I currently have Kindle for PC 1.28 installed. I’ve read some post about the new kfx2 with new encryption scheme that Amazon is using and know I have to downgrade Kindle for PC to get my tools to work again.
What is Kindle for PC? Kindle for PC is a free application that lets you purchase, download and read Kindle books on your PC, and synchronize with other Kindle readers. As there are many kindle for pc versions developed by Amazon company, which one should I choose?
Let’s compare the kindle for pc version with important updates which you can’t never read from Kindle updates(What’s new).
Part 1. Download Older Version of Kindle
1. Download 1.17(Kindle for PC/Mac 1.17)
This is the last version that you can download kindle books in kf8 format(azw3) which is with easy-to-break DRM.
This is the first time that Kindle books adopted Kindle KFX format (with the new encryption scheme). For a very long time (about two years), you can never decrypt kindle books, until there are some volunteers update the Calibre dedrm plugin.
What’s new of Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19
Added support for the enhanced typesetting books. The enhanced typesetting engine improves the way Kindle books are formatted.
Improved the search functions.
Added text-to-speech functions, it only work on books which support TTS functions.
3. Download Kindle 1.24(Kindle for PC 1.24/Kindle for Mac 1.23)
If you are still using kindle 1.24 to download kindle books, lucky for you. Why? Because from kindle 1.25, kindle books are not able to be cracked because of the harden KFX2 DRM. As for ebook user, there are slight differences between kindle for PC 1.24 and the latest kindle version （kindle 1.28 or 1.30) that you can just ignore.
What if I’ve already installed the latest version of Kindle for PC/Mac, let’s say kindle for PC 1.30.
Part 2. Deal with Kindle Update to 1.30 Automatically
I use the Kindle for PC app to download books I buy so I can back them up. I have unchecked the ‘automatic update’ box, but this morning it still updated without my permission. It will now not let me downgrade, and no matter which version of the app I download, when it is installed it is the current version 1.30. I’m using Windows 10. I’m stuck, any suggestions?
This is really aggressive, right? It seems kindle is trying to automatically update kindle for pc to the latest version without users’ permission. How to stop kindle app update?
1. Normal method for preventing undesired kindle app updates.
Click on Tools>>Options>>General >> uncheck “Automatically install updates when they are available without asking me.”
What if the above method is not working anymore?
The Kindle app can be aggressive about updating itself to the latest version. Even after the option to automatically install updates is deselected the software sometimes will update itself unexpectedly. Here are some tips on preventing this:
Step 1. If the latest version has been installed already, please uncheck the setting to auto install updates under Tools->Options->General and save preferences before uninstalling.
Step 2. Once the old kindle version has been installed, then uncheck the setting to automatically install updates gain.
Step 3. If a dialog pops up indicating a newer version is available when launching the older version of Kindle for pc, please select “Skip this version”.
Tip: You may still fail to go back to the older version. The re-installation process may need to be repeated multiple times before the desired version will stick.
2. Prevent Amazon Kindle from Automatic Updating
Starting in October 2020 Kindle for PC has become more aggressive about updating itself, even if the option to automatically install updates is deselected. How to deal with this new kindle update? You can block automatic updates for black automatic updates.
On Windows:
The folder that Amazon uses to download new updates is called “updates”, but it is only present if Kindle for PC is installed for a single user. It appears that folder will not be present if Kindle for PC is installed for all users of the PC.
The batch file (disable k4pc download.bat) to disable kindle for pc updates can be put anywhere. You need to run it once and it will display a message letting you know whether it was successful or not. After running this file Kindle for PC will still try to download the new update each time it is restarted, but it will be unable to do so.
Optional: You can also try to disable the auto-update by changing the properties of your kindle content folder.
Right click the My Kindle Content folder.
Click the security tab.
Click edit
Select your username and remove all the check marks except Read & Excute, List folder contents, and Read.
This should prevent the updater for being able to overwrite the files in the kindle folder.
On Mac:
If you are Mac user, you can replace it with an empty txt file name “updates” (with no extension), which seems to be thwarting update attempts. An update starts to download but cannot complete. Instead of auto-updating, Kindle for Mac asks you if you want to download a new version (every time you launch kindle for Mac).
Applications Support > Containers > com.amazon.Kindle
3. Deal with Kindle for PC/Mac latest version
If you are on Mac, keeping your kindle for Mac in the older version is impossible, then how to handle this situation? That’s why we need to disable latest kindle kfx format in the latest kindle app to make the kindle books is more crackable.
On Windows:
Step 1. Remove all download kindle books from your Windows pc.
Step 2. Download KFX_begone3.zip file, unzip it and run the .cmd file.
Step 3. Then download kindle books again, and you’ll get old kindle format instead of the new kfx format.
On Mac:
Step 1. Remove all your downloaded kindle books.
Step 2. Exit the Kindle program.
Step 3. Open terminal window.
Step 4. Copy and paste the following command to disable the renderer-test program.
Step 5. Then right click the book cover to download the Kindle book and don’t open it until you have remove the drm from this book.
After restarting the Kindle program any books previously downloaded(if you still have not removed them from your device) in KFX format will no longer open. You will need to remove them from your device and re-download them. All future downloads will use the older Kindle formats instead of KFX although they will continue to be placed in one individual subdirectory per book.
