Nook, DRM, and You.
OK, you hate DRM – Who doesn’t?
Let’s say you purchased some books through Barnes and Noble, but you want to view them wherever you want – whenever you want, because technically you own them.
If you are a terrible person who has just downloaded NOOKstudy and are using the free 7 day download pass to gorge yourself on books, I have neigh but contempt for you.
Either way here’s how you can strip off Barnes and Noble’s DRM to enjoy your literature however you please:
Required Software
- Python 2.7 32-bit Installer – http://python.org/download/releases/2.7/
- Nook Python Modules (Choose any one of the following)
- MegaUpload – http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KA6RD5X3
- RapidShare – http://rapidshare.com/files/423130604/nook_key_retrieval.zip
- MediaFire – http://www.mediafire.com/?xd4ao9dizgwx78l
- Pycrypto 2.1.0 Binaries – http://www.voidspace.org.uk/python/modules.shtml#pycrypto
Process
- Download and install Python, followed by Pycrypto.
- Create a folder on your computer somewhere in the root of the C:\ drive for the sake of simplicity, then extract the Nook Python Modules there. My folder is located at C:\NookBooks.
- Copy your eBook to the folder you created in step 2. Your eBooks can be found in your My Documents folder under the My Barnes & Noble eBooks folder.
- Add the eBook to your NOOKstudy library through the Add File dialog. Open the file for viewing.
- Once it has been opened, double-click the BNKeyretrieval.py file to run it – you should receive a message that the key has successfully been retrieved and written to a file named adeptkey.der.
- Double-click the ineptpdf2.pyw file. In the program window, select the encrypted PDF you opened in NOOKstudy as the Input file, and then select your output file. Be sure not to use the same name as the input file.
- Click Decrypt and wait a few minutes – the process can take quite a bit of time to complete, depending on the length of the book
That’s it, now you can read your DRM-less eBooks anywhere you wish. It is up to you to use this only on books you own.
As a side note, the key exported to adeptkey.der can be used to decrypt subsequent eBooks downloaded with your Nook account, so there is no need to obtain the key each time.
36 Responses to “Nook, DRM, and You.”
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Thanks….That worked great for the first book….
However the second book is not an encrypted pdf .. its extension is .epub
How do I extract this one?
Perhaps I am jsut not seeing it as clearly as you, but step 4 seems a bit murky. I do not see nor can find the NookStudyLibrary, nor a way to add a file to it. Could you elaborate please.
Cheers
Hello,
When I try to open the decrypted pdf, i get an error message from the adobe, it says the file is corrupted and could not be repaired. I looked at the properties, and on the pdf tab, it doesn’t have a pdf version, it says 0.0 instead of for example 2.1
Can you help me?
@Mcscrewgunn – NOOKstudy is a separate piece of software published by Barnes & Noble. It’s free and available on their website. It’s basically a desktop ereader.
@j0vian – I’m having the same problem as you – my files are epubs, not pdfs.
doesn’t work for me but i have a newer version of python installed and get a syntax error when i try to run bnkeyretrieval.py
When I get to step 5, a command window (black) pops up for a few seconds, then disappears. No messages, no errors. I then click on the ineptpdf2.pyw file, and it too pops up for a split second, then nothing.
Can’t get any further. Running Win7 64bit.
Never mind… I got it work flawlessly using a virtual machine with WindowsXP. Downloaded a bunch of ‘free trial’ text books, and it ripped the without hickup. Great writeup.
For those with epub books, search for ignoblekeygen and ignobleepub.
It’s never noted in this tutorial, but if you are using a 64-bit OS this will probably not work.
I have been unable to get the key retrieval to work successfully,
Ant advice?
[...] We haven’t been able to find a complete list of what Marvel books will be available on the Nook, although the hype pages are showing the original run of Ultimate Spider-Man, Ed Brubaker’s Captain America, J. Michael Straczynski’s Thor, Mark Millar’s Civil War and Kurt Busiek’s and Alex Ross’s classic Marvels. We also haven’t been able to figure out if the books will be available through some Nook-specific version of Marvel’s Android app (Which would imply that the books will be portable across devices), or strictly as individual ebook purchases tied to the Nook (Yes… tied…). [...]
This is no longer working. Can anyone else confirm or deny this statement?
It worked fine for me, I paid for my textbook out right but couldn’t read it on my droid phone or tablet, which is the entire reason I bought the book from them. I am running a 64 bit machine, but downloaded exactly the wording on the site. Worked great, thank you so much.
Still works perfectly fine. Make sure you install the 32 bit version of Python to go with the PyCrypto or it won’t work.
Does anyone know if this method works on rental textbooks as well? Thanks.
Yay! This worked perfectly for me. Being able to have all my texts on my Nook makes my life so much easier. You seriously made /the/ most easy to understand, basic instructional guide I found when trying to figure this out. It’s infuriating I cannot just by default, put something I own on my own Nook.
I’m having a hard time with the key retrieval part, when I open it a black dos window quickly appears and disappears. The inept pdf wont even open. I am running a 64 bit operating system but I downloaded 32 bit for alll listed above. Can anyone help me figure out where I’m going wrong?
