Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > alt.comp.os.windows-10 > #186261 > unrolled thread

Kindle, short file names, and other matters

Back to article view | Back to alt.comp.os.windows-10

Contents

  Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-27 14:27 +0100
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters WolfFan <akwolffan@zoho.com> - 2025-07-27 10:08 -0400
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-27 16:22 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> - 2025-07-27 09:18 -0700
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters WolfFan <akwolffan@zoho.com> - 2025-07-27 13:22 -0400
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-27 20:12 +0200
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 04:47 +0100
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> - 2025-09-18 18:06 -0700
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-09-19 06:42 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> - 2025-07-27 19:26 +0100
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Ed Cryer <ed@somewhere.in.the.uk> - 2025-07-27 16:22 +0100
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-27 20:14 +0200
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 04:22 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-28 14:31 +0200
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-07-28 14:28 +0000
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 16:58 +0100
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-29 14:40 +0200
                Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2025-07-30 04:28 +0200
                  Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-30 22:03 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-29 14:30 +0200
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Java Jive <java@evij.com.invalid> - 2025-07-28 15:40 +0100
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 17:09 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Java Jive <java@evij.com.invalid> - 2025-07-28 20:50 +0100
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-29 01:04 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-07-29 13:43 +0000
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-29 19:13 +0200
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-29 23:08 +0100
                Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-07-31 09:54 +0000
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> - 2025-07-28 11:04 -0500
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 17:13 +0100
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> - 2025-07-27 19:22 +0100
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-27 20:52 +0200
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-07-27 15:16 -0500
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 04:34 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters sticks <wolverine01@charter.net> - 2025-07-27 23:05 -0500
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> - 2025-07-28 10:04 +0100
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 12:02 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> - 2025-07-28 16:59 +0100
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 17:30 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-28 14:34 +0200
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-28 17:21 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-29 14:45 +0200
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-29 23:12 +0100
                Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-30 02:47 +0200
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters croy <croy@spam.invalid.net> - 2025-07-30 08:50 -0700
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-30 22:07 +0100
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2025-07-28 06:25 +0200
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-28 14:37 +0200
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Bennett Price <bjprice@cal.berkeley.edu> - 2025-07-28 12:48 -0700
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-29 01:10 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-29 14:48 +0200
          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-29 23:23 +0100
            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-30 02:58 +0200
              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-30 22:23 +0100
                Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-31 15:30 +0200
                  Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-07-31 16:11 +0100
                    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-07-31 22:39 +0200
                      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-01 21:03 +0100
                        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-02 03:42 +0200
                          Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-02 08:30 +0100
                            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters John Hall <john_nospam@jhall.co.uk> - 2025-08-02 10:31 +0100
                              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-02 19:32 +0100
                            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-02 14:33 +0200
                              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-02 16:55 +0100
                            Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2025-08-02 18:06 +0200
                              Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-02 19:16 +0100
                                Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-02 22:59 +0200
                                  Kindle, chatgpt "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-03 02:24 +0100
                                    Re: Kindle, chatgpt "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-03 22:08 +0200
                                      Re: Kindle, chatgpt "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-04 03:09 +0100
                                        Re: Kindle, chatgpt "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-04 12:46 +0200
                                          Re: Kindle, chatgpt "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-04 12:03 +0100
                                            Re: Kindle, chatgpt "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-04 13:43 +0200
                                          Re: Kindle, chatgpt Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-08-04 12:56 +0000
                                          Re: Kindle, chatgpt Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2025-08-04 14:35 -0400
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> - 2025-08-02 18:21 +0200
    Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2025-08-04 13:05 +0000
      Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2025-08-06 23:20 +0100
        Re: Kindle, short file names, and other matters "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-08-07 14:43 +0200

Page 1 of 4  [1] 2 3 4  Next page →

#186261 — Kindle, short file names, and other matters

So far, I've resisted going Kindle, as I do not understand, am
suspicious, of how it works - remote control of what I have, it seems.

However, I recently read about a book that is useful for genealogy (if
anyone's interested, it's The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in
Britain and Ireland - see
https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford for
details), so I took the plunge. (The above link told me I don't have to
have a Kindle device, I can "download the Kindle app" for the computer.)

