Backing up Nookbooks

[MsGlam]

So I'm curious to know how many people if any are backing up their nookbooks and how folks are doing this? A friend mentioned that I am putting too much faith in the B&N online library that house all my ebooks (over 200). But since it is on their website I figured I was okay cause I would get a refund at the very least if my books went missing because their site crashed right? However now I'm worried about losing my Nook library because I don't have it backed up and saved anywhere else. Any opinions or thoughts would be appreciated.  

[mpebbs]

I keep all my ebooks backed up with calibre which I then keep in dropbox.

[MWorrell]

Kinda curious about that myself. Do you save a copy of the file just by clicking "Download" in your Nook library at the B&N site and saving that file to your hard drive? Is that all you need?

Also, does it matter if you rename the file so that the book is recognizable?

[ABthree]

@MsGlam

I keep a copy of all my books -- B&N and other -- in my Nook for PC app.  I also put a copy in backup folders on my hard drive, and back my hard drive up to a mass storage device.

So yeah, multiple backups.

[gstone]

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MWorrell wrote:

Kinda curious about that myself. Do you save a copy of the file just by clicking "Download" in your Nook library at the B&N site and saving that file to your hard drive? Is that all you need?

Also, does it matter if you rename the file so that the book is recognizable?

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You can use the download button in your account on BN.com, you can use Nook for PC\NookStudy or you can plug your nook into your computer and copy the books from the nook drive to your computer.

The following is a trimmed down summary of available backup methods.

Direct download from BN.Com;

These files have to be renamed regardless. They include an extra dot '.' that prevents the nook from being able to read these files.

These files are only usable as sideloaded content.

Nook for PC\NookStudy;

Books downloaded this way have the title in the filename. In Windows these files are located in C:\Users\UserAccountName\Documents\My Barnes & Noble eBooks\BNAccountEmailAddress.

In that BN has access to this folder through its application's sync feature it's not a true backup. They should periodically be copied to another location.

These files are only usable as sideloaded content.

Copying from your Nook to your PC's hard drive;

This may have the advantage of allowing you to copy the books back to your BN Library on your nook drive in the event of anything that removes the copies on your nook's drive.

If you are backing up for this purpose you do not want to rename the files otherwise copying them back to the nook's BN Library will make them unreadable.

If you are adding these files to Calibre, it will automatically rename them to something recognizable. After renaming the files they will only be usable as sideloaded books.

Calibre;

Calibre changes the filename to match the title listed in the metadata automatically. The title displayed on your nook is taken from the metadata.

Calibre stores these files in its own folder.  In Windows the files are located in C:\Users\UserAccountName\Calibre Library.

Calibre has the ability within the program to copy the books from your nook to your computer.

You cannot use Calibre to read DRM encrypted books but you can edit the metadata of those books and make corrections to the Title, Author or cover art.

Calibre also has a host of tools for categorizing your books to make them easier to sort through and find what you want.

[wordsandmelodi…]

When it comes to digital media, I figure there's no such thing as too many backups.  I mean, really, what's it going to hurt?  But if I lose my books somehow, it may possibly be the end of the world.  At least, it would be the end of mine.

That being said...  All of my books are on my NOOK.  I also have copies of all of my books, from B&N and other stores, on my PC.  And on my iPod.  And then on a flash drive, and an external hard drive, too.  I tell myself that I probably don't need to use dropbox too -- don't get too paranoid!  -- but I've heard good things about it.

[DiAnneInDover]

Another reason for backing up is when publishers change their mind about allowing a book to be sold.  For instance, books I bought from another website before the dreaded Agency Model went into effect were no longer allowed to be sold by this other website.  Because of that, the ebooks were just gone, baby, gone.  Had I saved the file on my computer, I could have still copied them to my Nook, but I learned the lesson too late.

To cover their butts, all (I believe) of the ebook stores guarantee that you can download the book within a set period of time (I think 24 hours).  After that, they don't guarantee your ebook will be available for download. 

[sygram]

I've found the easiest way was using Nook for PC.  I still have to add that to folder to my off-site back-up, thanks for the reminder ABThree.

[JEJ29]

I download mine to an external hard drive.

[frantastk]

I use nook for pc and have it set up to automatically sync when I open the program , which means it automatically downloads anything new. Nook for pc downloads the files with book title and isbn so you can tell from the file name which book is which. I believe downloading from the websit only gives you the isbn in the file name.  I then have it all loaded into calibre. Calibre can't read B&N books but it catalogs them all for me and saves an extra copy in the calibre library. I then have all my files saves externally as well. I have had way too many had drives crash on me. So far I've always been able to recover my files, but I don't want to take that chance next time.

Fran

[ladymis]

I originally hadn't planned on backing my B&N library up, either, because I trusted that B&N's servers would be relatively safe.  But, I later decided that it wouldn't hurt.

I use the direct download method that gstone mentioned in his post.  When I download the books, I just rename the files with the title and series (if there is one).  Haven't had any problems sideloading books downloaded this way to my friend's Nook, either.

I can understand your frustration with hard-drive crashes, frantastk.  I worry that our back-up drive might crash, as well.  My hubby burns everything to a DVD every so often.

