Kindle books downloading to Calibre as KFX-ZIP

[Kitt01Mom]

Hello, new here.
I have K4PC v 2.4.0 (70904) running on my Windows 10 PC
I have Calibre v 7.26
I have KFX Input v 2.21.0 Plugin
I have DeDRM v 10.0.9 Plugin

Some books I download to K4PC and then to Calibre work fine and I can convert to epub. Others, not so much.
These are all novels, no Graphic Novels, no Textbooks. Just plain old books to sit down and read.

Some input to Calibre as KFX-ZIP and I can't do a thing.
Others input to Calibre as KFX but won't convert because the 'book is DRM locked'.
edit I just came across a book that loaded into Calibre as AZW but can't convert because "This Book is Locked by DRM".

I either download to K4PC via the Amazon Digital Content page, or from K4PC where you can download under individual books. I then go to My Kindle Content in Windows Explorer, Drag the .azw file and Drop it onto Calibre.

Unfortunately I had downloaded some ebooks to K4PC the LATEST version before I realized that would not work. The more I look, the more it seems that those books are the ones that aren't working. If it means anything, they all seem to have an MD file along with the AZW file

However I have been removing those books and redownloading with the 2.4.0 K4PC. By accidently downloading on a current K4PC, did that 'ruin' any chances I have of being able to get them into Calibre and convert to epub?
Thanks for any advise
Barb

[ElleKayEm]

You should be fine once you re-download them with 2.4.0 (70904). Be sure to prevent unwanted updates -- see info under method 2a here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=361503

[Kitt01Mom]

Yes, I figured that redownloading with 2.4.0 (70904) would work, but it doesn't. And I've got unwanted updates unchecked and under 'about' it shows as 2.4.0 (70904).
This is what I'm not understanding why it won't work. I've redownloaded, tried with Calibre, get KFX-ZIP, remove the download, rinse and repeat. Could Calibre itself be the problem? The MD file I'm seeing in Windows Explorer, has the Calibre icon with it. Even though the books are NOT in Calibre because I've removed them.

[ElleKayEm]

At some point you've accidentally set calibre as the program associated with md files.

I would go the extra step detailed in the link I gave to prevent updates. The check box will eventually be ignored. Try deleting the entire My Kindle Content folder to be sure you're getting fresh downloads with the correct version of Kindle for PC.

[twitch2021]

At some point you've accidentally set calibre as the program associated with md files.

I would go the extra step detailed in the link I gave to prevent updates. The check box will eventually be ignored. Try deleting the entire My Kindle Content folder to be sure you're getting fresh downloads with the correct version of Kindle for PC.

Not OP but I'm having the exact same issue. Running K4PC 2.4.0 (70904) which I've verified in the app and disabled autoupdates, running Calibre 7.26 with KFX Input installed from within Calibre and DeDRM 10.0.9 from here. I've input the serial number from my Kindle Oasis in the Kindle eInk eBooks section of the DeDRM plug-in.

Any book I download from K4PC appears in Calibre as a KFX-ZIP and cannot be DeDRMed. I'm stumped and any help would be appreciated. I followed the directions in the link you provided and also just deleted my content folder and redownloaded a book to try again. Same result.

[ElleKayEm]

I don't know what the issue is with Kindle for PC. It is on the same computer and user as calibre/DeDRM? But since you have a Kindle Oasis and already have its serial number entered, you could decrypt the books downloaded direct to it instead.

[twitch2021]

There’s the other thing. I can’t get my kindle to connect to my computer. It’ll charge when plugged in but doesn’t appear as a device for some reason.

[ElleKayEm]

You don't get a prompt on the Oasis about connecting? Or try another USB port if available.

[twitch2021]

The only thing that happens when I plug it into any USB port on 2 different laptops is that the Oasis starts charging. Nothing else happens on the Oasis and the computer seems to have no idea anything was plugged in (even checking Device Manager). The only think haven’t tried is another MicroUSB cable (because who just has these lying around) but I’ll try picking up a new one today and see if that’s it. Otherwise I have no idea.

But yeah, either way, I can’t do anything with my books haha.