First, I tried to download it from the link provided, but was told I
don't have any devices registered, or some such wording - but it did
include a link to get the "app". So I did, and then was able to get the
book.

Among other things, I ended up with a directory
D:\document.etc\My Kindle Content (which I had accepted during the
process). [D:\document.etc is my "documents" folder.] Curiously, doing a
"dir /x m*.*" from document.etc shows that MKC _doesn't_ have a short
filename.

Within MKC, there appear to be three items: a 112 KB file called
book_asset.db, a directory called NoteDocuments which appears to be
empty, and a subfolder called B01N41TEO3_EBOK. None of these seem to
have short names.

I say _appear_, because a size indicator I like to use - scanner, from
Steffen Gerlach (http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/), when pointed
at MKD, doesn't see the B* subdirectory.

Anyway, within B01N41TEO3_EBOK are about 21 files - a .voucher file of
size 1,165, 18 .res files and a .md file all of about 1-3 MB, and a .azw
file of 45.4 MB, totalling 97.4 MB (all sizes according to scanner).

Double-clicking on the .azw file causes "J.'s Kindle for PC" to open,
displaying the book.

Because of my - OK, paranoia - about Kindle, I verified that this
(double-clicking on the file) worked with my internet connection
disconnected: in other words, both the book and the software to access
it are definitely on my PC.

I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
(a) is the access limited to just this PC?
(b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)

Plus are the files and folders as they appear, or is what I see in File
Explorer a fiction? (On my Windows 7 32 bit machine, I used to use Xtree
Gold to see what was really going on, but that won't work under 10-64 [I
think it's the 64 that stops it rather than the 10].) And I didn't know
things could exist without a short (8.3) name, but "dir /?" - under /X -
implies they can.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

The early worm gets the bird.

[toc] | [next] | [standalone]

#186262

On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <10659gp$1kcc7$5@dont-email.me>):

> I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
> (a) is the access limited to just this PC?

access is limited to devices which log into Amazon using your Amazon account. 
I think that there’s an upper limit on how many devices can be live on 
Kindle at a time, but I can’t be arsed to look it up, and I know that 
it’s at least 5 because I have five devices (one iPad, one iPhone, one Mac, 
one Win 7 system, one Win 10 system) live, as in can read and order books, 
right now. (The Win 7 system is ‘legacy’ and I don’t know how much 
longer it will be available.)
>
> (b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)

Yes. They have done this in the past. 
https://gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703 And, 
yes, I found it funny that 1984, of all books, was unpersoned.

I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far 
away from Kindle, though lately it’s becoming more and more painful to 
de-DRM the books. Which means that I don’t buy many DRMed books from 
Amazon; certain publishers and/or authors insist that their stuff not be 
encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from 
sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre. 
Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume 
containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or 
Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186263

On 2025/7/27 15:8:57, WolfFan wrote:
> On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
> (in article <10659gp$1kcc7$5@dont-email.me>):
> 
>> I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
>> (a) is the access limited to just this PC?
> 
> access is limited to devices which log into Amazon using your Amazon account. 
> I think that there’s an upper limit on how many devices can be live on 
> Kindle at a time, but I can’t be arsed to look it up, and I know that 
> it’s at least 5 because I have five devices (one iPad, one iPhone, one Mac, 
> one Win 7 system, one Win 10 system) live, as in can read and order books, 
> right now. (The Win 7 system is ‘legacy’ and I don’t know how much 
> longer it will be available.)

You snipped the bit where I verified that I can access the book with my
internet connection turned off - i. e. both the book, and the software
to access it, are definitely on this machine.>>
>> (b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
> 
> Yes. They have done this in the past. 
> https://gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703 And, 
> yes, I found it funny that 1984, of all books, was unpersoned.
> 
> I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far 

Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)

> away from Kindle, though lately it’s becoming more and more painful to 
> de-DRM the books. Which means that I don’t buy many DRMed books from 
> Amazon; certain publishers and/or authors insist that their stuff not be 

This one was actually free, though not presented as such: it was
presented as having a cost of 0.00, without the word free anywhere I
could see.

> encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from 
> sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre. 
> Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume 
> containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or 
> Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.
> 
Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
"reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, is
there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, .rtf,
.txt, or .doc(x)?
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

No sense being pessimistic. It wouldn't work anyway.
- Penny Mayes, UMRA, 2014-August

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186266

On Sun, 27 Jul 2025 16:22:42 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk>
wrote:


>Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
>me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)

https://calibre-ebook.com/

-- 
croy

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186267

On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
(in article <1065g82$1kcc7$7@dont-email.me>):

> On 2025/7/27 15:8:57, WolfFan wrote:
> > On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
> > (in article <10659gp$1kcc7$5@dont-email.me>):
> >
> > > I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
> > > (a) is the access limited to just this PC?
> >
> > access is limited to devices which log into Amazon using your Amazon
> > account.
> > I think that there’s an upper limit on how many devices can be live on
> > Kindle at a time, but I can’t be arsed to look it up, and I know that
> > it’s at least 5 because I have five devices (one iPad, one iPhone, one
> > Mac,
> > one Win 7 system, one Win 10 system) live, as in can read and order books,
> > right now. (The Win 7 system is ‘legacy’ and I don’t know how much
> > longer it will be available.)
>
> You snipped the bit where I verified that I can access the book with my
> internet connection turned off - i. e. both the book, and the software
> to access it, are definitely on this machine.>>
> > > (b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
> >
> > Yes. They have done this in the past.
> > https://gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703
> > And,
> > yes, I found it funny that 1984, of all books, was unpersoned.
> >
> > I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far
>
> Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
> me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)
>
> > away from Kindle, though lately it’s becoming more and more painful to
> > de-DRM the books. Which means that I don’t buy many DRMed books from
> > Amazon; certain publishers and/or authors insist that their stuff not be
>
> This one was actually free, though not presented as such: it was
> presented as having a cost of 0.00, without the word free anywhere I
> could see.
>
> > encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from
> > sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre.
> > Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume
> > containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or
> > Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.
> Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
> "reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, is
> there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, .rtf,
> .txt, or .doc(x)?

EPUB does book-type things better than PDF or RTF or DOC(X). TXT doesn’t do 
images or formatting and so isn’t suitable for a lot of books. EPUB flows 
better, can handle chapters (if present) better, and can display better on 
many devices. PDF is the best of the above formats, but isn’t as good as 
EPUB for most books. Amazon’s Kindle formats (there are at least a half 
dozen) range from about as good as EPUB to slightly better tham PDF. There 
are a _lot_ of ebook readers out there, virtually all of which can handle 
EPUB but not necesarily Kindle formats, mostly due to DRM.

I like calibre. It’s free and can handle most formats, though it may choke 
on some Kindle DRM if you don’t have the correct 3rd-party extensions 
loaded. The main problem is the actual reader sub app has its quirks. That, 
and the fact that there’s no calibre for iPad, so I have to use something 
else there. I used to use Marvin, but that’s dead and I’m trying out 
alternatives. Apple’s Books isn’t bad, and will take de-DRMed EPUBs, but 
I prefer something not from The Mothership, mostly because Books insists on 
sticking the library onto iCloud so that you ‘can share the content with 
all devices logged in with your AppleID or with Family Sharing’ and I’d 
really rather not. Especially as I would have to be online to access iCloud 
in the first place.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186268

On 2025-07-27 19:22, WolfFan wrote:
> On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
> (in article <1065g82$1kcc7$7@dont-email.me>):
> 
>> On 2025/7/27 15:8:57, WolfFan wrote:
>>> On Jul 27, 2025, J. P. Gilliver wrote
>>> (in article <10659gp$1kcc7$5@dont-email.me>):

...

>>> I use calibre to de-DRM and convert Kindle files to EPUB and stick them far
>>
>> Can you point me at calibre? (I suspect googling that word would bring
>> me lots of hits on guns and ammunition!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calibre_(software)

...

>>> encumbered by DRM, and I buy a lot of that kind of book. I also buy from
>>> sources which aren’t as annoying with the DRM and de-DRM using calibre.
>>> Amazon can’t touch an EPUB stored on a volume other than the volume
>>> containing the Kindle content. I use an ebook reader not from Amazon (or
>>> Apple, or Kobo...) to access de-DRMed content.
>> Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special
>> "reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, is
>> there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, .rtf,
>> .txt, or .doc(x)?
> 
> EPUB does book-type things better than PDF or RTF or DOC(X). TXT doesn’t do
> images or formatting and so isn’t suitable for a lot of books. EPUB flows
> better, can handle chapters (if present) better, and can display better on
> many devices. PDF is the best of the above formats, but isn’t as good as
> EPUB for most books.

