Update, 4/5/18: I just noticed a post in a MobileRead thread indicating that there are now Calibre plug-ins available for handling KFX. So, there may no longer be any need to use these workarounds.
Things just got a little harder for folks who like to store their Amazon purchases in Calibre. I noticed it myself when I was trying to add a DRM-free title I just bought, Bone Dance by Emma Bull, to my Calibre library. Even though it’s DRM-free, when I dragged and dropped the file from my “My Kindle Content” directory across to Calibre, it couldn’t figure out what to do with the file.
A little detective work turned up this Mobileread forum thread. It turns out that the new version of Kindle for PC, 1.19, no longer uses the AZW ebook format that Calibre knows how to read. Instead, it uses the new KFX ebook format—which nothing else can read or convert right now. The only way to resume being able to convert downloaded Kindle content is to uninstall Kindle for PC, then reinstall Kindle for PC version 1.17, currently accessible via this link (or this one for the OS X version). Once you have, go to the Tools menu, then Options, then General and uncheck the box to install updates automatically—and then just don’t update.
It’s unclear how long Amazon will support these older versions, or that they’ll be available for download. But even if Amazon stops, those who own older Kindle hardware devices will still be able to obtain AZW-format ebooks via the expedient of downloading them to the Kindle then copying them across via USB. Meanwhile, I suppose we can hope that Calibre adds the ability to read KFX files sometime soon.
Update: In a comment, Steve notes you can also download AZW files by going to your “Manage Your Content and Devices” page, then clicking on the “…” button next to the title you want and selecting “Download & transfer via USB.” Even if the Kindle device you choose is a newer model, it still sends you the .AZW file format.
If you found this post worth reading and want to kick in a buck or two to the author, click here.
teleread.org 
Does this also effectively defeat DRM stripping? Seems like it would.
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Well, it defeats adding the title to Calibre, which you have to be able to do to be able to strip the DRM from it if you’re using a DRM-stripping plug-in.
The title I used as an example, though, wouldn’t have required stripping DRM.
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This was fixed in October 2015. Not sure what version of Calibre you have but current versions *can* read it and, now, it is not some conspiracy.
Stop with your fake news.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/calibre-ebook-converter-now-has-support-for-the-new-kfx-format-from-amazon-493425.shtml
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I have a version of Calibre a lot more recent than that, but when I dragged the KFX file into it, it wouldn’t read it at all. Furthermore, other people in the Mobileread thread to which I linked were having the same issue.
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Did you even read the article you linked to. The calibre ‘support’ you’re talking about is “Kindle driver: Detect books in Amazon’s new KFX format present on e-ink kindles. Note that this only detects KFX books and allows you to delete them”
calibre cannot read or convert KFX format, even for books that are sold without DRM.
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Please distinguish between fake news which is a deliberate conscious lie and human error. Clearly, this author has made an error (presuming that your comment is not an error or fake news).
We correct errors gracefully. We assault only those who persist in error.
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I have just read your comment that ‘this was fixed in Octobr 2015’ and that therefore the comments in this article are likely to be fake news. They certainly are not! When I posted on April 10th 2017 I had just spent a morning trying calibre and the latest plug ins to read some of the books I had just purchased from Amazon. (Some books downloaded int he old format but many did not) As far as I know Calibre still has not found a cure for this. It is definitely an ongoing problem which the old version of the Kindle app gets round.
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Why would you (@BDR) write something so ridiculous ?
It really does not export AZW files, only KFX. Calibre cannot read KFX. It’s simple. Either you did not try, or you are deliberately lying ?
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You mention the workaround for older kindle devices.
Those of us with newer Kindle devices that receive the books in KFX format, can still obtain AZW format by going to the Amazon website, “Manage Your Content and Devices”, then selecting “Download & transfer via USB”. Even if you specify a newer Kindle as the eventual destination device, you still get the older AZW format.
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Good thought. Thanks for the info. I’ll add that to the post later when I’m home.
