MS Reader update woes

[jkendrick]

I have always been leery of MS Reader's built-in DRM (digital rights management) and the prospect of having ebooks I own suddenly not being accessible in the future. Either from a fluke or hardware problem, or either getting new hardware down the road. I have now realized my fears and need to pass that on to the user community.

I recently upgraded to a Windows Mobile 2003 device which came with MS Reader 2.0 installed in ROM. This new version supposedly addressed a severe memory leak problem and other speed issues. I played with it a little at first but didn't do any serious reading with it as I was reading some Palm Reader ebooks at the time (which has a DRM scheme that is simple and works very well). Nearly simultaneously with the release of Windows Mobile 2003 Microsoft also released version 2.2.2 of the MS Reader, which adds some additional DRM control over purchased ebooks .

Knowing the user community would hammer them for this (they did, in numerous forums) they also announced a free ebooks program administered from the MS Reader web site. This promotion would offer 3 ebooks a week through November. Not public domain works that one usually sees for free but recent, published works. The first catch- each week's offering would only be available for that specific week. If you missed that week, too bad, past week's offerings would not be available in the future. The other catch- you had to upgrade your Reader application to version 2.2.2 with the new DRM. Pretty clever, but MS has always been clever.

So, no doubt like thousands of users I went to the MS Reader website and updated both my laptop version and the PocketPC version. The update went flawlessly, I had to re-activate both copies of the MS Reader, and I downloaded the free ebooks for the week. I downloaded the laptop copy from the laptop, and the PPC version direct from my Toshiba PPC (WiFi). I opened all three ebooks on both platforms just to make sure they worked and forgot about them until the next week when I went back to the MS site to download the next week's offering.

I wanted to download the ebooks onto my PocketPC as that is the only place I use MS Reader but clicking on the download link auto-downloaded it onto my laptop. I tried downloading them direct from the PPC but I got a "Download Error" that indicated I needed to both update AND activate the MS Reader on the PPC. Funny but I thought I did that last week. I opened up MS Reader on the PPC and sure enough, the opening screen told me my Reader was NOT ACTIVATED. So I re-activated it assuming I could then download the ebooks as I had done the week before.

Here's where it gets really interesting (and scary). Any attempt to download the ebooks to the PPC resulted in the same download error and message from before. Running MS Reader from the PocketPC now shows it to be duly activated so that's not the problem this time. But, when I open an ebook from the first week's offering (that I had opened successfully the week before) MS Reader now tells me that this book is "not accessible". So what, you say. They were free ebooks and now you can't read them. That's true in this case but I buy a lot of ebooks and this is exactly what I've been afraid of. This could just as easily been my entire ebook library! This fear that has now been realized is the reason I DON'T BUY MS READER format ebooks. Ever.

Where I stand now -I've uninstalled MS Reader from the laptop and uninstalled the Reader update from my PocketPC. I reinstalled the Reader update to just the PocketPC but it doesn't matter. Any attempt to download the free ebooks from Microsoft's site errors out and tells me I must install MS Reader on the laptop. I tried copying the first week's ebooks from the laptop to the PocketPC but MS Reader won't even open them- just tells me the ebook "cannot be accessed".

So, even if I could figure out a way to download the ebooks directly to the PocketPC they are still telling me I MUST install Reader onto the desktop machine. I never had to do this before. And the fact that a duly activated installation of MS Reader can suddenly go "de-activated" and thus rendering your entire purchased library of Reader ebooks is completely frightening.

I'd love to hear if anyone else is having problems.

James Kendrick
Reviewer- BostonPocketPC.com

[Excalliber]

MS' reader is confusing me to death... I'll explain from the start.

When i heard of the promotions on this site, I figured I had nothing to lose, not having bought any ebooks, and not having any promotional titles either. I download the PC reader and activate it, then download the first weeks worth of ebooks. Everything goes nice and smooth. After another week of free ebooks, my first PPC arrived. soft reset it, recharged it, then went to try and install the ebook reader on it. Installation goes smoothly, as does activation. I copy the ebooks to the PPC, and I get an error claiming that "This copy of Microsoft Reader cannot open this title. Blahblahblah..." :roll:

I checked and made sure that the PPC and PC were both under the same passport, then decided to start clean. I hard reset the ppc and reinstalled the reader in both the PPC and the PC. After activating them again under the same passport as before, not my PC or my PPC can open the ebooks.