It doesn't reflow. On epub you can choose the font and font size, the 
entire book reflows and changes the number of pages. With PDF you can 
not do this. Ok, you can sometimes, but it is a kludge.

When reading on an electronic book changing the font size is an 
important feature, to adapt to your eyesight and preferences.

> Amazon’s Kindle formats (there are at least a half
> dozen) range from about as good as EPUB to slightly better tham PDF. There
> are a _lot_ of ebook readers out there, virtually all of which can handle
> EPUB but not necesarily Kindle formats, mostly due to DRM.
> 
> I like calibre. It’s free and can handle most formats, though it may choke
> on some Kindle DRM if you don’t have the correct 3rd-party extensions
> loaded. The main problem is the actual reader sub app has its quirks. That,
> and the fact that there’s no calibre for iPad, so I have to use something
> else there. I used to use Marvin, but that’s dead and I’m trying out
> alternatives. Apple’s Books isn’t bad, and will take de-DRMed EPUBs, but
> I prefer something not from The Mothership, mostly because Books insists on
> sticking the library onto iCloud so that you ‘can share the content with
> all devices logged in with your AppleID or with Family Sharing’ and I’d
> really rather not. Especially as I would have to be online to access iCloud
> in the first place.

With Kobo it is possible to dedrm a book, and have it on the structure 
maintained by Calibre instead of Kobo's own.


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186282

On 2025/7/27 18:22:45, WolfFan wrote:
[]

> I like calibre. It’s free and can handle most formats, though it may choke 
> on some Kindle DRM if you don’t have the correct 3rd-party extensions 

Yes. I got it, and pointed it at "My Kindle Content". It found the .azw
and one other file (I only have one Kindle book), but loaded it as
having the title of the folder Amazon/Kindle had created
(B01N41TEO3_EBOK), and when I tried to view it, failed or came up as
gobbledegook. I think it was when I tried to convert it it directed me
to https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283371, which
suggested I needed the "DeDRM (version 10.0.9 beta) and KFX Input
plugins". I installed the DeDRM one - still no joy. I installed the KFX
one - ah, now it can load the file. But when I try to _convert_ it,
either to EPUB or PDF, I get "Cannot convert ... This book is locked by
DRM". (I had naively thought a plugin called DeDRM would deal with that!)

> loaded. The main problem is the actual reader sub app has its quirks. That,


[]
Well, _my_ main problem is that I seem to have loaded something even
more complicated than the Kindle "app" (OK, I'm sure it can _do_ more),
and all I have to show for it is an _extra_ folder tree, containing - in
a suspicious way similar to the Kindle one - _another_ 100 MB or so for
its own copy of the book.

-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I'm not an early bird or a night owl, I'm some sort of permanently
exhausted pigeon

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#187552

On Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:22:45 -0400, WolfFan <akwolffan@zoho.com>
wrote:

>EPUB does book-type things better than PDF or RTF or DOC(X). TXT doesn’t do 
>images or formatting and so isn’t suitable for a lot of books. EPUB flows 
>better, can handle chapters (if present) better, and can display better on 
>many devices. PDF is the best of the above formats, but isn’t as good as 
>EPUB for most books. Amazon’s Kindle formats (there are at least a half 
>dozen) range from about as good as EPUB to slightly better tham PDF. There 
>are a _lot_ of ebook readers out there, virtually all of which can handle 
>EPUB but not necesarily Kindle formats, mostly due to DRM.

Any TXT formatted file I get and want to read I just go ctrl-A (to
select all) then copy + paste it into Word then change the font to
something I know I read easily and to a font size I like.

