David Gewirtz/ZDNET
In my role as a tech professional, I often come across various tech-related issues, some of which I learn about because it’s my job to troubleshoot tech problems at home. Recently, my wife encountered an issue with her beloved Kindle DX, which she had purchased almost exactly a decade ago. After performing a factory reset on the device, she found that she was unable to download any of her books.
It turns out that my wife had reset the Kindle to clean it of all unnecessary data, but in doing so, she had inadvertently removed all her previously downloaded books. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the Kindle DX does not support Wi-Fi connectivity but relies on 3G cellular support to download books. However, with most major carriers in the US phasing out 3G networks by 2025, this posed a challenge for us.
To address this issue, we had to find a way to manually transfer books to the Kindle DX via USB. We learned that older Kindles like the Kindle 1, Kindle 2, and DX can no longer receive wireless book transfers and must rely on USB connections for data transfer. Additionally, we found out that unregistering an old Kindle renders it unable to re-register, making it impossible to download books.
For those with older Kindles, transferring books via USB is the only option. By connecting the Kindle to a computer using a compatible USB cable, users can download books from their Amazon account and transfer them to the device. It’s crucial to ensure that the Kindle remains registered to the account to enable book downloads.
In conclusion, for users of older Kindle devices like the Kindle DX, USB transfers are essential for adding new books. By following the steps outlined above, users can continue to enjoy their favorite books on their cherished devices, even as technology continues to evolve.