a gift, I never would have bought one for myself

csziggy

(34,189 posts)
7. These all seem to be KFX and calibre can't convert those
Sun Aug 2, 2020, 10:25 PM
Aug 2020

At least not without a work around that I won't attempt tonight.

Tomorrow I will try to spend some time with the CenturyLink tech support and see if we can get the damned tablet WiFi to connect. If not, I might have to rethink stuff.

I've gotten hooked on the Science Fiction Megapacks from Amazon on Kindle. I love the old classic SF books and stories - have a lot of old anthologies, which are of course, packed away - and have paid the outrageous sum of $0.99 each for about 30 of them. I'm only up to #22 and would like to keep reading them. One of those takes me a day or maybe two to read, so I will be itching for something to read by Tuesday or Wednesday.

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