How to make my Kindle work good?

June 25, 2012 3:04 AM

How do I get my Kindle 4 to recognize files I've put on it?

My Kindle 4 (non-touch) won't even identify azw3 files I've put on it. I have no idea how to use this device and don't really even want to, but my wife wants to use the damn thing. Google isn't helping me. I throw myself on your mercy, gentle people of AskMe.

posted by Joseph Gurl to technology (10 answers total)

Where are you getting these azw files from? Are you putting them in the documents folder (or books, or whatever it's called...)?
posted by pharm at 3:30 AM on June 25, 2012

Let Calibre do it.
posted by devnull at 3:43 AM on June 25, 2012

I converted them from epub & pdf to azw3 via Calibre, then I put them in the documents (or books, or whatever it's called) folder. :(
posted by Joseph Gurl at 3:48 AM on June 25, 2012

They should just show up, if they've been converted correctly. If you put a sample file up somewhere I can try it out later.
posted by pharm at 3:50 AM on June 25, 2012

Comvert them into to .mobi format
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:57 AM on June 25, 2012

There is an App called "gallery" - I think it comes pre-loaded into the kindle. That is where you view your own stuff. At least, that is how I do it.
posted by Flood at 4:04 AM on June 25, 2012

If you are using Calibre, why load them into a folder? Just plug the Kindle in, let Calibre recognize it, highlight the books you want from Calibre's list and press the transfer button. Calibre will prompt you to convert anything that isn't quite right and will put the books where they need to be.
posted by JoannaC at 4:09 AM on June 25, 2012

JoannaC - I'll try that. I converted them on my machine here at the office (where I am 14-16 hours a day) and the kindle is at home, so I dropboxed them and slapped them on it at home. I can bring the Kindle in or just load Calibre on my wife's machine, though, so maybe that's the next steppy step.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 5:46 AM on June 25, 2012

I've always just emailed .mobis to the kindle.com address associated with my device. Once you've set up allowed-senders, it's pretty much seamless (as long as you're sending compatible files).

Amazon's FAQ for that.
posted by mumkin at 7:18 AM on June 25, 2012

Thanks guys. After over a week of failure, I was rewarded today: the minute I plugged the kindle into my work computer--even before I opened Calibre--the files appeared. Nutty, but who am I to bitch about that.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 7:54 PM on June 25, 2012