Key point: The key to getting KF8 from Kindle for Mac 1.25+ is to download books using right-click on mouse and selecting “Download”, or use menu bar “File > Download”. Do NOT open the book. If you open the book, you end up with .kcr, in which case remove it and re-download per above without opening it.
Old Version of Kindle for PC Download: How to Deal with Kindle Update
What is Kindle for PC? Kindle for PC is a free application that lets you purchase, download and read Kindle books on your PC, and synchronize with other Kindle readers. As there are many kindle for pc versions developed by Amazon company, which one should I choose?
Let’s compare the kindle for pc version with important updates which you can’t never read from Kindle updates(What’s new).
Part 1. Download Older Version of Kindle
1. Download 1.17(Kindle for PC/Mac 1.17)
This is the last version that you can download kindle books in kf8 format(azw3) which is with easy-to-break DRM.
2. Kindle 1.19(Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19)
This is the first time that Kindle books adopted Kindle KFX format (with the new encryption scheme). For a very long time (about two years), you can never decrypt kindle books, until there are some volunteers update the Calibre dedrm plugin.
What’s new of Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19
3. Download Kindle 1.24(Kindle for PC 1.24/Kindle for Mac 1.23)
If you are still using kindle 1.24 to download kindle books, lucky for you. Why? Because from kindle 1.25, kindle books are not able to be cracked because of the harden KFX2 DRM. As for ebook user, there are slight differences between kindle for PC 1.24 and the latest kindle version （kindle 1.28 or 1.30) that you can just ignore.
What if I’ve already installed the latest version of Kindle for PC/Mac, let’s say kindle for PC 1.30.
Part 2. Deal with Kindle Update to 1.30 Automatically
This is really aggressive, right? It seems kindle is trying to automatically update kindle for pc to the latest version without users’ permission. How to stop kindle app update?
1. Normal method for preventing undesired kindle app updates.
Click on Tools>>Options>>General >> uncheck “Automatically install updates when they are available without asking me.”
What if the above method is not working anymore?
The Kindle app can be aggressive about updating itself to the latest version. Even after the option to automatically install updates is deselected the software sometimes will update itself unexpectedly. Here are some tips on preventing this:
Step 1. If the latest version has been installed already, please uncheck the setting to auto install updates under Tools->Options->General and save preferences before uninstalling.
Step 2. Once the old kindle version has been installed, then uncheck the setting to automatically install updates gain.
Step 3. If a dialog pops up indicating a newer version is available when launching the older version of Kindle for pc, please select “Skip this version”.
Tip: You may still fail to go back to the older version. The re-installation process may need to be repeated multiple times before the desired version will stick.
2. Prevent Amazon Kindle from Automatic Updating
Starting in October 2020 Kindle for PC has become more aggressive about updating itself, even if the option to automatically install updates is deselected. How to deal with this new kindle update? You can block automatic updates for black automatic updates.
On Windows:
The folder that Amazon uses to download new updates is called “updates”, but it is only present if Kindle for PC is installed for a single user. It appears that folder will not be present if Kindle for PC is installed for all users of the PC.
The batch file (disable k4pc download.bat) to disable kindle for pc updates can be put anywhere. You need to run it once and it will display a message letting you know whether it was successful or not. After running this file Kindle for PC will still try to download the new update each time it is restarted, but it will be unable to do so.
Optional: You can also try to disable the auto-update by changing the properties of your kindle content folder.
This should prevent the updater for being able to overwrite the files in the kindle folder.
On Mac:
If you are Mac user, you can replace it with an empty txt file name “updates” (with no extension), which seems to be thwarting update attempts. An update starts to download but cannot complete. Instead of auto-updating, Kindle for Mac asks you if you want to download a new version (every time you launch kindle for Mac).
The “updates” folder is located here:
Or, if you can’t find it there, try:
3. Deal with Kindle for PC/Mac latest version
If you are on Mac, keeping your kindle for Mac in the older version is impossible, then how to handle this situation? That’s why we need to disable latest kindle kfx format in the latest kindle app to make the kindle books is more crackable.
On Windows:
Step 1. Remove all download kindle books from your Windows pc.
Step 2. Download KFX_begone3.zip file, unzip it and run the .cmd file.
Step 3. Then download kindle books again, and you’ll get old kindle format instead of the new kfx format.
On Mac:
Step 1. Remove all your downloaded kindle books.
Step 2. Exit the Kindle program.
Step 3. Open terminal window.
Step 4. Copy and paste the following command to disable the renderer-test program.
Step 5. Then right click the book cover to download the Kindle book and don’t open it until you have remove the drm from this book.
After restarting the Kindle program any books previously downloaded(if you still have not removed them from your device) in KFX format will no longer open. You will need to remove them from your device and re-download them. All future downloads will use the older Kindle formats instead of KFX although they will continue to be placed in one individual subdirectory per book.
Key point: The key to getting KF8 from Kindle for Mac 1.25+ is to download books using right-click on mouse and selecting “Download”, or use menu bar “File > Download”. Do NOT open the book. If you open the book, you end up with .kcr, in which case remove it and re-download per above without opening it.
Then you can handle kindle books with iSummersoft Kindle Converter.
If you have any better ideas or valid methods for stopping kindle update, please kindly share them in the comments.
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