How Do I Transfer Ebook Reader Books To A New Device?

Just purchased an e-reader and moved into a lovely reading nook – needed that really! The first thing to do is to check if you have bought books from the retailer’s store. If you have bought books from Amazon using your Kindle account then most of your purchases will be in the cloud and can be downloaded to your new e-reader from ‘Manage Your Content and Devices’ after registering the new e-reader to your Kindle account. In much the same way, if you have bought e-books from Kobo then you will register your new e-reader to your Kobo account and sync.

I transfer non-DRM books by USB (in file-transfer mode, of course). DRM’ed eBooks, on the other hand, need to be transferred using a library manager. Bulk-organizing your non-DRM eBooks using a library-tool that also converts between formats (for example: EPUB on the new reader, but MOBI on the old one) is also highly recommended. Note that books that you’ve purchased from a store, such as a Kindle Store, can usually be re-downloaded from your “Manage Your Content and Devices” page, assuming they’re not DRM-protected. DRM-protected eBooks (such as eBookstore from Adobe DRM-ed EPUBs), on the other hand, often require you to re-authorize the eBook on the new reader with your Adobe ID. You then transfer the eBook using Adobe Digital Editions.

Finally, don’t forget to export your highlights and ‘My Clippings.txt’ files for older Kindle devices, make a backup of your e-books and de-register the old device if you’re selling or giving away to others. There are a few minor glitches that may arise during the process of transferring your books, but these can be easily sorted out by trying a different cable, checking if your e-reader needs a firmware update, or re-registering the device. Happy migrating – it’s a tiresome process, but once you’ve managed to get all of your books onto your new e-reader and sorted out, you’ll be transported to your own personal reading paradise.

The following is a short and simple plan I have come up with that can be used in conjunction with various e-readers. A short checklist to get started followed by a few words of wisdom.

Checklist: 1) Did you buy the books at the store? Connect your new reader to the same account, and then sync or re-download the relevant content. 2) Are your books DRM-free? Copy your DRguarded EPUB/MOBI/PDF files to your newly acquired device by connecting it to your PC, and copying the corresponding files into your reader’s special folder for eBooks. 3) Are your books DRarged? Use the same vendor-supplied method to re-download the books from their cloud storage, or authorize your newly acquired reader using your Adobe ID for Adobe DRaged books. Mass moves, and changes in book format, are also handled by my library manager, which converts any given eBook to the appropriate format for the book, and updates my eBooks’ metadata.

When moving books to a new reader some things need to be done with care. Switiching between file transfer and charging modes on the reader itself (for instance pressing the top right button while plugging in a USB cable) often makes it appear in the computer’s list of devices again. Also, sometimes just using a different USB cable can work. Exporting highlights and notes beforehand (for instance the ‘Your Notes and Highlights’ page can be downloaded from the Kindle website, and ‘My Clippings.txt’ can be imported into Kobo). Big problems with book formats often come from moving between different ecosystems (as I recently did from Kindle to Kobo). Here a library app is used to clean up the mess and make the new library look neat. Sometimes a book won’t re-download from a store. Contacting the support department of the store and they will reissue access to the book in question. With a bit of effort it all gets sorted out and you’re reading again within a few steps.

Transferring my tiny but mighty library to the new reader has been a labor of love, much like transferring my beloved records to a new turntable. First, re-download your purchased e-books and have them re-sent to your new account for that device. (Yes, they will sync up to your last reading spot, etc.) For DRM-free books, simply copy to the appropriate folder on your new reader via USB. For your Adobe DRM ebooks, authorize the new reader with your Adobe ID, then use Adobe Digital Editions to transfer the books to the new reader.

Converting book formats for reading on a new platform (between Apple-iOS and Android for example) is usually handled by your desktop library management software. And tidying up the metadata for your books too. Before you transfer any books to your new reader it’s always a good idea to back up your e-books first. Then you can export any notes or other data that your e-book reading app allows you to export too. Now de-register the old reader from your account on the store from which you purchased the books, and then you’re ready to start reading on your new reader. Swapping cables, switching the USB connection on the reader to the other USB port, and even upgrading to the latest firmware for your reader can often fix transfer problems.