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I just tried this, and it worked well until I tried to open the book, when I got the dreaded DRM message. I’ve just installed the latest versions of Calibre and DRM tools, but it hasn’t helped.
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Apparently you have to own one of the older eink Kindles that uses the AZW format for it to work.
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@Magic of the Mind:
I was aware there were compatibility issues with the new Kindle for PC version, but wasn’t aware what they were. I’m currently using an older version, and it works fine with Calibre. My advice is to find a copy of the older version, and back it up, so you’ll have it in the future for re-installing, if need be.
I don’t have a kindle- I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab E (10”), and a Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 (10′), that I use for ereading. The kindle for android app is free, and actually a very lovely app, feature wise, to read with. The caveat being, I have about 4,000 ebooks on each device, stored on expandable memory. When I started buying them, the bulk were epub format, and so I used an epub app (UB Reader Pro). My ebook and physical libraries are organized on an OCD like level; by genre, by region, then chronologically, and in the case of monarchies, by person and epoch (Most of my books are history related).
The UB Reader Pro app allowed me to create and organize my library with bookshelves, but when I bought a kindle or an audiobook, they didn’t fit in that library, so I had to create a text document, tabled, with every title organized into those paradigms. Until I found Calibre. Now, I just convert any kindle copies I buy into epub, bc I like having my library all in one place.
I admit though, I’ll often leave the kindle copy on the kindle app, and read with it as well- it really is a nice app. But if I had to choose one, I’d pick the one where I could put all my ebooks.
The Kindle for PC version that I’m using now, which is working, is “KindleForPC-installer-1.17.44170”. I don’t know if link posting is verboten, so i don’t want to break any rules by posting one; If you google it, it should be fairly easy to find a download. A bit of a ramble, sorry- but i hope the info helps.
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I tried that and got the message that none of my devices (which include my pc and various Android devices) are compatible. I have a few downloaded ASW formt books that don’t seem to work with [a DRM removal program], although I have successfully [removed DRM from] other formats. Any help?
Publisher’s note: Edited for legal reasons to remove references to specific DRM removal tool.
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If there’s no eInk Kindle associated with your account, you won’t be able to “Download & transfer via USB”. I may have to buy a cheap used Kindle if I want to continue buying from Amazon.
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It seems the Kindle Fire counts as an Kindle device (at the moment) as it triggers the “Download and Transfer via USB” option to show up for me. The ad supported version is probably the cheapest option at the moment.
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I only use the Kindle for PC app (only own a Kobo) and had not realized that the “newer” version was downloading .kfx. By reloading the older version, I again get real .azw files that Calibre can manage. THANK YOU!
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I use the Kindle for PC app and it worked the first time I used the app but it’s not working since then. Can’t understand what’s the problem with it.
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I have this problem too – and they aren’t in KFX format, but AZW. One thing that appears different is when I use the “download” option from the Kindle for PC app, it now creates a folder for each book that has a name like “B00IOXWK2G_EBOK” in the My Kindle content folder. Within that folder, there is an an AZW file with the same name as the folder. However, it no longer will “open” in Calibre. Previously, download to my kindle content folder only loaded the AZW file. Weird… and Annoying.
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Did you download the older PC app and uncheck the auto-update box like this article recommends? Worked like a charm for me.
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Hi Tom – yes, I was able to download the older version of Kindle for PC and that did allow me to transfer books to Calibre. I will have to be sure I don’t update. Thanks!
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I have the same problem, June. In fact, before I found this article, I thought this was a Kindle problem and spent over an hour with someone from Amazon support trying various things. I did mention that I was trying to transfer my books to my Calibre library early on in the proceedings and the person helping me had no beef with that. Then we spent a further 45 minutes trying to fix the problem (unsuccessfully). So it seems, at least at that level of Amazon support, that they don’t know this new thing is stopping their ebooks being transferred to Calibre.
