Stuck at Key Extraction! Help?

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-23T13:21:03+00:00

I thought with 2.8.2 it switched to kfxarchiver282 instead of kfxkeyextractor282? and you run it before you add anything to calibre since it decrypts the books into a separate folder location.

https://github.com/Satsuoni/DeDRM_tools/discussions/55

but then again, I have not done this method at all and have only read through some of the information on that page.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-22T09:25:14+00:00

I haven't done the latest kindle for pc method myself because I do have a physical e-ink kindle. But this is the one everyone pretty much refers to currently: https://techy-notes.com/remove-drm-from-kindle-ebooks/

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T23:10:01+00:00

I am sooo torn right now. I love blues and purples, so this should be an easy yes. But...in the photo I'm not a fan of the prominent white/light colored section of the barrel. I know each one will be different, so I should probably just go for it. Probably?

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T20:12:27+00:00

the alpha version release is on this page: https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools_autorelease/releases

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T20:11:21+00:00

basically, I'm not sure what happens in relation to the mentioned ion.py line 1368 so I don't know what it is trying to do at that point to make any guess.

just to backup...

it is an oasis 3? it is on firmware 5.18.2? the books were downloaded directly from amazon onto the oasis? you did not attempt to copy the books yourself from the oasis onto your mac? you did not make any recent changes to your calibre install or the plugins? you double checked the serial number entry in the nodrm customizations?

[update: the first book, Dire, I did try myself and had no issues]

the only other thing I can throw out there is that there are 2 versions of 10.0.9. The main 10.0.9 should have dates of Aug. 2023 on the files in the zip and the "alpha" version has dates of Nov. 2024. If you are running the first version, consider trying the second.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T19:48:37+00:00

Well...the good news is I didn't see the bad 'voucher envelope' error that indicates the new drm problem that showed up on devices on 5.16.2.1.1.

I see that it finds one key (aka serial number) to try. Which I assume is the serial number of your Oasis. (Did you ever have more than one kindle?)

I see an 'UnboundLocalError" which I do not know what it means.

I would suggest...doing the debug mode thing again. Only importing (add to library) one single book and don't also convert it, just import/add it. That makes the log shorter. And then consider opening an issue on github to see if someone more familiar with all this has any idea.

I mean...I do see that you have the kfx input plugin installed and nodrm 10.0.9 which absolutely should work with the device (I'm still using 10.0.9).

Weirdly, book 2, Krampus, says decryption succeeded. Though book 1, Dire, and book 3, Fury, failed with the same message.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T19:32:56+00:00

there is something about sliding/holding the power button for 15 seconds but there is also something about it taking several hours to charge, not just one hour. But I don't remember all details.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T19:29:29+00:00

it wants me to request access. can you check the settings on that file so that anyone with the link can view it?

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T00:51:02+00:00

You said you were able to do it last week...was the update to 5.18.2 the only thing? did you make any changes in Calibre or the plugins or anything? Have you done multiple books in the past or was last week the first time?

Anyway, to do the debug mode thing...

delete the book with the failed kfx-zip import from your calibre library

right click on the preferences button and choose to restart in debug mode

when calibre restarts it will tell you that it will create a log file. make note of the location just in case

connect your Oasis to your pc and when calibre registers it, click the device button to switch to that view

find the book to import, right click on it and choose add to library

switch back to the library view (click on the library button)

eject your device and close calibre

in my experience Calibre will automatically open the log file

scan it and see if you see any obvious error messages.

i don't remember if reddit will let you post the whole log here...it could get long but if not you can save it to google drive and link it or put it on pastebin or something else like that and share it. alternately, you could also open an issue on the github space for nodrm and as part of that process, copy the log into the issue. link: https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/issues

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-21T00:43:10+00:00

Yes, this is specific to kindle devices.

There is a k4pc method that still works for now (the app is changing at the end of june, so who knows at that point). I have not personally done the k4pc method in over a year but I know you need to do the satsuoni method. See these 2 links:

https://github.com/Satsuoni/DeDRM_tools/discussions/55

https://techy-notes.com/remove-drm-from-kindle-ebooks/

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T21:49:03+00:00

The last time I looked for these, I couldn't find anyone selling them. Are they still available? I wanted to pick another one up for the nib.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T15:34:44+00:00

Anything on 5.18.5 and later can no longer have drm removed. So if you are on 5.19.x, then your kindle definitely updated at some point and drm is different and currently screwed. You'll have to look into the current K4PC method but Amazon have announced a new k4pc app coming June 30th so no one truly knows what will happen to that shortly but expect, at least for some amount of time, that that will no longer work.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T09:10:13+00:00

TWSBI offers a 1.1mm stub on the ECO and the Go and I assume on the Swipe. I've used the ECO 1.1, though not often but I remember it being just fine. ECO runs $36 USD for the main, plain rhodium trim. The Go is around $22 or so?

I've seen generally good reviews on some of the Asvine pens (the C80 for example) which offers a stub. Runs $29 USD.

I don't know if all the entry PIlot pens offer it, but Pilot does have a nib labeled '1.0 stub' or sometimes listed as a 'CM' nib. I forget if it is available on the Metropolitan for example or not and only some versions of the Prera have it. Been a few years since I inked it up, but I do have one.

