Downloading Your eBook: FAQs and support

Why do I need an Adobe ID?
Can't login, login doesn't work, what's my login?
The reading apps (Digital Editions, Bluefire Reader, etc.) will want to know your "Adobe ID." If you don't have an Adobe ID, use the "Create an Adobe Account" option on this page to set one up. If you have an Adobe ID already (perhaps from registering Photoshop or another Adobe product), it should work in your reading app too.

If you authorize your computer with an Adobe ID, you will be able to open the same book file on up to five other computers or devices authorized to the same Adobe ID. (On PCs and Macs you can choose NOT to authorize, but then your book file will only be able to live on the very first machine it opens on; it cannot ever be moved elsewhere.)

I downloaded URLLink.acsm but it won't open.
URLLink.acsm is an unrecognized filetype.
Nothing opens URLLink.acsm.
URLLink.acsm is the little file you download in step 3 to trigger your book. Some browsers will not help you open the file directly in your e-reading app. If your browser has trouble locating an e-reading app, try saving the file to your machine, and then ask the appropriate app to open the file directly.

So, for instance, on a PC or Mac, try this: a) save URLLink.acsm somewhere convenient on your computer, b) close the Digital Editions application (if it's open), and c) then drag the icon for URLLink.acsm onto the icon for Digital Editions. This should launch your book.

How can I put this on my Nook? my Sony Reader? my Kobo eReader?
To load your ebook on a Nook, a Sony Reader, a Kobo eReader, or a similar device, you need to download it to a PC or a Mac first, and then sideload it onto your device.

Use the PC and Mac instructions on the download page to open the ebook on your computer. Then plug your device into your computer with its USB cable. If you've never sideloaded before, Digital Editions will ask you if you want to authorize the device with your Adobe ID. After you choose yes and authorize, the device will appear in the side navigation in Digital Editions, and you can choose which files to move onto your device. Then eject the device. Your ebook will appear in the device's library.

(Please note: The book's encrypted file (pdf or epub) is stored in "My Documents/My Digital Editions" (on a PC) or "Documents/Digital Editions" (on a Mac). You could alternately use an SD card or email to move this file to your reading device, if it's already authorized with the same Adobe ID.)

(For a full list of handheld devices that can read this book, see https://blogs.adobe.com/digitalpublishing/supported-devices.)

Why can't I read this on my Kindle?
We're sorry--you won't be able to read this ebook file on most Kindles. Amazon's Kindle devices generally will not read protected files bought from stores other than Amazon. Some of the ebooks we distribute are also on sale at Amazon--if you buy it there, it will work on Kindle.)

If you own a Kindle Fire, and you have already loaded certain third-party apps on it, such as Bluefire Reader or Aldiko, you may be able to read this ebook on your Fire.

If you have Bluefire Reader already installed on your Fire, visit this page with your Fire browser and click this link. If the Fire browser doesn't offer to open the link above directly with Bluefire, opt instead to download the linked file to your device. Then, launch Bluefire and browse to open the downloaded file.

If you have Aldiko already installed on your Fire, try sideloading the protected ebook file. Follow the PC and Mac instructions to open the ebook on your computer. (Make sure both Aldiko and Digital Editions are authorized with the same Adobe ID.) The book's encrypted file (pdf or epub) will be saved into "My Documents/My Digital Editions" (on a PC) or "Documents/Digital Editions" (on a Mac). Then use a USB cable or email to move this file to your Fire, saving it into the Fire's "eBooks" directory. Then launch Aldiko, choose the Home icon, go to the "SD card", and browse to the "eBooks" directory to find the ebook file you moved.

I'm getting an error message that says E_ADEPT_IO, or E_ADEPT_DATABASE, or some other Adobe DRM Error.
These errors usually mean your computer is not letting the .acsm file connect to the server to authenticate and deliver your book.
    Are you offline?
    Are you behind a restrictive firewall?
    Do you have fairly high security settings on your computer?
    Can you add our server to the list of sites your browser or operating system trusts?
    Can you right-click on URLLink.acsm, choose "Properties," and unblock the file?
(Also, are you running the latest version of Digital Editions (1.7.2)? If you opted not to upgrade your install to the latest version, you might see an error like this as well.)
(Extra note: If you get a DRM error with a title that you used to be able to read without issues, did you recently change your system clock? Changing it back should allow the book to open again.)

Please email us at bv-help@uchicago.edu with your error if these don't apply.

For further assistance or technical support: bv-help@uchicago.edu

Thank you very much for your patience with this process, and for your interest in ebooks.

We are hoping that, as more people read ebooks, everyone's browsers and systems will become better at recognizing and opening ebook formats like acsm and epub. (Many file formats that work easily in systems today weren't handled gracefully by browsers five years ago.)