I’m currently getting an Error: error decrypting book session key from the inept pdf script when attempting the final step. I am running OSX Lion 10.7.3 with ineptkey_v5.4 and ineptpdf_v7.10. Any suggestions?
so how can you get this to work on win 7 x64???? i got about 4 days left on the book that i need so i need help asap!!!!
I can confirm this still works as of May 2012. I am pretty sure you need a 32 bit OS with the 32 bit python installed
Still working good for me as of 5/14/2012, also using latest version of Nook Study. I’m running Windows 7 64-bit SP1.
Is there a way to use this for books on NookStudy AND Nook for PC or just NookStudy?
the difference is outlined here:
http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2010/08/05/why-you-should-avoid-nookstudy.html
Is there a way to use this for books on NookStudy AND Nook for PC or just NookStudy?
the difference is outlined here:
http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2010/08/05/why-you-should-avoid-nookstudy.html
Hey thanks man,it worked perfectly for me even though I had a 64 bit windows 7 OS .
By the way, are there any other sites to decrypt other books using the same softwares?
Thanks. Still working great as of 9/20/2012.
Trying this on a Mac running Mountain Lion. When I try to run ineptkey.pyw (renamed as per notes in code), ADEPT Key generates this error message: “Error: Could not locate ADE activation”
Here’s the section of code that deals with the error:
So, it appears my “actpath” doesn’t exist.
Any ideas on how to fix this?
Oops. Code didn’t post
def retrieve_key(keypath):
actpath = find_app_support_file(ACTIVATION_PATH)
if actpath is None:
raise ADEPTError(“Could not locate ADE activation”)
tree = etree.parse(actpath)
adept = lambda tag: ‘{%s}%s’ % (NSMAP['adept'], tag)
expr = ‘//%s/%s’ % (adept(‘credentials’), adept(‘privateLicenseKey’))
userkey = tree.findtext(expr)
userkey = userkey.decode(‘base64′)
userkey = userkey[26:]
with open(keypath, ‘wb’) as f:
f.write(userkey)
return True
(running windows 7) Thankk you soo muchhh u saved my life i needed a textbook on my tablet for class and i assumed the nook app on the nexus7 would support my textbook. After spending $93.00….well, i was wrong….this is theonly “how-to” i have found that works. Just follow the directions and vwala….Thank you Dan you saved my life =)….
From ADEPT Key I get
Unexpected error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “C:\NookBooks\BNKeyretreival.py”, line 361, in main
success = retrieve_key(keypath)
File “C:\NookBooks\BNKeyretreival.py”, line 247, in retrieve_key
device = winreg.QueryValueEx(regkey, ‘key’)[0]
WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified
Running Windows 7 (32 bit) On Virtual Machine
Python 2.7.3
Pycrypto 2.1.0
Any ideas? Please help.
You need to use 2.7 not 2.7.3
Works for me
Win 7 64
Python 2.7 (32bit)
Pycrypto 2.1 (32bit)
I have the exact error as above:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “C:\NookBooks\BNKeyretreival.py”, line 361, in main
success = retrieve_key(keypath)
File “C:\NookBooks\BNKeyretreival.py”, line 247, in retrieve_key
device = winreg.QueryValueEx(regkey, ‘key’)[0]
WindowsError: [Error 2] The system cannot find the file specified
With the exact specified required version. I have tested it on Windows XP Pro 32bit, Windows 7 HomeP 64bit, and Windows 8 Pro 64bit, with no avail.
Other forum posts suggest that a recent update to the NOOK Study app has killed the script. Can someone look over the process (installing everything from scratch, and maybe keep an old version of NOOK Study if you still have it) and see if it can be fixed?
I keep getting ASN.1
Cannot get this to work on a rental book. no matter what i do. it will not work.
Today 2013-02-21 – confirmed on Win Vista 32-bit
E-book downloaded through B&N Nook Study, 7-day trial
Imperative:
Download & Install in the exact order
1) Python 2.7 32-bit (NOT any other version)
2) Pycrypto 2.1.0 Binaries (NOT any other version)
3) Nook Python Modules
It’s NOT crucial to create a new folder (step 2) or copy pdf-file to new location (step 3).
If you all ready downloaded the e-book through NOOK, step 4 is redundant.
Just be sure the Nook Python Modules are in the same folder as the Nook e-books you want to convert.
//JD
I get the following error when I run the ineptpdf2 script: “Error: error decrypting book session key”
I d/l’d Python 2.7 32-bit, I d/l’d Pycrypto 2.1.0 and the Nook modules. I am trying to run them on Windows 8 on my PC.
Any thoughts on what is wrong?
Figured it out. I had to run both the BNKeyretrieval and the ineptpdf2 scripts as Administrator. To do that you change the properties for “python.exe” and “pythonw.exe” to run as administrator and set compatibility to Windows XP Service Pack 3, it works fine under Windows 8. As JD says, you need to d/l those exact files, i.e. Python 2.7.4 will not work.
I spent 3 nights trying to get this to work. Halleluiah!
One question: Since Python has moved on to newer versions, how come the Nook Study DRM removal cannot be modified to be used with newer versions of Python? Just curious.
Running XP Pro SP3 as administrator
Python 2.7 32 bit
Pycrypto 2.1.0
Nook Python modules from MediaFire.
My PDF ebook is loaded in Nook Study.
I get “error decrypting book session key.”
Any suggestions what to do next?