Problem importing ebooks to tablet

Hello, everyone. I'm having issues with importing my existing ebooks from the computer to the tablet. As the title says, I'm using a Coby Kyros MID1042, which uses the Aldiko reader. The Aldiko store has a lousy collection of books, so I'm trying to import my existing epub books. After hours of hit or miss attempts, I decided to go to the Coby support site. This is what I found:

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Copy your ePub files into the SD card (in the eBooks/import folder). Make sure your ePub file ends with .epub extension.

1. Connect the tablet to your computer with the USB cable.
2. Pull down the status bar of your tablet and then click on USB connected.
3. Now go to your computer, you will be either able to see all files in the Removable disk (E already or there will be option for you to open folder to view files.
4. Look for eBooks folder and open it.
5. Look for Import folder and open it.
6. Copy your ePub file(s) into the Import folder, make sure your file(s) end(s) with .epub extension.
7. Go to your tablet, pull down the status bar of your tablet and then click on "Turn off USB storage".
8. A context menu will be brought up, select "Turn off" option.
9. Go to the Home screen of the Aldiko application, click on "Menu" button of your tablet and then select "Import".
10. A context menu will be brought up, select "Import" option.
11. Click "OK" to confirm.
12. After the import process completes, a context menu will be brought up to notify you. Select "Dismiss".

You have just imported your own books into Aldiko. The imported books will be on the bookshelf. To view your imported books, just simply go to bookshelf, click on the Menu button of your phone, select "Sort" and then "By Download Date" option. Your imported books will be displayed on the top of the bookshelf.

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The problem occurs at the emphasized step 9. There is no menu button anywhere on the home screen of Aldiko, or on the tablet itself that I can find. The "Home" icon in the Aldiko home page simply shifts the orientation of the screen, it does not offer any options. The user manual does not mention a home button anywhere. I should mention that the word "phone" in the last paragraph gives me pause - I can't find anything on the Coby site that addresses this process specifically for the MID1042 tablet. I've tried to contact Coby support by phone for several days now, and I receive nothing but a busy signal.

If anyone is familiar with this tablet, and can help me, I will be forever grateful.

Thanks

I just did it. It works like this:

• Select Files on the main page
• Navigate to where the files are on the tablet, including into the directory if you put them in one
• Select the files you want to import
• Hit Import at top

I didn't try it by putting them on the external SD card. If you're running Android 3.2 or later, part of internal memory is set aside as a pseudo SD card, and the additional card you add will be called something like extSDCard or similar. I didn't test the reader to see if it could get to the addon card, so that may be a problem if using an Android version that fits that description. You may need a file browser to move them if that's the case.

If you run into that problem and can't get around it, I found using Airdroid allows me to connect to the tablet via a browser so long as the tablet and computer are on the same network. That allowed me to access both the internal and external cards so I could place the files where they wanted. But if this means also isn't possible, I'll look in early in the morning and see if I can find some method to get around any blockage.

How can I transfer files between devices?

Aldiko
posted this on April 09, 2012 14:55

To transfer eBook files and library between devices, please follow the below instructions:

(1) connect your device 1 to your computer, copy the folder called "eBooks" from the SD card/internal storage of your device 1 and paste it in your computer;
(2) disconnect your device 1 from your computer;
(3) connect your device 2 to your computer, copy the "eBooks" folder from your computer and paste it in the SD card/internal storage of your device 2;
(4) disconnect your device 2 from your computer;
(5) launch Aldiko Book Reader, select "Files", locate the "eBooks" folder in the SD card/internal storage of your device 2;
(6) check the box next to the "eBooks" folder and then select import button.

I just did it. It works like this:

• Select Files on the main page
• Navigate to where the files are on the tablet, including into the directory if you put them in one
• Select the files you want to import
• Hit Import at top

Sorry, I should have mentioned the OS. The tablet is running Android 2.1. If you mean the "main page" of the Aldiko reader, there is no option to select "files." I'm completely lost here with this thing.

