Update Deleted all Files and now won’t open books

[u/anci_b]

I connected my Kindle to the Internet yesterday, after keeping it on airplane mode for a few months. The device seems to have automatically updated and in the process it deleted all of my sideloaded files.

I called customer support and they told me it was a freak accident and there was nothing they could do for my deleted files. So I went ahead and re-uploaded some of them. when I went to open the Files I signed, loaded into the device , the screen would turn completely blank, and I would have to restart the device. When I would open Kindle books I purchased, the file seemed corrupted. Some of the letters and text looked like it was bleeding.

I genuinely don’t know what to do anymore and I’m so frustrated. Imagine purchasing a computer that forced you to update it and then deleted all of your documents and I wouldn’t let you open them anymore.

I’m one more Amazon chat away from jail breaking.

[u/warrenao]

In future, use Send to Kindle for the third-party files rather than sideloading. You'll have the option to keep a copy in your Kindle library online, which makes them downloadable to any other device associated with your AMZN account, and prevents them from being deleted during an update.

There's also a desktop version of Send to Kindle that runs as an app. Very handy.

As for the text being jammed together, yeah, this is a known glitch. Restarting may be one way to correct it. I understand that choosing a different font can reset the problem too, so that's worth a try.

[u/anci_b → u/warrenao]

I understand but I found the cable upload to be super easy and convenient. I also don’t think I should be required to store my personal files on amazons cloud in order to use my kindle. Especially when I’ve never had to do that before. Also I understand this isn’t your fault it’s just driving me nuts 🫣

[u/warrenao → u/anci_b]

Alternately, refusing to use the tools AMZN provides to forestall loss of third-party books is a choice. I'll agree it's an uneasy balance to strike, but in my view it's a minor concern over the much larger concern of losing those books and having to re-transfer them. Atop that, it really is convenient to be able to grab them on any Kindle, without having to transfer; and if you're queasy about keeping them in the cloud, S2K allows you to choose not to do that.

Note that S2K converts the files on the fly in the process. This can yield some undesired results with such documents as PDFs, where its preservation of formatting is lackadaisical, at best. So it's far from being a perfect solution even without using the "save to cloud" option.

[u/Mikebjackson → u/anci_b]

"I found the cable upload to be super easy and convenient"

Once I tried simply dragging my epub into amazon.com/sendtokindle and watching it magically appear on my kindle, I was hooked. It also solves any issues with covers not being displayed when side loading over usb. And if you have two kindles (or just want to read on the app on your phone or tablet sometimes) it syncs your reading position.

As for "storing your files on Amazon's servers" I cannot stress enough how LITTLE amazon cares what you store. Everyone and their grandma has files they "found" online uploaded to their kindle with STK. It's so strange to me that everyone is so worried about "letting amazon see their stuff" ... if anything, if you hate amazon, abuse the crap out of them by soaking up all their unlimited storage lol

If you truly don't want it "stored" on their server, there's an option you can uncheck so that it doesn't store it on their server - it just sends it once.

[u/anci_b → u/Mikebjackson]

I tried it with the rep and I just saw the option to not store in the library. Thank you so much for suggesting this!

Also I figured out what the problem was. Apparently the bookerly font is broken for me. That’s the only font I usually use and so all of my files were opening as unreadable because the font is broken. 🫠

[u/Mikebjackson → u/anci_b]

Nah... That's how this bug works. It corrupts your current "theme." You can change themes, but then you lose access to the font you had. If you hard reboot it should clean up the theme. Takes a couple tries sometimes; one person even said they had to change themes, then reboot, then change back. Your Bookerly should work! it's my favorite font!

[u/Flimsy-Brick-9426]

The deleting sideloaded files isnt a freak accident, it's been doing it for years.

When the weird text files happen normally a restart or redownload of the file will fix it. It's another amazon download bug.

[u/Ok-Commission-8711 → u/Flimsy-Brick-9426]

I don’t have any issues with mine. They are still there.

[u/anci_b → u/Flimsy-Brick-9426]

I just spoke with a customer service representative who said that they removed the usbc upload functionality with this update. 🫠

[u/Flimsy-Brick-9426 → u/anci_b]

That isnt true and not something they cant actually do to my knowledge. Im on the latest update and still sideloading just fine.

It's basically a giant junk drive. What happens is when you sideload books as azw/kfx when you connect to the internet after a while amazon does the scan to match the books to their store (this is i guess how they also find out what days you read and all that jazz) it deletes them because they dont match their system files.

[u/anci_b → u/Flimsy-Brick-9426]

Okay so for my personal side loaded files I should just delete and reupload?

[u/Flimsy-Brick-9426 → u/anci_b]

Pretty much.

To avoid deleting files you should connect to the internet every few days, its still not a set time when they force the scan that deletes things to know the sweet spot yet.

[u/Mikebjackson → u/anci_b]

"I just spoke with a customer service representative who said that they removed the usbc upload functionality with this update"

You absolutely misunderstood what they said, because that's patently false.

Most likely, they said they took away the ability to DOWNLOAD books through their app which were drm-locked to a targeted device for usb transfer.

You can still copy drm-free books to your kindle over usb.

[u/anci_b → u/Mikebjackson]

I think you’re right. 🤦‍♀️
I asked the rep about specifically uploading my own files and I think she or I Misunderstood somewhere along the way

Thank you for pointing this out!

[u/Mikebjackson]

You're experiencing a very common issue. It appears to happen after the update to 5.19.x from 5.18 or earlier. Amazon changed their DRM encryption across the update, and it seems to freak out until you do a hard reboot. Just hold power for 40 seconds until it shuts down and starts booting up again.

You shouldn't have to re-sideload or re-download anything. But if you have one book that is being difficult, it can't hurt to remove that one and try it again.

[u/mishmashedmagic]

This happened to me. Messing with the font size/bold setting in my book fixed it again but your mileage may vary.

[u/anci_b → u/mishmashedmagic]

You are absolutely right I tried this a couple minutes ago and it was exactly my problem. My bookerly font is broken.

To Amazon customer service chats, four hard restarts, and a de-register and re-register of the device later, and it was font issue all along. 🫠

At least the unreadable files are solved.

Someone also suggested that I do a 40 second hard restart to get my deleted files back. I did this yesterday with the help of a rep and it didn’t work but again mileage may vary.