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Today the Kindle library book would not download to the older Kindle version that I had been using. I had the most recent version of Kindle and downgraded to the lower one. That worked until today. Any update? Thanks.
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I’m able to add azw. books to calibre, by first adding to my Kindle for PC, then adding to Calibre. Where I’m having the trouble is, they don’t show up in the calibre list with a checkmark as actually being on my Kindle fire when they are linked through WiFi. If I ‘send’ them to my Fire, the first time I try to open the book, I get the DRM message. The only way I can open the book is to remove the azw. from the Fire, which essentially ‘deletes’ it from the Fire. Then I’m back to having the book on the Calibre list, but not checked off as being on the Fire. It IS actually on the Fire, because then I’m able to open it. How can I get the book to be checked as on the Fire AND be able to open it? It used to work, but when I got a new PC and transferred everything is when I started having the problems.
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I do not understand the above. Today I bought a book which was delivered to my PC kindle as an .asw file. Trying to import this into Calibre appears to go ok, but the cover and title is all wrong and author is UNKNOWN. Clicking on the book, you get an error message:
calibre, version 2.82.0
ERROR: Could not open ebook: Failed to read book, C:\Users\bk\Documents\Calibre-bibliotek\Unknown\B00J75IQUA EBOK (155)\B00J75IQUA EBOK – Unknown.azw click “Show Details” for more information
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “site-packages\calibre\utils\ipc\simple_worker.py”, line 286, in main
File “site-packages\calibre\ebooks\oeb\iterator\book.py”, line 64, in extract_book
File “site-packages\calibre\customize\conversion.py”, line 245, in __call__
File “site-packages\calibre\ebooks\conversion\plugins\mobi_input.py”, line 34, in convert
File “site-packages\calibre\ebooks\mobi\reader\mobi6.py”, line 84, in __init__
KFXError: This is an Amazon KFX book. It cannot be processed. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283371 for information on how to handle KFX books.
So, I tried the “download and transfer via USB”. I have a Kindle Paper white. I received and azw3 file. I import this file into Calibre and this time the cover, title and author is correct. But when trying to open the book, I get a message stating it cannot be read since it is DRMed.
I run the latest version of Calibre and the [Deleted] module. So, what is going on?
I am somehat hesitant to try the old 1.17 version since people above report that this does not really work.
Editors’s note: We had to delete the name of the DRM stripper, due to the anticircumvention provisions of the DMCA. Apologies to BK! – DR .
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OK – I did the 1.17 stuff. And it worked. Beautiful!! thanks
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The USB download didnt work but the old version of Kindle did – thank you Mr Meadows for this. Any chance of Calibre sorting this since it will make the program redundant?
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Thanks!! Live Free! Fight DRM!
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Thanks! That saved my life! I do hate reading on Kindle for Mac and convert everything to PDF on Calibre. On mac, they are not called kfx as an app designation, but have azw.md and other signifiers. And no longer convert. Hard to find this info on Google as well! Downloading the older version got me back in business!
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It took me forever to find this informative page! Okay, my problem is that I did in fact download the older version of Kindle 1.17, but relogged into Amazon to download and transfer to USB but STILL receive this message: “You have selected content that is not compatible with any of your registered devices. Please remove incompatible content from selection for eligible devices to appear.”
What else can I do?
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It seems likely that Calibre will support the new format at some point, so there shouldn’t be much overlap
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Thanks for the info. As this problem is still extant 4 months later I thought the following might be useful.
The mobileread thread offers another option – just remove or disable the rendertest program and kindle 1.19 won’t use KFX format. It downloads the usual azw file. (note – it still puts the files in a separate directory per book)
This is located at %localappdata%\Amazon\Kindle\application\renderer-test.exe (windows) or /Applications/Kindle.app/Contents/MacOS/renderer-test (Mac). Rename or chmod.
Note – any KFX files already downloaded will be unreadable. You will need to re-downloaded.
This worked perfectly for me. I prefer it because you don’t need a physical device and can stay with the current version of kindle.
