Removing DRM protection from Kindle for PC ebooks using unswindle

[Sh4d0w927]

I was getting the same error. I moved my python scripts into my amazon content folder and still got the error. then I deleted the book, as I had downloaded it from an unsupported version of [url="http://amzn.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sv_kinh_1?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771&tag=streami nmedia-20"]Kindle For PC[/url, and redownloaded. It worked with the re-downloaded copy. Hope that might work for you.

[smt52]

unswindle.py v7 worked for me on my Kindle DX, latest software as of 2010-08-20, Kindle 4 PC v1.1.1 as of 2010-08-20.

- Windows 7 x64 (x32 will work as well)
- Python 2.6.5, 32-bit (definitely not 64-bit it gives memory errors!!!)
- Kindle DX, international version (it should work with other Kindles as well)
- Kindle 4 PC, v1.1.1 (latest as of 2010-08-20)
- MobiDeDRM.py (version 0.06 will do)
- unswindle v7

Instructions:

1. Install Python.
2. Copy the two scripts into C:\Python26 (see link below)
3. Follow the instructions at the start of "unswindle.py".


To save time, you can download the required scripts and instructions here:

http://www.microchipc.com/download/Kindle_DX_no_DRM_python_scripts_2010-08-20.zip

[TomF]

Originally Posted by smt52

unswindle.py v7 worked for me on my Kindle DX, latest software as of 2010-08-20, Kindle 4 PC v1.1.1 as of 2010-08-20.

- Windows 7 x64 (x32 will work as well)
- Python 2.6.5, 32-bit (definitely not 64-bit it gives memory errors!!!)
- Kindle DX, international version (it should work with other Kindles as well)
- Kindle 4 PC, v1.1.1 (latest as of 2010-08-20)
- MobiDeDRM.py (version 0.06 will do)
- unswindle v7

Instructions:

1. Install Python.
2. Copy the two scripts into C:\Python26 (see link below)
3. Follow the instructions at the start of "unswindle.py".


To save time, you can download the required scripts and instructions here:

http://www.microchipc.com/download/Kindle_DX_no_DRM_python_scripts_2010-08-20.zip

After some unsuccessful previous attempts using Python 2.7 with wxPython installed which I used successfully to remove DRM from an old .prc file, I was successful following these instructions. I uninstalled Python 2.7 and wxPython and installed Python 2.6.5. My setup:

- Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit
- Python 2.6.5
- no physical Kindle, my K2 went back within 30 days for a new K3!
- Kindle for PC v 1.01 (beta) that I found somewhere a few weeks ago
- MobiDeDRM.py (the version in the ZIP package)
- unswindle.py (the version in the ZIP package, renamed to unswindle.pyw)

Thanks for the detailed instructions and packing the Python scripts!

[atourgates]

A couple tips:
With the latest version of Kindle 4 PC - I was getting the "unsupported version" message as well.

Here's how I solved it:

1. Uninstall the latest version of Kindle 4 PC
2. Download Kindle 4 PC 1.01 Beta from here
3. Disconnect from the internet (Otherwise, Kindle 4 PC will automatically update itself without your permission)
4. Install Kindle 4 PC 1.01 Beta
5. Run Unswindle
6. Kindle 4 PC will automatically open
7. Open the book you want to de-DRM
8. Close Kindle 4 PC
9. A Unswindle dialog box will pop up asking you where to save your decrypted file. Pick a spot.
10. You're done!

[Chris9]

Hello there ... I'm new and looking for help taking the DRM off a Kindle book.

I bought a new kindle book today and tried to strip the DRM off it using the SAME exact techniques I had been using for the last few months up to just yesterday! But every time I use unswindle, it is converting another book in my K4PC library -- not the one that is new and opened in K4PC when unswindle opens it!

I double checked in the folder and the file has a .prc extension -- just like the majority of kindle books in my library that I've sucsessfully used unswindle on. The only thing different is that the file is a little larger than a normal ebook -- 3.5 mb -- but I don't think that has anything to do with it.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Chris9]

Update: I just figured out it is a topaz prc file. So I used TopazExtract_Kindle4PC.pyw successfully ... but when I use topazfiles2html.pyw I just get an error message: "HTML conversion failed"

If I use topazfiles2xml.pyw it will work, but is there then a way to convert the xml files into an epub????

[Julian]

OK, this is all scaring me a bit. I've already removed DRM from all my purchased Palm eReader books and converted them to ePub but now I want to buy new stuff and there's no escaping the fact that the Kindle Store has way more content than iBooks. I want to keep my entire library in the same reader so I now want to but a test book from the kindle store and convert that to ePub as I expect that this will then become my normal method of buying ebooks.

The test book I plan to buy is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdsong/dp/B0031RS68M/. Am I fairly safe in assuming that this (and other mainstream contemporary fiction from big publishers) is likely to be in the basic AZW format? If so then am I in the right thread as far as stripping the DRM is concerned? Is atourgates' 2nd Sep 2010 post a fair summary of the current best practice?

Has anyone got the procedure working without needing to roll back the K4PC version or is this still a necessary step? Even better, is there some tool chain that makes it possible to strip the DRM without having K4PC installed or is this really the only way to get around Amazon's "obfustication of the PID" issue?

This all looks way more complicated and scary than my experiences with converting my B&N/eReader books but the prize (access to the Kindle content) is far greater so I guess that I need to climb this mountain.

- Julian

[fernandoch]

I used the version Kindle 4 PC 1.0.1 Beta 1 and it worked for me, I downloaded it from here

http://stream-recorder.com/forum/sho...58&postcount=2

It worked perfect!

[Kirok]

I've tried multiple tools (Skindle, Unswindle etc) and I'm getting partially corrupted mobi output. I can't seem to find where to post a bug report so I'm posting here:

Check this thread for more details:

Odd partially corrupted output: AZW to MOBI

[technogeekery]

Thanks all for some great advice. I have successfully decrypted DRM'ed Kindle .azw files into unencrypted .mobi files, and can now bring them into Calibre and convert them to epub for my Sony Reader. Hooray, I can buy books from Amazon now! Thanks to all for your advice.

Some notes

• Like TomF, Python 2.7 didn't work for me, 2.6.5 was successful
• The zip file in smt52's post was great, meant that I didn't have to mess around with making .py files from test files
• The version of unswindle.py in that file (v7) works for Kindle 4 PC up to release dates 29.06.2010 so you don't have to download the very old beta version. It doesn't work with the current version (1.3.0 dd 12.12.2010) so you'll need to uninstall that if you have it, reinstall an older version (the link given earlier for filehorse downloads is good) and make sure you are offline when you install it, otherwise it auto-updates).
• Make sure the filename of the input and output files don't have whitespace, otherwise it will fail. ie rename the original .azw file and the mobi file you want to produce with no spaces or special characters (underscore is fine) .
• Bingo - it works like magic

Thanks again!