[Anonyma'am]

I posted a question a few months ago about this, but I just don't get it.

When an ebook I've purchased at AMZN is updated, an orange button appears. If I click on it, it sends the updated book to my Paperwhite - not what I want. I want it on my PC. But if I download and transfer via USB, I always get the old version of the book.

How the heck do I get the new version onto my PC and, thus, into Calibre?

This is making me feel absolutely feeble-minded!

[Anonyma'am]

One year later and no one has any suggestions?

[zbert]

So what you are saying is that you are letting the download go to the Paperwhite. Then you connect the paperwhite to the PC via USB. Drill into the documents folder and transfer to your PC, but the version that gets transferred is always the old edition?

Do you have Kindle for PC installed on your PC and registered to your Kindle account? If you have the software installed, you should then have the option to send it to your 'Kindle for PC' app. Once it is downloaded, you can then open your file explorer, drill down to where your kindle content resides on your PC. This is usually at C:\Users\[your user name]\Documents\My Kindle Content.
Copy the relevant file from there over to Calibre.

[Anonyma'am]

Not exactly.

See, the "update available" button/link does *not allow* a download via USB - it will always deliver the updated version to the device chosen at the time of purchase. In future, I'll try to choose the Kindle reading app when I buy a book and see what happens.

Re-downloading the book for transfer via USB, or sending to the reading app, merely acquires the original version I bought - not the updated version.

I think I'm hosed.

[zbert]

How about deleting the book from your Kindle, and then re-download from Amazon onto your Kindle.
That way only the latest edition is on the Kindle, so when you do the transfer onto your PC only the latest editon can be transferred.
Give it a try and report back.

[Anonyma'am]

I picked a book that is not on my Kindle and has an update available. I already have the retail copy I purchased in Calibre. It also has an obvious version in the copyright.
So I sent it to my device.
In comparing the two versions, I can easily see they are the same.
Then I sent it to Kindle for PC and opened it in the app.
It's also the old version.
Not only that, but adding it to Calibre by click-and-drag does not remove the, um..."corporate handcuffs".

Thanks for your help! I'm willing to keep working on this, but I hate to waste your time. Amzn's customer service can't even understand what I'm trying to do!

[zbert]

So just to clarify what you mean by transferring by USB:

You are connecting your Kindle to PC via USB lead (obviously), and then downloading the book again using the 'Transfer via USB' option on Amazon website?

What I was suggesting was to connect your Kindle to PC with USB lead, but instead of going to Amazon website do this:

Open your file explorer on PC and you will see that your Kindle is listed as another drive. Open this and then open 'documents' folder and you will see:



Drag and drop the book into a folder on your PC. Does this work? Or do you still end up with the old version of the book?

Let's try and get this to work first before worrying about the 'corporate handcuffs'

[Anonyma'am]

I really can't find another way to explain this. It's a failing on my part.

Test 1:
Delete current copy of book on device.
Via browser, go to Amzn purchases->choose xfr by USB->download to PC->xfr via USB to device = old version

Test 2:
Delete current copy of book on device.
Open device to its homepage->select to view All->search for book->"Update Available" is not displayed as a choice->touch to download to device = old version

Continue Test 2:
Connect device to PC via USB->open device documents folder in Win10 file explorer->drag and drop same book to a different folder on PC->item is a kfx file->item is locked and can't be read by calibre viewer, neither externally nor within calibre.

Next: Open Kindle for PC->delete old version of book->close K4PC->right-click the kfx file, choose Open With, choose K4PC->book does not display->choose All in K4PC (i.e. all purchases/borrows at Amzn), search for book, right-click and choose Download = old version

The only way to get the updated version is to go to my purchases at Amzn via a browser and click "Update Available". The option to transfer via USB is not available, nor is a selection of devices (we have more than 1). Once I click "Update" and leave the page, the opportunity is not offered again.

The download destination for the updated version is the device chosen at the time of purchase, i.e. my device.

[zbert]

Ah, it's a kfx file.

I think the only way to get them onto calibre is to use Kindle for PC/Mac version earlier than 1.25 using 'Apprentice Alf' plugin.

Since you can only get the update on your Kindle first, then I think you are well and truly hosed.

I think this is the end of the line.

Sorry I could not be of more assistance.

[Anonyma'am]

Thanks for taking me seriously.

I did some research and figured out the kfx issue. Tedious, but it worked.

When I started this thread a year ago, I had a valid problem. Earlier this week, it still seemed to be a problem. *Now* I get the updated version if I first click "Update Available", let it send it to my device, refresh the page, and re-download for transfer via USB. Yet this didn't work with another book a couple of weeks ago.

I need to relax my obsession with this and let it go because Amazon.

Case closed.