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That’s a nice solution if it works — I’ll bookmark this page in case Amazon no longer supports the older version of Kindle (which is what I did to get my book).
One thing for sure: if Amazon does make it impossible for me to get to Calibre they will lose my business, as my eBooks need to be on my iPad in Marvin and not in the @#$% Kindle app (which I hate). I think they may end up shooting themselves in the foot with this.
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Cannot find %localappdata%\Amazon\Kindle\application\renderer-test.exe – I am using the old version of Kindle but thought I would download this program before Amazon killed the old versions off. However I cant find the program
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“appdata” method worked like a charm. Thank you!
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It worked for me. Thanks so much. At first I got funny fonts in my pdf file, but after I followed some instruction from adobe forum, it worked great. Thanks again. Here is the info that helped me if anyone has the same problem:
10. Re: Funny Characters when opening certain PDF’s
Ima Level 1
Ima Mar 23, 2015 9:49 AM (in response to BeyondN)
I realize this is an old thread, but was looking for the answer to this question myself and found the solution on another site (so thought I’d share here as well, just incase someone else happens upon this thread for an answer):
It sounds like Adobe is attempting to use its default fonts instead of the document’s fonts. I was having a similar problem and the following fixed it for me (I’m using a Windows 7 Platform and Office 2010 Professional and was attempting to print a MapPoint Map to Adobe PDF in Adobe X.):
1. Click on START,DEVICES & PRINTERS, ADOBE PRINTER, PRINTER, PROPERTIES, PREFERENCES
2. Then under the AdobePDF Settings tab click on DEFAULT, HIGH QUALITY PRINT
Next, UN-CHECK “Rely on system fonts only, donot use document fonts.”
Click APPLY, OK
3. Go back to Step 1 andClick on the PAPER/QUALITY tab, ADVANCED
Lookfor IMAGE COLOR MANAGEMENT, TRUE TYPE FONT:
Clickon the “Substitute with device font.” A dropdown box will appear. Click on “DOWNLOAD AS SOFTFONT.”
4. Next, under DOCUMENT OPTIONS, click on POSTSCRIPT OPTIONS, TRUETYPE FONT DOWNLOAD OPTIONS:
Click on “Automatic.” A dropdown boxwill appear. Click on “NATIVE TRUETYPE.”
ClickOK to close the pop-up window. You may have to click on APPLY once youget back to the Paper/Quality tab, then click on OK to close that window. If Apply is available in the Adobe PDF Properties window, click it then clickOK one more time to close the window and “X” out of everything else. Yournew preferences should be saved and your document should print in Adobe just like it looks on your screen in the original program.
The steps above will change your Adobe Printer Default Settings to accept and print fonts native to the document you are trying to create, instead of using Adobe’s fonts to “re-create” the document leading to undesirable results.
Hope this helps!
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Works great, thank you! At first the pdf file displayed strange fonts, but after adjusting fonts in caliber “pdf output” to Times New Roman, it worked.
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Removed the rendertest program on my windows laptop and it works just perfect. Thank you Jay, you made my day.
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Thanks for the update ! You saved my life or more accurately my readings ;-). I have another reader than the Kindle and was desperate, after buying 3 ebooks on Amazon, to read them one day on my reader. I installed the previous version of kindle for pc, downloaded again my new ebooks and with a little help of “Calibre”, Tadaaa ;-). Thank you.
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Actually I found this article because the last couple of times I have tried to “download to USB” which I have always been using when I buy Amazon eBooks for my wife to use on her Kindle Reader DX, they have all been .azw3 which her reader handles with no problem. But the last couple of times they have not been .azw or .azw3 and no matter what I do I cannot get the reader to recognize them. This has nothing to do with Calibre. So I brought my copy of Calibre fully up to date and it did not recognize them either. I am talking about from mid April 2017.
One book had a truncated name with no .anything. The other was simply named “FSDownloadContent”. I tried downloading it 3 times and got the same result.