[Haleakala_LKB]

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gstone wrote:

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<snip>

Nook for PC\NookStudy;

Books downloaded this way have the title in the filename. In Windows these files are located in C:\Users\UserAccountName\Documents\My Barnes & Noble eBooks\BNAccountEmailAddress.

In that BN has access to this folder through its application's sync feature it's not a true backup. They should periodically be copied to another location.

These files are only usable as sideloaded content.

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I do this and have some weird discrepancies in numbers.

NOOK shows 162 books

NOOK for PC shows 152

My NOOK LIbrary on BN site shows 156 items, 4 samples, 1 archived

The folder on my computer referenced above shows 114

LisaB

[Haleakala_LKB]

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Haleakala_LKB wrote:

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gstone wrote:

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<snip>

Nook for PC\NookStudy;

Books downloaded this way have the title in the filename. In Windows these files are located in C:\Users\UserAccountName\Documents\My Barnes & Noble eBooks\BNAccountEmailAddress.

In that BN has access to this folder through its application's sync feature it's not a true backup. They should periodically be copied to another location.

These files are only usable as sideloaded content.

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I do this and have some weird discrepancies in numbers.

NOOK shows 162 books

NOOK for PC shows 152

My NOOK LIbrary on BN site shows 156 items, 4 samples, 1 archived

The folder on my computer referenced above shows 114

LisaB

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I did answer part of it for myself. In NOOK for PC I hasn't downloaded everything. (Duh)

LisaB

[gstone]

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Haleakala_LKB wrote:

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gstone wrote:

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<snip>

Nook for PC\NookStudy;

Books downloaded this way have the title in the filename. In Windows these files are located in C:\Users\UserAccountName\Documents\My Barnes & Noble eBooks\BNAccountEmailAddress.

In that BN has access to this folder through its application's sync feature it's not a true backup. They should periodically be copied to another location.

These files are only usable as sideloaded content.

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I do this and have some weird discrepancies in numbers.

NOOK shows 162 books

NOOK for PC shows 152

My NOOK LIbrary on BN site shows 156 items, 4 samples, 1 archived

The folder on my computer referenced above shows 114

LisaB

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There is no consistency in the count totals;

• Nook includes all eBooks. (It excludes archives if you have Hide Archives enabled)
• Nook for PC does not include archived books in the count total.
• Nook for PC does include Samples in the count total.
• Your BN account has separate totals for each category.

Just because the cover image appears in Nook for PC does not mean it has been downloaded to your computer. You will have to go through each book in Nook for PC to see if Download is an option.

BN.Com = 156Books+4Archives+1Sample = 161 total

Nook for PC = 152Books&Samples+4Archives = 160

Nook = 162

You do have a discrepancy but it may only be that the application and your nook are not currently synced with your account. Connect your nook to WiFi or 3G and check for new content. Press the sync button in Nook for PC. After syncing, recheck the totals and see if they agree.

[Doug_Pardee Distinguished Bibliophile]

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mpebbs wrote:

I keep all my ebooks backed up with calibre which I then keep in dropbox.

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This.

I use Nook for PC to download my B&N NOOKbooks. Then I load them into Calibre, which puts them in its library located in my Dropbox folder, so they automatically get backed up to Dropbox. Then I sync my netbook to Dropbox.

So for my NOOKbooks, I have copies:

1. In my online B&N NOOK library
2. In the NOOK for PC folder on my main computer
3. In the Calibre library on my main computer
4. In "the cloud" via Dropbox
5. On my netbook
6. Maybe on my NOOK, or maybe not.

Similarly for other e-book providers.

[SamanthaEdmunde]

Could you download books on a flash drive?

[NikiGunn]

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SamanthaEdmunde wrote:

Could you download books on a flash drive?

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Yes. I keep certain books on a 16GB flash drive. I also keep them on my hard drive, external hard drive, and both Nook and NookColor.

[MsGlam]

This is all great advice. Thanks everyone. It looks like I have some work to do this weekend.  

[Mennolly]

I will admit to being close to tech illiterate.  I thought I would try the download because it seemed the easiest.  I went to my Nook Library on the B&N site, and downloaded a book I had purchased awhile ago. It downloaded to My Documents.  When I click on the file  it opens my Adobe Digital Reader, but the book wasn't there -- when I got it there finally, it said it was authorized to a different user.  Now, my adobe is under a different email address than my B&N and nook accounts, and I was using it for Kobo -- is that the problem ?  What am I doing wrong? 

[gstone]

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Mennolly wrote:

I will admit to being close to tech illiterate.  I thought I would try the download because it seemed the easiest.  I went to my Nook Library on the B&N site, and downloaded a book I had purchased awhile ago. It downloaded to My Documents.  When I click on the file  it opens my Adobe Digital Reader, but the book wasn't there -- when I got it there finally, it said it was authorized to a different user.  Now, my adobe is under a different email address than my B&N and nook accounts, and I was using it for Kobo -- is that the problem ?  What am I doing wrong? 

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ADE cannot read books using B&N DRM. To read books on your computer you will need to install either Nook for PC or NookStudy.

If you copy that file to your nook's My Documents folder it will show up in My Documents on the nook and you can read it from there.