Cybook Gen3 Tips and Troubleshooting

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Here is where to go to find help with your Bookeen Cybook Gen3.

Tips

User's Manual

Download the User's Manual

Contact

Address: Bookeen, 6 rue du Tage, 75013 Paris, France

Phone number: 0033 1 45654256

Email: support@bookeen.com

Firmware Versions

You can check your firmware build number by going to the library view, opening the menu, click on Advanced, click on About. Boo Reader version number (build number). Firmware build numbers are daily build numbers - incrementing each day since numbering started.

1.0 Build 476

Build 476 was the first 1.0 firmware when the CyBook Gen3 became available for ordering at the end of October 2007. delphidb96 reported testing the 1.00 firmware with his pre-production CyBook Gen3 on 31st October 2007.

1.0 Build 538

Build 538 was released ca. December 2007, as some CyBook Gen3s delivered in December 2007 had this build.

• To get build 538 you had to write to Bookeen and ask for it. They sent it with instructions for installation.
• Build 538 does not work with the new model with 512Mb of internal memory. Ensure that you are using the original Gen 3 with 64MB of internal memory before installing this firmware.
• Many, many bug fixes over build 476, including:
• Bug Fix: File dates on library screen shown 1 month too early.
• Bug Fix: Random crashes or hangups when looking up some words in certain dictionaries.
• Bug Fix: Failure to find some words in certain dictionaries.
• Bug Fix: Crash if the cover image of a Mobi book was too large.

1.0 Build 674

Build 674 came installed on the new version CyBook Gen3 with 512MB internal memory, which appeared in early May 2008. It was never available for download, and had much the same improvements as build 685.

1.0 Build 681

Build 681 also came installed on some of the new version CyBook Gen3s with 512MB internal memory. It was never available for download, and had much the same improvements as build 685.

1.1 Build 685

Build 685 was released on 7 May 2008. The first release for both old and new CyBook Gen3s.

• Improvement: new button management (faster and buffered key detection).
• Improvement: new event management (previous versions could miss events).
• Improvement: reduced power consumption.
• Improvement: Table support in Mobipocket files.
• Bug fix: large covers in PRC files.
• Bug fix: Asian characters are now displayed properly in PRC files.
• Bug fix: PDF viewer memory management (to be continued).
• Bug fix: TrueType font detection (“Fonts” directory).
• Bug fix: various user interface items (to be continued).
• Bug fix: detection of MP3 playback frequencies.
• New: in the “Library”, a lock symbol is visible when a read-only SD card is inserted.

1.1 Build 708

Build 708 was released on 25 June 2008.

• Regression fix: power consumption issue (build 685) fixed.
• New: hyphenation support in Mobipocket files.

1.1 Build 787

Build 787 was found installed on some CyBook Gen3s sold in October 2008.

• Changes from 708: Unknown

1.2 Build 796

Build 796 was released on 5 September 2008. Build 796 works with the original model with 64MB of internal memory and the new model with 512MB of internal memory.

• Bug fix: SD card detection.
• Bug fix: last page saved for files with UTF8 (non ANSI) names.
• Improvement: reduced power consumption.
• Improvement: reduced memory usage.
• Improvement: fast panning within PDF files.
• Improvement: general stability and performance.
• New: user interface now available in 6 languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian & Dutch).
• New: zoom menu for PDF files.
• New: possibility to restore factory settings (also deletes personal data in internal memory). To do so, press volume- while switching off.

1.2 Build 802

In October 2008, some new CyBooks were found to have firmware version 1.2, build 802. This build has not been released, and it is not known what the changes are from build 796 to build 802.

1.2 Build 820

In December 2008, some new CyBooks were found to have firmware version 1.2, build 820. This build has not been released, and it is not known what the changes are from build 802 to build 820.

1.2 Build 832

In Febrary 2009, a new CyBook was found to have firmware version 1.2, build 832. This build has not been released, and it is not known what the changes are from build 820 to build 832.

1.2 Build 834

In Febrary 2009, a new CyBook was found to have firmware version 1.2, build 834.

1.4 Build 885

In early May 2009, a new CyBook bought from the German Weltbild website was found to have firmware version 1.4, build 885. This version would not read Mobipocket files, but would read ePUB files and had folder support.

1.4 Build 909

This release is a Weltbild ePub version, nearly the same as the build 885. But HTML and TXT has been reported to work on this version. Seems to be less buggy too.

1.4 Build 923

In mid July 2009, a new CyBook bought from the eXpansys website was found to have firmware version 1.4, build 923. This version appears to read Mobipocket files, as it included Mobipocket Reader 6.0 build 70.