Her DX is as up to date as it can be. My wife, who sufferes from severe arthritis in her fingers, can’t hold anything heavier than the DX and in every other way it works perfectly until the downloaded eBook files were changed. I can read them with my iPad 2, on my Kindle reader on my computer, in other words on everything except the actual Amazon made DX reader.
And to make matters worse, I have not found a way to detect what the file type is as I buy an eBook from Amazon until after I have bought the book and tried to download it. I think some of the older titles are still in .azw but others, perhaps newer listings, are not. So what does Amazon think they are doing?
I think there are a lot of Baby Boomers who are getting older, have arthritis, have more time on their hands, love to read and have money to spend. Why now cut them out? Seems like a poor marketing choice.
But if anyone can shed some light on this, who knows whats going on and has any work arounds, please let me know.
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@Peter DAPRIX :
If you’re willing to side load, then you could try to download the slightly older version of Kindle for PC I mentioned in my other comment here. (Kindle for PC installer 1.17.44170).
After it syncs, download each title from the Kindle for PC app. Once you do that, you can open calibre and add them to it- choose the version that shows as “kindle content” under the “type” column. They should show with “.azw” on the end of the title (which isn’t actually the title) in this version of Kindle for PC. Then side load, or use Calibre Companion to put them on your device. If the device still isn’t reading them, but Calibre can, perhaps running the converter as AZW to AZW would help? Just guessing. Calibre Companion, if you’re not familiar, lets you access your Calibre library from your device wirelessly, via cloud, and will allow you to upload titles to your device from it. You won’t be able to edit metadata or do conversions from the device, but as a library management tool, it’s unbeatable. Calibre is free, but Companion is not- it’s very cheap, though, and there’s probably a limited trial.
I bought several kindle books earlier today that I ran through this way, and they’re showing as AZW in my folders, so I think it must have to do with the Kindle for PC app, and not any deviation in format on recently released books (vs. older ones).
All this said: MobileRead Forums is your best friend. I’ve posted problems I was having, and someone always helped me find the answers. And on at least two occasions, when there was no solution for what I was trying to do, the creator of Calibre literally created one for me. I know he doesn’t like to get involved in the DRM removal aspects, but if you’re just interested in figuring out how to transfer without converting, I’m sure he’d know of a way.
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*Sorry, I cut off part of my comment on the Calibre Companion bit. It should have said:
Calibre Companion, if you’re not familiar, lets you access your Calibre library from your device wirelessly, via cloud, and will allow you to upload titles to your device from it. You won’t be able to edit metadata or do conversions from the device, but as a library management tool and wireless file share, it’s unbeatable.”
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How did you get your Kindle DX to read AZW3? My Kindle DX doesn’t read AZW3, and the Amazon page for the Kindle DX confirms that the Kindle DX doesn’t read AZW3.
Conclusion: you got the Kindle DX to read AZW3 by some added non-standard software.
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@Magic of the Mind:
I was aware there were compatibility issues with the new Kindle for PC version, but wasn’t aware what they were. I’m currently using an older version, and it works fine with Calibre. My advice is to find a copy of the older version, and back it up, so you’ll have it in the future for re-installing, if need be. It works with the latest version of Calibre, and Apprentice Alf’s Tool Bag for DRM removal.
I don’t have a kindle- I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab E (10”), and a Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 (10′), that I use for ereading. The kindle for android app is free, and actually a very lovely app, feature wise, to read with. The caveat being, I have about 4,000 ebooks on each device, stored on expandable memory. When I started buying them, the bulk were epub format, and so I used an epub app (UB Reader Pro). My ebook and physical libraries are organized on an OCD like level; by genre, by region, then chronologically, and in the case of monarchies, by person and epoch (Most of my books are history related).
The UB Reader Pro app allowed me to create and organize my library with bookshelves, but when I bought a kindle or an audiobook, they didn’t fit in that library, so I had to create a text document, tabled, with every title organized into those paradigms. Until I found Calibre. Now, I just convert any kindle copies I buy into epub, & can have my library all in one place.
