DRM epubs won't pass page 168

[Guest]

I have purchased 4 books from Google Books, which are all DRM protected, and opened them in Adobe Digital Editions.  The metadata for each book as far as pages is showing 168, though the books are far longer than 168 pages.  When opened in ADE I can read past 168, but when loaded on my eReader it won't pass page 168 on any of the books.  The Table of Contents even shows page 168 as the starting page for SEVERAL chapters, but I cannot read past the first page in the chapter when I move to it.  Like stated above, I can read the whole book in ADE, but on my eReader I cannot.

What I did try was to remove the DRM from the books using some software found online.  When this is done it changes the book to a "Demo version" and I only get bits and pieces of the books I purchased.  This is extremely frustrating and I was hoping that someone may be able to help with this issue.

[Frustrated in AZ]

Let's start with your criminal activity. The software you used is

illegal. Using it is illegal.

That said, you should be asking the source why your ebooks 'stop' at page

168..... Something is wrong with the ebook.

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[jena518]

If he bought the book she should be able to READ the whole thing on whatever device he chooses to.  If you've bought and need to convert it to read the thing you should be able to.  BUT the bottom line for companies is $$$$$$ the more than can get from you the better.   Really, do they care if you have to buy more than one copy?  With all the brick and mortor bookstores closing, how many options do reader's really have. 

Sorry you got screwed angie....but you're not alone....I've got 300+ and ADE has them somewhere in the 'nether' cuz I can't get them to even come up on ADE from the library.  Don't bother with the help chat folks...they tell ya to look here in the forum.  Avoidence therapy so they don't have to tell you you're screwed.

[Frustrated in AZ]

Sorry that you're so jaded - and misinformed. DRM is there for a reason.

The law says that you can't make copies of DRM-protected ebooks, and

someone else, not a company, makes that decision. You cannot do anything

you like with electronic books - plain and simple - unless the distributor,

publisher or author says you can, or the copyright has expired.

To your issue: what are you saying about '300 ebooks'? Did you post the

issue and I missed it?

==============

[Guest]

Is there a specific reason you're so hostile in your posts?  I understand why DRM was put in place in order to protect the copyright of the products sold.  The DRM also extends to CDs... therefore it is also illegal to copy a CD to your local hard drive and ultimately your iPod.  Just saying...

I just think it's not right that you can buy an eBook and not be able to read it!  I'm not sharing it, but I know many others are not so honest about buying things.  Anyways, long story short... if there was a way to remove this discussion I would because obviously it's raising hostility on the forums and I never intended for it to do so.  I just didn't know if anyone knew how to fix the metadata on the eBooks so I could pass page 168.  Using Calibre I was able to fix the problem.

Thanks anyways!!!

[Frustrated in AZ]

Angie, I'm replying to your constant theme - and it's getting a bit thin.

Consider it 'hostile' if you wish, but the point's been made.

============

[jena518]

Angie...I get it and if you're not tech saavy...you are so sc****ed.   I've spent literally hours on the Adobe site, talking with their folks....Barnes and Noble's tech's (chat and on the phone)....they're all great and have similar answers/excuses  "It's not an issue with our software contact them." 

Fustration is not necessarily hostility...but finding no answers increases that fustration. 

[Frustrated in AZ]

Hold on a moment.... One new fact emerges, and I want to put it into

perspective.

It's really easy for the techs to use a different definition of 'Adobe'

software. DRM protection is implemented in some systems using Adobe

Content Server 4 (CS4 for short) routines. If the techs are talking about

DRM protection, then they might not be talking about what Digital Editions

does - and the Adobe techs think that you're telling them that the ebooks

were downloaded into Digital Editions.

You mention working on the ebooks with Calibre to convert them from .pdf to

.epub so 'the NOOK Color recognizes' them. When you did that, you may

not have ended up putting them where Calibre puts them, not into the

Digital Editions library. Digital Editions won't 'see' the ebooks unless

they are in the My Digital Editions library. There is a way to do that -

one ebook at a time.....

You should be able to use Calibre to transfer the ebooks you converted to

the NOOK. If that's not working, it truly is not a Digital Editions issue,

nor an Adobe issue. It's between Calibre and the NOOK. And if you're not

tech savvy, as you say, then it's really easy to get confused when the

techs use their own assumptions to address your issues. Don't get angry -

it's been this way forever. Techs tend to miss the human side of the

equation.

Somewhere along the line, I may have suggested that you reset the NOOK. I

am also wondering how well the Calibre conversion went, because I'm not

aware of that feature in Calibre. Any time there is a conversion, there's

always the potential for error to occur, and that the results won't be

useful or at least what you expected. Also, I don't know how NOOKs treat

.pdf files other than what you've said. It would be strange to me to think

that the NOOK would not be capable of formatting pages. It's possible that

something happened during the initial download of the .pdfs. If so, then

is what we're discussing now the result of a bunch of bad downloads?

One more technical point. If you downloaded the ebooks, did you wait until

the NOOK told you it had finished processing the new content (or words to

that effect) before you disconnected it from your computer?

===============

[jena518]

Fustrated, actually Calibre does a really good job...for the technically challenged (ME).  I do have 150+ that have transfered and loaded in to my Nook without issue.  Initially, I contacted Adobe and was given link and instructions to use ADE.   ADE recognizes my Nook library but that's all it does.  the 'other books' that I can't see are listed but that's about it.  Getting those into my Nook, as epub documents seems to be the problem. 

Again, I've been told to delete the books in digital editions from my Nook library as well as reset my Nook.  However, even if I back up my Nook and transfer the ones  I know are 'fine', delete calibre and start all over again, delete ADE and start again....no one can tell me if this will work.  Will these pdf books still be "somewhere", will I be able to convert them so the Nook recognizes them in order to read them or will I be back to square one.....

[jena518]

Jaded?  I don't think so.  I feel ripped off and cheated.  I bought books in good faith and was told pdf works on Nook Color.  When I went to read....that's when I discovered they didn't.  Went to the help sites, loaded what the Adobe Tech told me do...followed the directions and instructions from the 'human being' for nothing.  It doesn't work so I'm out many hours of my time, money I spent on books, software, reading, dealing with various tech support people from Adobe and Barnes and Noble, trying to read my books. 

I bought several books (various authors - collections) in pdf.  They claimed that a Nook Color can 'read' pdf...it can one word on a line at a time.  I loaded Calibre as instructed to transfer MY PURCHASED books from pdf to epub, something that the Nook Color recognizes, more than 300 of them and now they're gone.  Some of those books were SOLD to me with the DRM on it....contacted the Seller's and they claim it's not them but Adobe.   I checked with Adobe, they claim it's not them but the Seller.  So not only can I NOT read them they're gone.    Adobe tech folks told me they are there, look for them by title instead of author since there are several books by several writers.  Still can't find them in adobe.  Some of them I was able to get them into Calibre but not on my Nook Color.  However, the books on adobe claim they're in my Nook.  Not so...my Nook says they're there but if I try to read one..I get a cover page or error message.  

No one can tell me where to look for the darn books, no one seems to know how to fix it (Adobe folks) and no one seems to care.  That tells me that anything in pdf is useless...and finding a way to replace those books ..... there are NO WORDS.