That may sound odd but I had cornea replacement surgery recently (the
main benefit is to greatly reduce the danger of cataracts within the
next decade) and during recovery it certainly makes a difference.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#187554

On 2025/9/19 2:6:16, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Sun, 27 Jul 2025 13:22:45 -0400, WolfFan <akwolffan@zoho.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> EPUB does book-type things better than PDF or RTF or DOC(X). TXT doesn’t do 
>> images or formatting and so isn’t suitable for a lot of books. EPUB flows 
>> better, can handle chapters (if present) better, and can display better on 
>> many devices. PDF is the best of the above formats, but isn’t as good as 
>> EPUB for most books. Amazon’s Kindle formats (there are at least a half 
>> dozen) range from about as good as EPUB to slightly better tham PDF. There 
>> are a _lot_ of ebook readers out there, virtually all of which can handle 
>> EPUB but not necesarily Kindle formats, mostly due to DRM.

That assumes that the material _takes advantage_ of the extra
features/facilities offered by the "better" format(s), of course. If it
doesn't, then the advantages are moot.

I recently struggled greatly converting what was in effect a book of
surnames from Kindle into PDF - and I don't _think_ I lost anything by
doing so, as I don't think the material was organised in the first place
in a way that used any potential advantages Kindle or EPUB offered.>
> Any TXT formatted file I get and want to read I just go ctrl-A (to
> select all) then copy + paste it into Word then change the font to
> something I know I read easily and to a font size I like.

Can you not change your Notepad (or whatever you use to open .txt files)
to use that font? (Or do you want to keep your Notepad "vanilla", e. g.
an equispaced font, in case you encounter something that relies on that
for layout?)>
> That may sound odd but I had cornea replacement surgery recently (the
> main benefit is to greatly reduce the danger of cataracts within the
> next decade) and during recovery it certainly makes a difference.
Useful to know.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"Farc gorillas who live in the plains of the undies ..." - automatic
subtitling seen on BBC one o'clock news, 2016-8-25, by Cynthia Hollingworth.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186272

In message <1065g82$1kcc7$7@dont-email.me>, J. P. Gilliver 
<G6JPG@255soft.uk> writes
>Ah, so even when converted to "EPUB", you still need a special 
>"reader".If (some) publishers/authors insist their stuff isn't DRM'd, 
>is there a reason these works are in EPUB, rather than, say, .pdf, 
>.rtf, .txt, or .doc(x)?

Kindle can store and read books in EPUB format and also documents in 
.pdf format, though that would presumably allow Amazon to access them.
-- 
John Hall
                "I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly,
                 will hardly mind anything else."
                                            Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-84)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186264

J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> So far, I've resisted going Kindle, as I do not understand, am
> suspicious, of how it works - remote control of what I have, it seems.
> 
> However, I recently read about a book that is useful for genealogy (if
> anyone's interested, it's The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in
> Britain and Ireland - see
> https://www.lostcousins.com/newsletters2/latejul25news.htm#Oxford for
> details), so I took the plunge. (The above link told me I don't have to
> have a Kindle device, I can "download the Kindle app" for the computer.)
> 
> First, I tried to download it from the link provided, but was told I
> don't have any devices registered, or some such wording - but it did
> include a link to get the "app". So I did, and then was able to get the
> book.
> 
> Among other things, I ended up with a directory
> D:\document.etc\My Kindle Content (which I had accepted during the
> process). [D:\document.etc is my "documents" folder.] Curiously, doing a
> "dir /x m*.*" from document.etc shows that MKC _doesn't_ have a short
> filename.
> 
> Within MKC, there appear to be three items: a 112 KB file called
> book_asset.db, a directory called NoteDocuments which appears to be
> empty, and a subfolder called B01N41TEO3_EBOK. None of these seem to
> have short names.
> 
> I say _appear_, because a size indicator I like to use - scanner, from
> Steffen Gerlach (http://www.steffengerlach.de/freeware/), when pointed
> at MKD, doesn't see the B* subdirectory.
> 
> Anyway, within B01N41TEO3_EBOK are about 21 files - a .voucher file of
> size 1,165, 18 .res files and a .md file all of about 1-3 MB, and a .azw
> file of 45.4 MB, totalling 97.4 MB (all sizes according to scanner).
> 
> Double-clicking on the .azw file causes "J.'s Kindle for PC" to open,
> displaying the book.
> 
> Because of my - OK, paranoia - about Kindle, I verified that this
> (double-clicking on the file) worked with my internet connection
> disconnected: in other words, both the book and the software to access
> it are definitely on my PC.
> 
> I'd be interested in comments - in particular,
> (a) is the access limited to just this PC?
> (b) can Amazon remotely delete it? (This PC is online most of the time.)
> 
> Plus are the files and folders as they appear, or is what I see in File
> Explorer a fiction? (On my Windows 7 32 bit machine, I used to use Xtree
> Gold to see what was really going on, but that won't work under 10-64 [I
> think it's the 64 that stops it rather than the 10].) And I didn't know
> things could exist without a short (8.3) name, but "dir /?" - under /X -
> implies they can.