I admit though, I’ll often leave the kindle copy on the kindle app, and read with it as well- it really is a nice app. But if I had to choose one, I’d pick the one where I could put all my ebooks.
The Kindle for PC version that I’m using is “KindleForPC-installer-1.17.44170”. I don’t know if link posting is verboten, so i don’t want to break any rules by posting one; If you google it, it should be fairly easy to find a download. A bit of a ramble, sorry- but i hope the info helps.
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Yes, thanks, I have reverted to version 1.17 and it’s working fine at the moment.
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Thank you! I hate the format of the Kindle app so I convert everything. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong this time and you helped me fix it!
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I can’t speak for the kindle devices, but the free kindle app for Android, while feature rich, doesn’t allow for a lot of basic things. For example, you can’t change book covers (occasionally a book is missing one), or edit title, author etc.from the device. I use the pro version of a free epub reading app, and am able to correct titles and authors, add a line for series numbers, and change book covers from the device with relative ease. I understand some of that can be accomplished with some work in kindle, but converting them makes it simpler. I’ve never understood why kindle hasn’t added those features. More importantly though, conversion makes them reliably mine. Kindle can delete books as it sees fit, and that makes me very uncomfortable.
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Thank you I was looking for something like that I was so annoyed I couldn’t read my books via Calibre ! I used the old version of Kindle and it works perfectly.
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I don’t know if this is still a problem. I came upon the thread because I was trying to load a book bought on Amazon to my Kindle and a direct load via my wifi didn’t seem to be working. I normally manage eBooks from all sources through Calibre, so went to my desk top:
Loaded Calibre & tried to find book in My Kindle Content, but confused by unhelpful file names, so surfed for solution to this and found this thread.
Removed download from PC in Kindle App, & redownloaded so I could find it by date
Added to Calibre using Add Books, OK, in AZW & readable in Calibre.
So far so good.
Checked other books by same author on my kindle via Calibre; 2 locked by DRM & wouldn’t open, third in KFX format & wouldnt open. Don’t know where these came from, but can only think they came direct to kindle from Amazon via wifi.
Removed from Kindle & Calibre using Calibre, removed from Kindle Content. Downloaded again to Kindle Content, Added to Calibre via Add Books, & moved to Kindle.
Everything fine, no DRM lock, all AZW. Smiles all around.
Kindle App is up to date. Kindle is first gen Paperwhite, Calibre is up to date.
Smiles all around
Don’t know if I really had a problem Don’t know if this helps anyone.
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works perfectly. thank you.
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“The only way to resume being able to convert downloaded Kindle content is to uninstall Kindle for PC, then reinstall Kindle for PC version 1.17”
Perfect!
Genius!
Thank you very much!
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I’ve just updated both Calibre and the DeDRM plugin. The installation notes for that say that it won’t work with the new kindle format, and the creator also recommends using version 1.17.
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I only have the Kindle for Pc. I use the Calibre for the conversión to EPUB standard readers.
– I have the latest versión of Kindle 1.20
– I don’t have the lastes version of Calibre.
Thats solution works for me:
1) I go to folder where it is placed the Kindle for Pc, and renamed the file renderer-test.exe to something (Ex: renderer-test-xxx.exe)
2) Open de Kindle for Pc application and removed the laste books with the problema of conversión with calibre.
3) Force to Kindle for pc to re-donwload these books
4) When the books are already downloaded, the new books are can now be converted with Calibre.
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As of Sept 9, 2017 transferring files from Amazon to Calibre still doesn’t work “out-of-the-box”. I’m running on a Mac with the latest Calibre (3.7) and Kindle app. I’m loathe to go to down versions of any software but thanks to the comments in this thread I have found a path that works.
