ADE problems

[Tracy2]

Just got admonished for commenting on other people's problems with instances of my own which are like those upon which I was commenting. I was told to start my own thread because commenting on my own problems in replies was "confusing."

All I was trying to say, in a nutshell, is that problems with ADE 2.01 are endemic. It's virtually unusable for any length of time and I can't understand why the people who wrote the code in the first place can't fix it. What's worse, it's being used as the exclusive piece of software for downloading and using e-books by our online libraries. There is Overdrive Media Console, but, as far as I can tell, this is only workable as an app for tablets and smartphones and the like--not desktops, though it looks like it can be used for Audio books, if you can figure out how it works.

Version 1.72 seemed to work okay for me but, as I recall, the reason I upgraded to 2.01 in the first place was because it was starting to give me problems as well. The problems started, I think, with downloades that didn't act like they were supposed to, ie: ADE wouldn't launch automatically to accept the file "fullfillment". I have a suspicion that this problem could be an incompatibility between the online library's software and ADE. They're not quite in agreement. For example, sometimes the download would go right, sometimes not. What's that about?

I can get the file into ADE manually after the faulty download, but the book is then not returnable early and, as far as I can tell, the DRM file protection on the ebook is screwed up; the ebook will open okay even after the loan period expires. What's that about?

Unfortunately, assistance, either from Adobe or the online libraries, is virtually unavailable. These "Adobe Community Discussions" are fine for blowing off steam, but as far as fixing problems, they don't help much. Silmilarly, the online library people won't even talk to users directly, but instead refer you to your local library, where anybody you talk to knows less than you do. And we know what that's about.

Nothin's  free!

[sjpt]

Hi.  I won't try to suggest things that might make 2.0.1 work; it seems to be past hope ... as you say, problems with ADE 2.01 are endemic.

Lets see if you can get 1.7.2 working properly though.

ADE wouldn't launch automatically to accept the file "fullfillment". 

Could you clarify that a bit, please?

Did you happily download the .acsm file from the library, but opening the .acsm did not open ADE?

Or did the download fail even before you got the .acsm files?

Or did ADE open the .acsm file, but then fail to download the real .epub (or .pdf)  file?

How did you get the book in manually?  (apart from anything else, I'm sure lots of people would like to have a book that still opens after the loan period).

~~~

I agree that Adobe support for ADE is pretty poor.

Also, given that ebooks are likely to be used by people with very little knowledge of computers,

they have built an unbelievably awkward infrastructure that is a nightmare even for computer experts.

I feel really sorry for the people in libraries who have to help users out with this mess.

[Tracy2]

First of all, I am not using version 1.7. I did get to download a copy and install it, but couldn't get it to authorize my computer without "can't find the server" errors. As I said elsewhere, I was able to download and authorize a new copy of 2.01 using IE. For some reason, using Firefox to do the download resulted in an install of ADE that wouldn't authorize. However, a few days later the new install began giving me the "can't find server" errors again.

The "ADE won't launch automatically" problem stems from a change in behaviour at the online library when you try to download an e-book. Normally, when downloading from the library, I'd get a window asking which application you wanted and so forth. ADE was the default and the window said so. When you started the download, ADE would launch and the download would start with a progress bar and so forth. About half the time, now, the download window doesn't show ADE as the default--you have to select it yourself and after you do, instead of an ADE launch, the download goes to my computer instead.Sometimes as an ascm file sometimes as an epub. The epubs go to a folder on the computer from which you can then drag and drop into ADE.

There's more about this process that deserves exploring, but that's it in brief and I'm tired of the whole thing. ADE is a crippled creature and finding a way to circumvent its use is my life's ambition, at present. Thanks for taking the time answer.

[sjpt]

The only alternative to ADE I know for working with Adobe DRM books on PC/Mac is Sony Reader.

Free download from Sony intended to run with Sony eReaders but works quite happily without.

https://ebookstore.sony.com/download/

You may have more luck with that.

Unfortunately, it is still subject to some of the quirks of the Adobe registration/authorization mechanism.

~~~

The ADE launching problem looks as if it is an issue either with your browser, or with Windows itself.

Or maybe your download manager if you have one installed.

Most browsers/managers will put the download on you computer anyway, and then launch the file if it can.

All that assuming you are using a standard browser to access the online library: is that correct?

[Tracy2]

Firefox. Never thought of trying the download mechanism using IE at the online library. I'll try that and get abck to you.

[Tracy2]

Further to the above, the download worked properly using IE. It installed itself in ADE okay and the "return early" option worked properly. Curiouser and curiouser.

[sjpt]

Does sound as if it is some oddity if Firefox; usually very reliable though.

It could be a Firefox plugin/extension causing problems.

It is quite common for people to have issues with things on their main browser because of extensions,

and the same thing then works on an alternative browser.

The difference is that the user hasn't bothered to install any extensions on the alternative browser,

not that the browser is itself better at the given task.

[Tracy2]

Only using two extentions on Firefox: Download helper and McAfee site advisor. Maybe the download helper. I'll investigate.

[Tracy2]

Well, it seems ADE is an equal opportunity screw-up: if I get a "can't connect with fullfillment server" message using Firefox to return a title, early, from the open library, I can sometimes circumvent the problem by using IE to re-download the title, then return it early. Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the ADE errors that pop up. Sometimes using IE to download or return a title doesn't work either. Sometimes ADE works as advertised, other times it doesn't. It's a game of chance and frustrating beyond belief for a piece of software that has so many users (?).

[sjpt]

Quite .... Every now and then one just has to blow up about the awfullness of ADE and its associated infrastructure.

See my post 13 on  http://forums.adobe.com/message/5848681#5848681