1.4 Build 928

In mid July 2009, this is the version given by Bookeen to the people at the MobileRead RendezVous in Paris. It looks like nearly the same as the Build 923 version.

Bookeen are due to release new firmware 'soon' (as of April 1, 2009), which will come in two flavours. One will read Adobe DRMed ePUB, but not Mobipocket, and the other will read DRMed Mobipocket, but not ePUB. Above we see that both versions of the firmware are in existence, if not yet fully tested on older hardware.

You can download the latest released build from the Bookeen website. You must register at the site first.

Save your system folder to your hard drive

It's easy to restore the backup folder in case of problems - if you have one.

To do a backup on a Wintel PC:

• Connect the Cybook to your computer,
• After a few seconds, two devices will appear in the "Devices with Removeable Storage" part of the "My Computer" window. One device will be labeled "Cybook Gen3" and the other labeled "Removeable Disk".
• Open the "Cybook Gen3" device.
• There will be a number of folders, the ones named: "system" and "Fonts" are the ones you want to copy to your PC. Note the specific capitalization of the names of these two folders . . . they must be exactly what you see here or they will not work when copied back to the Cybook.
• The other folders contain your pictures, music and ebooks. Making a copy of them is a good idea, but not strictly necessary to restore the Cybook system itself.

SD Cards

• Regular 2GB or smaller cards are supported.
• Cards should be formatted using FAT32 file system.

• The above image shows the correct way to insert the SD card. The back side of the Cybook has an embossed graphic of the SD card that also shows the correct orientation.

• Note: There are different versions of the Cybook Gen 3 that differ on the orientation of the SD card. The above picture is correct for the older 200 MHz units, both 64 or 512 MB).

The new units with the SD card label facing the front side, are the 400 MHz models, with serial number starting with "EB600" If in doubt, check your Cybook for the said embossed graphic and orient the SD card according to it.

Charging the Cybook

• If the Cybook is turned off, the charge LED will be red when the Cybook is being charged (through either the wall/mains charger or a PC), it will go off after a few hours.
• If the Cybook is turned on, the charge LED will be yellow when the Cybook is being charged, it will then turn to green and remain on.
• Once plugged in, the LED charging indicator will stay on for a few hours, regardless of whether it's charging or if it's fully charged. The light being on does not indicate that it's not fully charged.
• The charge state of the battery can be determined when the Cybook is turned on, without the USB cable plugged in, and is showing the Library. The battery meter can be seen at the lower, left corner of the screen. It only shows jumps of ten percent (it goes from 100% directly to 90%, so that if it's showing 100% it may be charged anywhere from 91 to 100%).

Reading while Charging

At first sight it seems impossible to read while charging the CyBook, as it goes straight to the "Connected..." screen when the cable is plugged in. But there is a work-around:

1. Go to the library screen
2. Menu/Advanced.../Slide Show.../5 Seconds
3. Wait for slide show to start (about 5 seconds!)
4. Plug in charger (not while page is changing)
5. Menu/left button - back to library screen.
6. Select a book and read while the CyBook charges.

Occasionally step 4 doesn't work and you get to the "Connected" screen. Just unplug and try again from step 1.

This is confirmed to work on CyBooks with Firmware build 796 to 834.

You will not have access to the files on the Cybook through your computer while in this reading mode.

Use Folders To Group Books In Library View

You can create folders to group the books in the Library view; all books are still displayed, this will change display order. This can be used to group by author, subject, genre, currently reading, whatever you want.

1. Plug the Cybook into your computer. Go to the Cybook (My Computer) and open the eBooks folder.
2. Create new sub-folders inside the eBooks folder. They will be displayed, both on the Cybook and in the windows explorer view (after you refresh), in alphabetical order, with the contents of the main folder last.
3. Add files to your sub-folders.
4. Close all windows using files on the Cybook, and unplug.
5. Once back on the Cybook's Library view, open the menu.
6. Click on Sort. Choose File Path.
7. Close the menu and see your books displayed in the order of the folders. You will see the contents of folder A listed alphabetically, followed by the contents of folder B listed alphabetically, etc., finishing with the contents of the main eBooks folder listed alphabetically.

Dictionaries and Folders

Mobipocket dictionaries must be placed in the eBooks folder, not in a sub-folder. Dictionaries placed in sub-folders are not found when looking up a word.

Additionally, it is a good idea to keep all non-dictionary ebooks in sub-folders. This is because the CyBook checks all ebooks in the eBooks folder to see whether they are dictionaries, every time a dictionary look-up is performed. If you have lots of ebooks in the eBooks folder (not in sub-folders), it can take twenty seconds or more to look up a word.