From the Amazon Manage Your Content and Devices page I did the Download & Transfer via USB option. (I own an older Kindle – not ancient but 3-4 years old). One book downloaded with an azw3 extension – no issue loading that into Calibre. The other book downloaded with no extension. On a hunch I added an extension of .azw and was able to load that file into Calibre as well.
From there, I had no issues converting both books to ePub format. Given that this issue had been around since January I’m surprised that the latest Calibre doesn’t yet handle it “out-of-the-box”.
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This really helped me. Thanks a lot. Going back to the old version of kindle desktop app fixes all issues. Thanks for the link as well.
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Thank you so much for the workaround (update at the end of the article). I just downloaded the azw3 file using the ‘download to usb’ option and Calibre can read it! Brilliant.
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Hi – I had a problem last week with a newer Kindle File (25th Sept file –
****_EBOK.azw) and solved that by updating my Apprentice Alf plugin on Calibre, then reverting to an older version on Kindle for PC, File imported to calibre and I converted to ePub for my Andoid, Tablet, phone and Win 10 Laptop/tablet.
This morning I purchased a new ebook on Amazon and it downloads to my Kindle PC an .mbpV2 file. – this is only 1KB so cannot contain the book (Though it opens within the Kindle PC app??)
Cannot seem to persuade Amazon to download a different file type whether I try from within the Kindle app, or from the Amazon.co.uk website?
I am assuming this is some sort of “download precursor” somewhat like some libraries use an .ACSM file to link and download an ebook?
Annoying when Amazon bill it as “Formatted for E-Readers, Unabridged & Original version. You will find it much more comfortable to read on your device/app. Easy on your eyes” – but then as “supported devices” only list their own Kindle stuff
Any ideas as to how I may get the “epub” or even “azw” I believe I have purchased?
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Just fought this battle with my latest Amazon purchase. Had to use an older version of kindle for pc, use DeDRM_App to remove the drm from the file downloaded with kindle for pc, then use calibre to finally convert.
It really irritates me that we have to do this just to read our purchase on the device or reader app of our choice. I hate the kindle app. Won’t let me change the color of the text to make it easy on my eyes (I prefer dark grey background and an off white or grey text for reading in the dark), won’t let me change the orientation of the screen, etc.
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As of October 20, 2017, even my Version 1.17 does not work. Downloaded the old version (1.17) again and same result. Can not xfer to Calibre. In addition, Amazon managed to kill all of my azw3 books on my pc. I keep two libraries, one Calibre and one Kindle Library. I noticed that also around October 20, all of my books on my computer in the Kindle Library were converted from azw3 to the “Kindle Content.” Hopefully, I will someday be able to add new books to my Calibre as I do not own a Kindle, nor do I intend to be forced to buy one just to read books available at other locations. Guess it is back to paperbacks until better ebook days. Ebooks were getting to be much more costly anyway and really NOT worth the efforts.
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One word: Usenet
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I just tried mine with a few books I just bought from Amazon over the last few days and it worked just fine for me. Not sure what the problem is for you, though.
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Thanks – bought a book recently and couldn’t figure out why my usual easy converting wasn’t working – this helped solve it in a few easy mins!:)
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Thank you! I am using a Macbook and the latest Kindle for Mac uses a format that loads an unrecognizable file into Calibre. I uninstalled the latest version and installed the older version you linked to, turning off automatic updates. I was also having a tough time locating the folder containing my files, so in preferences for Kindle for Mac I set content to a folder on my desktop. Some people set up automator to send the files automatically to Calibre, but I don’t mind doing it manually once in a while when I get a new book. I’m sure Amazon will eventually force me to update, but in the meantime I’ll have my 341 titles backed up in Calibre. I hate that Amazon makes it such a hassle to manage your own library. The Kindle app is fine for reading, but it sucks terribly for organizing. As an archivist and librarian I appreciate that Calibre is available for the preservation and organization of my beloved books.