[twitch2021]

I got another cable and it turned out the previous cable I was using was no good. New cable works and Kindle connects. I was able to import most of my library from my Kindle though, strangely, some of the books copying over from my Kindle are still coming in as KFX-ZIP files and I'm at a loss.

[ElleKayEm]

@twitch2021 You sure you have your Kindle's serial number entered correctly?

[Kitt01Mom]

ElleKayEm, Thanks for the suggestion of removing the Kindle Content and starting 'fresh'. Tried it yesterday evening, and it didn't work. So rather than get a migraine before bed, I just turned it all OFF and watched a movie instead.

However this morning, I figured I would get a 3rd download of K4PC and try again. But before installing I thought, why not, so I tried the 2nd K4PC I installed and wouldn't you know it, it worked. For awhile. Then it went back to formatting everything in Calibre as KFX-ZIP. Almost like it's teasing me. It works for a few books, then BAM.

I'm giving up. I'm going to get myself a kindle reader, even though I don't need one, I have a KOBO but purchase most books on Amazon. But twitch2021's comments are giving me pause. I don't need to spend a lot of money for something that might or might not work. Something to explore.

[cas206]

Are you dropping a bunch of books on to Calibre at the same time? I'm not sure that is supported, if so. I had a similar issue when trying to do a bunch at once resulted in a couple decoded correctly, but the rest didn't. Going through the Add button and doing it one book at a time seemed to work without a problem.

[twitch2021]

I did batch process them but even after deleting the zip files and retransferring them individually (multiple tries) they still wouldn’t work.

[Kitt01Mom]

I'm only doing one book at a time, and I'm just dragging and dropping the file (awz?) onto Calibre. twitch2021 and I seem to be having the same problem. Only I am going from K4PC to Calibre on my Win10 desktop. I don't have a Kindle.

[twitch2021]

Yeah, I wasn’t able to get K4PC to work at all unfortunately. Luckily I got most of my stuff from my kindle directly. I’m going to try deleting the problematic books off my kindle, redownloading them to the kindle, and then retransferring them to see if that help. Now it’s just a game of whack a mole.

[ElleKayEm]

@Kitt01Mom
Just ran it again, and that's what it says for me too.

In AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\
you should now have a file named updates with no extension.

[jonathan2183]

Try this. Open calibre . Connect device. When it says let calibre manage device say yes. Click on kindle device icon in calibre . Wait for it to find all books on device. Once all books are listed look for one you want to import. Hilight and drag to library icon. It will then import it as one file and you should be able to convert. Double check serial number had been saved. Some files like text books and certain ebooks may contain drm which dedrm cannot remove. As it's a hardened drm .

…

On Friday, March 7, 2025, ElleKayEm ***@***.***> wrote: @Kitt01Mom <https://github.com/Kitt01Mom> Just ran it again, and that's what it says for me too. In AppData\Local\Amazon\Kindle\ you should now have a file named updates with no extension. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#776 (reply in thread)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AXQQLU7UK5O4ZKPRLARCDDT2TFUDNAVCNFSM6AAAAABYMSTWJCVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTENBSGQ3DEOI> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[jzastoupil]

Amazon is now forcing an update to download any books published in the last week or so. They will not download with the old K4W version at all, they just say "pending", and of course the new version only downloads files that we cannot decrypt

[ElleKayEm]

For the moment E-ink Kindles are still an option for books published after Apr 22. And until May 26, an old version of Kindle for Android running in Bluestacks.

[jehargonaut]

Would someone please post a link to the instructions to use an E-ink Kindle? I assume that K4PC 2.4.0 (70904) is required, but it would be nice if not...! Thank you in advance.

[ElleKayEm]

No Kindle for PC required. Use DeDRM 10.0.9 and the KFX Input plugin. Have the Kindle's serial number entered in DeDRM's customization. Make sure you leave the kfx file in its original folder structure.

[jehargonaut]

Thank you again. One more quick follow-up question: Does the newer Colorsoft edition change the approach? I doubt it, but merely want to confirm.

[ElleKayEm]

All I know is that the Colorsoft uses MTP instead of USB Mass Storage. So that may make a difference in how you need to import the files into calibre, but you should still be able to. I think using device view in calibre and adding books from there will do it.