Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

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Beadmaster
Posts: 94
Joined: June 9th, 2004, 3:58 am

Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by Beadmaster »

Hi, I've been reading library ebooks for a very long time, downloading them with Firefox into Adobe Digital Editions seamlessly.

It's probably been a few weeks since I last downloaded a book and today instead of downloading it directly into Adobe Digital Editions as usual, all it will do is let me save the .acsm file, the way I would a PDF or gif or any other file.

Is it possible to remind Firefox that all .acsm files (not listed anywhere I can find it, not sure if the extension was listed before, when things worked) should go directly to Adobe Digital Editions? Directly downloading that .acsm file without Adobe is worthless, as no other reader supports the format and Adobe Digital Editions will only allow the addition of actual PDFs or ePub files to read a downloaded file, not .acsm files. It has to be done at the time the book is checked out or thereafter.

I'm not aware of any changes that would have caused Firefox to no longer be able to recognize what to do with this file type.

Other info: Windows 10 64 bit, should be completely updated Firefox, as it's set to update automatically.

Thanks for any info!
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Ashleyj
Posts: 218
Joined: September 9th, 2004, 12:10 pm

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by Ashleyj »

I can confirm that too. This is, I presume, another example of the 'improved' download stream recently introduced. I have looked at the applications in settings but I can't see how you add new associations.

If you save the acsm file, and have that file type associated with ADE in Windows, double clicking the file will open it in ADE and fulfil the borrow. So rather than improve the download process Mozilla have made it more complicated - I wish they would leave things alone.
Beadmaster
Posts: 94
Joined: June 9th, 2004, 3:58 am

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by Beadmaster »

Thank you kindly!

Sorry you're having similar issues!

In this case the file is definitely associated, but it doesn't open if I click on it. I get this error message from ADE:
Unable to download
Error getting license. License Server Communication Problem:
E_ADEPT_REQUEST_EXPIRED

Perhaps something to do with the DRM, since the file isn't going directly into ADE from the library and instead is a locally downloaded file?

Thanks in advance!
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jscher2000
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Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by jscher2000 »

If you drop down the Downloads list and right-click the .acsm download, do you have the "Always Open Similar Files" item on the menu? If you select that, it will add a new entry to the Applications list on the Settings page with that instruction. If you prefer "Always Ask" you can make that change on the Applications list on the Settings page (this isn't something you can select from the Downloads context menu). https://support.mozilla.org/kb/change-f ... -open-file

Items that do not have "Always Open Similar Files" (other than PDFs, which are special) tend to be ones where the server did not indicate the specific content-type of the file, but used a generic binary file content type. My add-on should work around that.

* Install from: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addo ... ype-fixer/
* Enable by clicking its Zzzz button on the toolbar
* .acsm is a built-in extension, so no further configuration is needed
* After the next download, check the Downloads list again to see whether "Always Open Similar Files" becomes available
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Ashleyj
Posts: 218
Joined: September 9th, 2004, 12:10 pm

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by Ashleyj »

jscher2000 wrote:If you drop down the Downloads list and right-click the .acsm download, do you have the "Always Open Similar Files" item on the menu? If you select that, it will add a new entry to the Applications list on the Settings page with that instruction. If you prefer "Always Ask" you can make that change on the Applications list on the Settings page (this isn't something you can select from the Downloads context menu). https://support.mozilla.org/kb/change-f ... -open-file

Items that do not have "Always Open Similar Files" (other than PDFs, which are special) tend to be ones where the server did not indicate the specific content-type of the file, but used a generic binary file content type. My add-on should work around that.

* Install from: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addo ... ype-fixer/
* Enable by clicking its Zzzz button on the toolbar
* .acsm is a built-in extension, so no further configuration is needed
* After the next download, check the Downloads list again to see whether "Always Open Similar Files" becomes available
Thanks for the information. Doing what you suggested appears to work as I now have an entry for acsm associated with ADE in the Applications list.
Beadmaster
Posts: 94
Joined: June 9th, 2004, 3:58 am

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by Beadmaster »

jscher,
Thank you, thank you, it works now!

I normally prefer to have Firefox ask (as it used to) instead of permanently associating a file type, but in this case the only use for an acsm file is with ADE, so this works perfectly without having to worry about telling it which one to use. If it were another type of file I wouldn't, but an acsm is specific only to one purpose.

Even so I'm saving your info on content type fixer if similar issues should arise.

Thanks so much!
LBiggles
Posts: 34
Joined: September 30th, 2019, 7:09 am

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by LBiggles »

I can not get this to work.
When I'm in a library and click on download epub, the system will warn me that I need Adobe Digital Editions (which I have) but when I click download, it goes straight to the save dialog - opening my default downloads folder.
It used to open ADE. There isn't an entry in the external/3rd party applications for the acsm files, so I'm lost - FWIW, the file IS associated with ADE and ADE will open it if D-Clicked.

ANT ideas how to add this back in?
Win 7 / Win 10
Firefox V92, 94 or higher - depending on the problem, all x64,
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jscher2000
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA USA
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Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by jscher2000 »

Have you tried... right-click the item on the Downloads list and click "Always Open Similar Files" to update Firefox's handling from "Save File" to "Use [relevant application]"?

If that entry isn't available on the right-click context menu, the site might not be flagging the download as an eBook in the manner Firefox expects.

If you already did that, check the Applications section of the Settings page and see whether you can update the action there to the correct application.
LBiggles
Posts: 34
Joined: September 30th, 2019, 7:09 am

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by LBiggles »

jscher2000 wrote:Have you tried... right-click the item on the Downloads list and click "Always Open Similar Files" to update Firefox's handling from "Save File" to "Use [relevant application]"?

If that entry isn't available on the right-click context menu, the site might not be flagging the download as an eBook in the manner Firefox expects.

If you already did that, check the Applications section of the Settings page and see whether you can update the action there to the correct application.
Thank you for replying.
When I right click on the entry, there is nothing other than print/Save Page as... etc. Nothing that I expected from your "app".
The acsm file type is not listed in the Applications system, and for the life of me, I can not find a way to add it - is Mozilla has left that still available.
Win 7 / Win 10
Firefox V92, 94 or higher - depending on the problem, all x64,
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jscher2000
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA USA
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Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by jscher2000 »

Sorry, I meant right-click the downloaded item on the Downloads list (either from the toolbar button or Ctrl+J).

You could look at my add-on if acsm files are being sent with an inappropriate content type: https://www.jeffersonscher.com/ext/cont ... fixer.html
LBiggles
Posts: 34
Joined: September 30th, 2019, 7:09 am

Re: Allowing Adobe Digital Editions to download books

Post by LBiggles »

THAT'S the ticket, worked fine.

I'm curious though, why can I not ADD the extension to firefox myself?
Win 7 / Win 10
Firefox V92, 94 or higher - depending on the problem, all x64,
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