By any chance does your Coby use your home WiFi network for connectivity to the web? If so, I may have an untested solution for you.

Mine has 4 icons on the main page:

• Shelf view
• Store
• List view
• Files

If you don't have those, I don't know why. But you might get some help by going to their site, or by sending them an email.

By any chance does your Coby use your home WiFi network for connectivity to the web? If so, I may have an untested solution for you.

Hi, Animal - long time, no see... :D

I do indeed use a home wifi connection.

Mine has 4 icons on the main page:

• Shelf view
• Store
• List view
• Files

If you don't have those, I don't know why. But you might get some help by going to their site, or by sending them an email.

This is what appears at the Aldiko site:

To transfer eBook files and library between devices, please follow the below instructions:

(1) connect your device 1 to your computer, copy the folder called "eBooks" from the SD card/internal storage of your device 1 and paste it in your computer;
(2) disconnect your device 1 from your computer;
(3) connect your device 2 to your computer, copy the "eBooks" folder from your computer and paste it in the SD card/internal storage of your device 2;
(4) disconnect your device 2 from your computer;
(5) launch Aldiko Book Reader, select "Files", locate the "eBooks" folder in the SD card/internal storage of your device 2;
(6) check the box next to the "eBooks" folder and then select import button.

Everything is fine until step 5. I have no way to navigate to the "ebooks" folder, and there is no import button.

Update:

I have figured out how to get to the screen where I should be able to import books to the tablet. However, the app cannot "see" any files, either on the SD card or in the ebooks folder on the tablet itself when I place them there. Progress of a sort, but still no Import button or ability to see the files.

You won't get the import button until you have the file selection. My guess is that you're not getting to the right spot where they are. As soon as I open the folder where I have importable content, there's a tick box on the right that lets me select any or all of them. Once I select the first one, I get a caption at the top that says Unselect All and another that says Import.

Let me know if you want to pursue the Airdroid option if you can't make stiltskin's method work. It's not a real fix for how it should be done just a work around to access your device.

Yes long time no see. Happy New Year to you.

You won't get the import button until you have the file selection. My guess is that you're not getting to the right spot where they are. As soon as I open the folder where I have importable content, there's a tick box on the right that lets me select any or all of them. Once I select the first one, I get a caption at the top that says Unselect All and another that says Import.

I'm confused as to what folder you're referring to? I don't see anyway to navigate to folders within the tablet, ecxept when it's connected to the computer via USB. My files are at this point located on the tablet in the folder ebooks\import, but the tablet does not see them.

You said, "I have figured out how to get to the screen where I should be able to import books to the tablet." If true, you should have a file manager of a sort. If you don't, I'd say we're either not working with the same app, or you still haven't found the part that finds the files.

When I choose the Files selection on the main page, it opens up a file browser. At the top of that window is a thing that shows <Files followed by folders. If you open into the correct place where the books you want to import are located, you need to select the right folder to get the tick boxes that allow you to select the files themselves. If you aren't in the right place to start with, you'll need to hit the <Files thing at top, which will move you up a level, and from there navigate to the correct place.

Initially, it should open in the correct top location if you put the books on the SD card. If you put the books in a folder on the SD card, you'll need to open the folder to get to them.

Without seeing what you're seeing, I have no idea if we're facing the same interface. But I can't imagine there would be multiple interfaces dependent on the version of Android being used. I may break out my tablet with 2.3 tonight to see if I see something different than what I see currently.

As per the instructions, the books are located on the SD card, in the folder ebooks/import. I've also tried simply loading them on the SD card not contained in any folder. Nothing shows up on the tablet.

Let me know if you want to pursue the Airdroid option if you can't make stiltskin's method work. It's not a real fix for how it should be done just a work around to access your device.

Yes long time no see. Happy New Year to you.

At this point, Animal, I'm open to anything that might work.