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The link in your website to obtain version 1.17 of Kindle no longer works, however I found a site where it can be downloaded from.
https://kindle-for-pc.en.uptodown.com/windows/old
I had been using version 1.17 for some time, since the advent of the AZW format for Kindle books – I don’t have a Kindle ereader but a Kobo, so I use Calibre to convert mobi books from Amazon to epub – anyway, I got a new laptop, downloaded Kindle and forgot I needed the older 1.17 version, got the latest, and of course Calibre couldn’t handle the AZW format. Anyway, I found the old version of kindle at the above link, and have no problem with Calibre now – just redownloaded the offending titles and everything was fine.
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@Joan: Many thanks for the update. I’ve fixed both the PC and Mac links. David
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An ebook I own had some issues with the previous versions of K4PC and Kindle app, rendering it not able to download the book. The issue got resolved in the new version but the new version books won’t let me rip DRM off the book, damn frustrating.
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Thank you very much for that information Chris. I have downloaded the previous version, as you suggested, and am now able to continue transferring my kindle books to Calibre.
This follows a heated conversation with an Amazon tech.
Regards
Monica
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Thanks Christopher! I sent you a couple of bucks. Worked like charm
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Yo instale el kindle para pc version 1.17 .0 y recien me reconoce los nuevos ebooks de amazon y tambien descargue la versión de calibre 2.84 genial puedo convertir a pdf
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I just tried downloading 1.17 and it still works, and lets me move mobi files into Calibre. I also use this hack as a way to back up the mobi files I buy via Amazon Kindle, so they are on my hard drive (Kindle has been known to delete books previously purchased with no warning). I also kept a copy of the 1.17 installer for future use, if needed. Now to go back and do this for all the books I bought the last year! Thanks everyone for the great help!
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writing March 21 2018 and ‘Download via USB’ gives me a AZW3 file . Calibre cannot convert.
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This didn’t work for me either. Replacing the latest version with 1.17 is the best way to go.
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I downloaded an even older version of kindle for pc, and it works like a charm. AZW file downloaded and converted to pdf via calibre.
Thanks. 🙂
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When I download from Amazon, my books are in .AZW3 format. Doesn’t seem that Calibre or any other online conversion tools can convert. I have the latest Calibre tools installed as well as the DRM plugins. Any ideas?
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Hi — The latest deDRM conversion tool worked for me — but only on the second import and try for some reason. BUT — highlights and notes are not imported. Is this always the case, or is there a way to import those?
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I’ve used version 1.17 and it works with Calibre and the plug-ins, but I’m having an issue where the reference photos in my books are coming out distorted when I’m converting from the .azw to .pdf Any ideas on how to maintain the aspect ratio of the photos?
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What’s the best method for now as of 2019? Because I watched a video trying to remove the DRM in Calibre because I just got a Kobo and wanted the transfer my books from my Kindle Oasis 2 to it and the video method didn’t work. I still have a Kindle Keyboard 3rd generation as well and I’m wondering would my books transfer from it to the Kobo via Calibre.
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Hi, lowprofile7777. Alas, because TeleRead is based in the United States, home of the DMCA, we can’t get into the specifics of removing DRM. Big apologies. I would ask other commenters not to supply the information here.
Believe me, we hate DRM for retail books just as much as you do. Let’s hope that sooner or later, there will be legislative remedies. We recently published a post telling how ebooks.com allowed people to filter out DRMed books from search. I know that’s not a solution for you. But if nothing else, the information may be good for your morale.
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I know this thread is getting old but I ran into a problem that I want to document here and maybe other places. Not going to discuss de-DRM although I too do not agree with DRM either, but it is what it is.
I got a Samsung tablet, [2nd one that I have broken screen on : ^( ], with large SD card. So I use this instead of desktop or laptop computer. Down loading to tablet from Amazon content page would sometimes show “transfer via USB” and sometimes wouldn’t. It took a while to figure it out. If you run into this problem, on tablet make sure that option to view site as desktop. This is most likely explains why I have not run across any posts to this problem.
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