This is so confusing and frustrating. Am I doing something wrong? Do I just copy the ebooks like files through activesync, or is there a specific way? I tried downloading the ebooks directly to the PPC as well, and it says I need to upgrade and activate my version of MSreader. I'll never buy a DRM5 book, or even take it for free... that is, after i fix this. I want to read some of these books so bad! :|

[Kati Compton]

Is there a support number you can call for MS Reader? Call it and explain and have them tell you what to do to fix it. Of course, it's quite possible they won't be able to either.

But they won't realize just how problematic this is unless their tech support is overwhelmed by calls from people who say MS Reader isn't working right and isn't letting them access their ebooks.

[Excalliber]

I just completely wiped everything off my harddisk on another computer... I made a new passport account and reinstalled the ppc and activated it under the same name as the PC's activation. Now the pc works, but not the PPC... Gah! i'm even tempted to call HP and tell them, even though it's clearly not their problem... If only MSreader had a support number.


Or more like 703.

[jkendrick]

Important update on the Reader problems many people are experiencing.

To access the free ebooks MS is offering requires you to install the update to MS Reader which updates it to version 2.2.

Since Reader is in ROM on most devices when you update the program it doesn't overwrite it (it can't) so it installs the new version in RAM. If the program shortcuts don't get updated then you might be running the old version even though the new one is properly installed since the shortcuts still point to the old one (in ROM).

It might also be possible that when you try to download the free ebooks directly onto a PPC that the script that checks to make sure what the installed version you are running may only be reporting the original version in ROM. So you get the "Download Error" that many are reporting which makes it impossible to download the ebooks onto a PPC.

I am checking my setup now to see if that's what's happening to me and will post here when I'm certain.

[Excalliber]

Nope, I launched it straight from ipaq file store were it was installed, and I get the same problem as before. I don't really mind not being able to download them directly (though that might make it work) as long as I can read the book! :?

Edit: Hopefully a new ROM image from HP will include the free ebook compatible reader in ROM, and hopefully a better version of it at that.

[davidspalding]

Here's where it gets really interesting (and scary). Any attempt to download the ebooks to the PPC resulted in the same download error and message from before. Running MS Reader from the PocketPC now shows it to be duly activated so that's not the problem this time. But, when I open an ebook from the first week's offering (that I had opened successfully the week before) MS Reader now tells me that this book is "not accessible". ...

I'm sure this isn't the case ;) , but ... it sure sounds like you were opening hte previously accessible books with the old Reader 2.0 in ROM, not the new version, or updated version. This is the error you get opening a "new DRM5" .LIt file with the "old DRM5" Reader 2.0.

I agree with your frustration. I think the problem is that their contrived use case is the customer downloads the ebook to a desktop, and this process requires a current and activated copy of Reader. THEN it can be moved to the PPC. Which I guess must be activated with the same Passport account. Very confusing and annoying for most lusers, I imagine. Downloading directly to the ppc should work, but so many people are having trouble, that I think the PPC 2002 adn WM2003 PPC updates aren't completely covering old tracks. Oops.

The only easy solution I know of is ... illegal (in the U.S.). 'Nuff said.

Edit: Hopefully a new ROM image from HP will include the free ebook compatible reader in ROM, and hopefully a better version of it at that.

Don't hold your breath.

[racerx]

I got the "cannot be access" message when I tried to copy the lastest version of Pocket PC Magazine in lit format. I thought it weird because I was able to open other books with no problem. I fixed my problem by recopying the books to the My Library folder under My Documents on my SD card from the My Library folder on my desktop. Not saying this will fix your problem, but this is how I resolved my issue.

BTW, I am using a iPAQ 5555 which is running WM2K3. I did not install any updates on my iPAQ, but my iPAQ and my desktop ARE activated with the same username. YMMV.

[davidspalding]

Even Reader for WM2003 must be updated. Don't have to do a full new installation into RAM, as I recall, just an update to the Reader 2.0 that comes with WM2003. No doubt your problem is assuming you can read secure .LIT books with Reader 2.0 on WM2003 without any updates. ;)

BTW, for the sake of edification, this link apparently checks if your Reader and activation are au courant and up to snuff. It works on my PC, but haven't checked it on a PPC, maybe one of you with PPC2002 or WM2003 would care to...?

http://www.microsoft.com/reader/en/update/sniff.asp

Gotta love the unintentional humor of that URL string.

[jkendrick]

Nope- the link doesn't work on my WM2003 device. Says my version may be out of date. This is the same reason we can't d/l direct to the PPC.