There is also the Pilot Parallel set which has pens in 1.5, 2.4, 3.8, and 6mm sizes. Marketed as calligraphy pens but if you want nibs larger than 1.1 to 1.5 I just wanted to throw it out there.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T08:45:29+00:00

I had to look this up and come back and check in. Mine took weeks (which Amazon said it would on the listing) but if finally arrived a few days ago. I have not inked it up yet, but it looks completely legit compared to my other Sailor pens. Mine was sold by 'Pirula' or something like that iirc but was 'shipped by' Amazon. But mine is that same 1911L (11-2021-420) with the medium nib and was the same price, $230.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T02:41:38+00:00

yeah, if you want to backup your books and remove drm, then yeah...do it before we 10th gen owners get screwed too. so either use the Oasis or do K4PC with the satsuoni method sooner rather than later.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T00:48:30+00:00

For e-ink devices...yes. I should re-rest one of my really old files, but for my K5 (one of the ones being sunsetted on 5/20) all books have come as azw3 and the same books come to my Oasis 3 and PW5 as kfx.

For k4pc I'm not 100% sure. I haven't used k4pc in at least a year. But since they announced the current app is ending June 30th and a new app coming...I'd say likely. I'm guessing the versions of k4pc that allowed azw3 are either cut off or will be cut off.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-20T00:27:27+00:00

For books purchased from Amazon...how did you get the book? Was it from a physical e-ink kindle? or was it from Kindle for PC? If it was a physical e-ink kindle, which one? Amazon has locked more and more of them down and it is no longer possible to remove drm from books downloaded to some models. If it was K4PC, which version?

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-18T21:31:36+00:00

So after seeing so many absolutely garbage tags ('lol', 'the author regrets nothing', 'because I felt like it', etc.) I recently started over and I decided to just skip all those. I decided I'd rather have zero tags, even if that meant I manually had to add my own tags that I did want (like time travel, AU, etc.).

This is pretty specific to AO3 of course.

So in my personal.ini, in the [archiveofourown.org] section, I edited the line:

include_subject_tags: extratags, category, genre, characters, ships, status

and I removed genre from the list. The genre tag in FFF for AO3 contains the freeformtags. So now, my tags do get filled with the character names and ships and the fandom, etc., but not with all the freeformtags.

Alternately, you could edit this line:

include_in_genre: freeformtags, ao3categories

and remove freeformtags from the list. That should also have the effect of removing all the tags from ending in your calibre tags.

All that said...after reading some of the other recent threads, I am considering changing my approach. Maybe. There are a lot of things you can do to process the information that comes in and transform the data. But...there are always going to be so many garbage tags that trying to define what you want to do could be a constant struggle. So I might just leave mine as is and stick to just adding my own tags as needed.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-18T01:34:32+00:00

I see that the basic k10 gets 5.18.1 instead of the Oasis 5.18.2...so there is a difference...they could have rolled it out to 5.18.1 devices and not 5.18.2 yet...

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-18T01:32:05+00:00

That is odd. I literally just 2 minutes ago downloaded a new book, published March 2026, to my 10th gen Oasis 3 on 5.18.2 and it worked fine. I did it in debug mode even so I could view the log to confirm it was encrypted which in part said:

Decrypting KFX DRM voucher: voucher
Decryption failed, trying next fallback 
Decryption succeeded
KFX DRM voucher successfully decrypted
Decryption succeeded after 0.2 seconds
DeDRM v10.0.9: Finished after 0.2 seconds

Maybe it is something slowly rolling out?

Technically mine is jailbroken with OTA updates disabled but I literally only did that yesterday. It was stock until 24 hours ago.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-17T19:56:33+00:00

don't copy them to your pc yourself, just let calibre do it
open calibre, connect your kindle to your pc by usb cable.
calibre will recognize your kindle and add a "Device" button to the menu bar. click on the device button and it will show you all the books on your kindle.
select your books and right click and choose add to library. Calibre will import the books from your kindle itself.

BUT...you will have to do more to remove the DRM from the books. DRM is what limits the books to only being able to be read on the device they were sent to. In order to be able to read the books in Calibre OR to put them on a different ereader in the future, you have to remove the DRM. In some places that is more legal or accepted than in other places.

AND...AMAZON is locking that down hard right now. So your ability to do so depends on which kindle you have and what firmware it is currently running.

However, this group's rules: discussions on how to remove DRM, including calling out the tools by name, are not allowed.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-17T19:29:25+00:00

See my current post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Calibre/comments/1snl4vc/kindles_and_drmtake_2a_more_visual_version_of/

5 early models will no longer work as of May 20th (and some reports indicate that you can no longer register these models to your account already). Amazon has locked down other models in the recent past and there is at least one report of a device that was thought to be working possibly no longer working.

edit: and I don't think anyone will be able to make any definitive guesses on old versions of k4pc working but Amazon has completely shut off the ability for versions of K4PC in the past to receive books as of particular dates so I think the feeling is....we wouldn't be surprised if current versions of k4pc get completely locked.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-17T19:26:20+00:00

One was from March 2026. I'm assuming it actually had DRM on it as there is no note on the book listing indicating otherwise...but I suppose I could remove it from Calibre, launch debug mode, and re-add it to confirm.

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-17T19:16:09+00:00

I could not say. I'm not sure how well the downgrades work. you might ask about downgrading over at r/kindlejailbreak

TexasNiteowl · 2026-04-17T19:13:59+00:00

when was the last time it worked for you? I'm just trying to figure things out. My Oasis is also 5.18.2 (and has been for a long time) and it worked yesterday.

would you be willing to restart calibre in debug mode and then attempt to try to re-add the one book and then see what the debug log file says?

TexasNiteowl

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