Calibre is far preferable, as Wolfan says; and free, and well attested 
by yours truly over the years.
Uninstall whatever new apps have been installed in Control Centre/ 
Programs (order them in installed date order, which will make sneaked-in 
ones quicker to spot), and get Calibre.
There is also a plugin that handles DRM in Kindle files. You can get it 
here;
https://www.epubor.com/calibre-drm-removal-plugins.html
Read the installation guide carefully.

Oh, and for the future try and stick with EPUB format for ebooks. 
They're usually more error-free than Kindle ones.

Ed

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186269

On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186280

On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> 
> I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
> 
There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
want to move one step at a time to something like

<drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh

, it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).

Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
difficult (batch files for example).

I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.

I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
dislike them.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I'm not an early bird or a night owl, I'm some sort of permanently
exhausted pigeon

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186294

On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>> On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>
>> I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
>>
> There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
> want to move one step at a time to something like
> 
> <drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
> 
> , it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
> 
> Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
> context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
> difficult (batch files for example).
> 
> I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
> 
> I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
> dislike them.

I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope 
perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would 
switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or 
Windows Terminal

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186300

Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
> On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> > On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> >> On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> >>
> >> I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
> >>
> > There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
> > want to move one step at a time to something like
> > 
> > <drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
> > 
> > , it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
> > 
> > Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
> > context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
> > difficult (batch files for example).
> > 
> > I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
> > 
> > I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
> > dislike them.
> 
> I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope 
> perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would 
> switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or 
> Windows Terminal

  Same here. I haven't used short names ever since long names existed,
i.e. for me from Windows NT on. I might have used them temporarily on
Windows 95 to fix some problems. but as I mainly went from Windows 3.1
to NT, those were rare occasions.

  As to "Maybe if using the old DOS console.": I spent a very large
portion of my time in Command Prompt windows and never use short names
there either.

  Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
Windows as soon as I could.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186306

On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>>> On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
>>>>
>>> There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
>>> want to move one step at a time to something like
>>>
>>> <drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
>>>
>>> , it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
>>>
>>> Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
>>> context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
>>> difficult (batch files for example).
>>>
>>> I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
>>>
>>> I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
>>> dislike them.
>>
>> I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope 

I'm sure there are lots of things (both within and outside computing)
that _I_ haven't used for decades. That doesn't mean I automatically
hate them, and might even appreciate them if I needed them.

>> perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would 
>> switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or 
>> Windows Terminal

Batch files are often simpler than messing about with shells.

But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
>   Same here. I haven't used short names ever since long names existed,
> i.e. for me from Windows NT on. I might have used them temporarily on
> Windows 95 to fix some problems. but as I mainly went from Windows 3.1
> to NT, those were rare occasions.
> 
>   As to "Maybe if using the old DOS console.": I spent a very large
> portion of my time in Command Prompt windows and never use short names
> there either.
> 
>   Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
> Windows as soon as I could.

Ah yes, UNIX_where_all_spaces_are_underlines_instead (-:. (Yes, I
haven't used UNIX since the '80s, when it _was_ nearly all command-line;
I appreciate it probably _does_ allow spaces in filenames these days.)
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

At the age of 7, Julia Elizabeth Wells could sing notes only dogs could
hear.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186333

On 2025-07-28 17:58, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 2025-07-28 05:22, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>>> On 2025/7/27 19:14:25, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>>>>> On 2025-07-27 15:27, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't understand why you want short file names or bother with them.
>>>>>
>>>> There are los of reasons, but one is: if I'm in a command window, and I
>>>> want to move one step at a time to something like
>>>>
>>>> <drive>:blahhhhh\blahhhh blah blah\blah blahh\blahhh
>>>>
>>>> , it's easier to type "cd blahbl~1" (or whatever).
>>>>
>>>> Another reason is if I want to reference an LFN with a space in it in a
>>>> context where a space would cause problems or at least make things more
>>>> difficult (batch files for example).
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure others can think of lots more reasons.
>>>>
>>>> I don't understand why you - apparently, anyway, from the above line -
>>>> dislike them.
>>>
>>> I had no need to use them in decades. Tools should be able to cope
> 
> I'm sure there are lots of things (both within and outside computing)
> that _I_ haven't used for decades. That doesn't mean I automatically
> hate them, and might even appreciate them if I needed them.
> 
>>> perfectly with long names. Maybe if using the old DOS console. I would
>>> switch to any of the modern shells in Windows. Like the Powershell or
>>> Windows Terminal
> 
> Batch files are often simpler than messing about with shells.

Certainly.

> 
> But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
> aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>

Hostility? No. We simply do not understand using them this side of the 
century. Everything is designed for long names nowdays; using short 
names can be asking for trouble.


>>    Same here. I haven't used short names ever since long names existed,
>> i.e. for me from Windows NT on. I might have used them temporarily on
>> Windows 95 to fix some problems. but as I mainly went from Windows 3.1
>> to NT, those were rare occasions.
>>
>>    As to "Maybe if using the old DOS console.": I spent a very large
>> portion of my time in Command Prompt windows and never use short names
>> there either.
>>
>>    Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
>> Windows as soon as I could.
> 
> Ah yes, UNIX_where_all_spaces_are_underlines_instead (-:. (Yes, I
> haven't used UNIX since the '80s, when it _was_ nearly all command-line;
> I appreciate it probably _does_ allow spaces in filenames these days.)

It certainly does. And you can use Bash shell and scripts in Windows, 
too. In "Windows Terminal", which can be installed from "Microsoft 
Store" and comes preinstalled in W11, you have "WSL (Windows Subsystem 
for Linux)", so you get Bash and others inside Windows.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186363

On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:40:49 +0200, "Carlos E.R."
<robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

>On 2025-07-28 17:58, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>> But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
>> aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
>
>Hostility? No. We simply do not understand using them this side of the 
>century. Everything is designed for long names nowdays; using short 
>names can be asking for trouble.

I use several MS-DOS programs that do not understand long file names,
and frequently copy the data files back and and forth between my
desktop and laptop computers using batch files, so using long
filenames in those circumstances is just asking for trouble.


-- 
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web:  http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186384

On 2025/7/30 3:28:36, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:40:49 +0200, "Carlos E.R."
> <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> On 2025-07-28 17:58, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> On 2025/7/28 15:28:42, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>>> But anyway: I'm not telling _you_ to use SFNs! I was just a bit taken
>>> aback by your apparent _hostility_ to them.>
>>
>> Hostility? No. We simply do not understand using them this side of the 
>> century. Everything is designed for long names nowdays; using short 
>> names can be asking for trouble.
> 
> I use several MS-DOS programs that do not understand long file names,
> and frequently copy the data files back and and forth between my
> desktop and laptop computers using batch files, so using long
> filenames in those circumstances is just asking for trouble.
> 
> 
You remind me of another situation: there are _devices_ you might use,
that don't understand LFNs - MP3 players, SatNavs, electronic picture
frames ... and also, in those case, it behooves to use long ones whose
short equivalents make sense. (Otherwise "a picture of my dog" and "a
picture of my son" might appear in the picture frame as APICTU~1 and
APICTU~2 rather than DOG and SON.)

Not everything has a savvy OS.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Heaven forbid today's audience should feel bombarded with information or
worse, lectured. Dont'scare the horses by waving facts around.
- David Butcher, RT 2014/11/29-12/5

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#186332

On 2025-07-28 16:28, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>    Probably my being used to Unix/UNIX, made me drop short names in
> Windows as soon as I could.

Yes, same here.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

Page 1 of 4  [1] 2 3 4  Next page →

Back to top | Article view | alt.comp.os.windows-10

csiph-web