Safely Remove Hardware

If you unplug the Cybook when the computer is using the files on it, you run the risk of corrupting some of the files. To be sure that doesn't happen:

• If you are using Windows, there will be an icon in the system tray (it's a green arrow over a gray square); hover over it and it will say "Safely Remove Hardware". Click on it and it will safely close the file system on the Cybook and the SD card. It will tell you when it's safe to uplug. (Note: you will need to close any applications you have running that are using any files on the Cybook.)
• On Mac OS X, the Cybook internal memory and the SD card show as two drives. Eject both of them. You can do this by control-clicking on the drive and selecting 'Eject'. (Note: you will need to close any applications you have running that are using any files on the Cybook.)
• If you're not using Windows or Mac OS X, just be sure to close all windows and applications using the files on the Cybook and the SD card before unplugging. In Linux you would unmount before unplugging.

To Change Book Name

If you need to change a book name you may have found that the name is not linked to the file name, here is how to do it.

In Windows
         * open the Mobipocket reader.
         * Select the book you wish to edit.
         * Right click on it and select "PROPERTIES".
         * In the "GENERAL" Tab where it reads "e-book title:" make your change i.e. 
           THE PROJECT GUTENBERG COLLECTED POETRY OF ROBERT LOWELL changes to POETRY OF ROBERT LOWELL
         * Click "OK".

and thats it.

In Mac and Linux
         * Right click on the file.
         * Choose "PROPERTIES".
         * In the "GENERAL" Tab change the name.
         * Click "OK".

and thats it.

If you have already sent the book to your reader before changing the name you will need to replace the old file with the renamed properties one.

(Oddly in Windows the title will not stick if done as in MAC or Linux)

Troubleshooting

Adding New Fonts

Problem: You've added a new font and now when you try to look at font families, it's blank or your new font isn't there.

How to make new fonts show up:

1. Plug the cybook into your computer and open the Fonts folder. If your unit does not have a Fonts folder in its internal memory then create one but make sure it has a capital "F" since it is case sensitive.
2. Add your new fonts. The Cybook officially supports TTF (True Type Fonts), but it seems that some OTF (OpenType Fonts) will also work.
3. This step is unnecessary when using firmware build 708. Go to the Cybook's system folder and delete this file: .fonts.cache-1. It will be automatically recreated. You can save a backup copy on your hard drive first if it will make you feel better.
4. Close all windows using the Cybook files and unplug the Cybook from the computer after using "Safely Remove Hardware" (or equivalent).
5. You should now see your new fonts available in the Font Family menu.

Read Borrowed Library Books on the Cybook - How to Fix the Date

Problem: your borrowed ebook won't open, you're getting a message "this book is not active yet".

How to set the Cybook internal clock so your books will open:

1. In a text editor, create a file with the current date and time in this format: 2008-04-08-10:45 (YYYY-MM-DD-HH:MM using 24-hour time)
2. Save the file, naming it rtc.dat. Download example file.
3. Plug your Cybook to your computer through USB and delete all time bomb ebooks from your library (files initially transferred from your public library).
4. Copy the "rtc.dat" file to the Cybook "/system" folder.
5. Unplug your Cybook.
6. When you are back on the "Library", switch off your Cybook.
7. Switch on your Cybook.
8. Plug in the USB cable again and copy your public library titles to the Cybook (or to the SD card) "/eBooks" folder.
9. By the way, you can check that the "rtc.dat" was automatically deleted (i.e. taken into account) from the "/system" folder. This is a good indication that the Cybook clock was successfully updated.
10. Unplug the USB cable, when you are back on the "Library", you should be able to open the public library titles.

This should be a one time procedure to set your system date which will stay coherent thanks to the internal clock battery. (according to Bookeen)

You may also be interested in EBook Lending Libraries

Cybook Crashes Or Reboots When You Try To Use A Dictionary

• You probably need build 538. See the Build 538 instructions above.
• Your dictionary file may be corrupt. Delete the corrupt file and add the dictionary file back to the Cybook from your backup.

Cybook Is Not Recognized By Your Computer

Problem: You plug in your Cybook and turn it on, and get the message: USB device not recognized.

Here are some things you can try:

• Make sure the Cybook is fully charged. Even if the battery level indicator says 100%, that only means it's more than 90% charged, so be sure it's fully charged.
• Press the reset button on the back, and turn the unit on again.
• Try all your USB ports. Even if you know a port works with a different device, it may not work with the Cybook. Try them all. (I only say this because it happened to me.)
• Make sure both ends of the USB cable are fully plugged in.
• Under Windows it is possible that the Cybook IS recognized by Windows but the two letters that are normally assigned to device internal and external memory are already taken. (The drive letters should normally be dynamically assigned) SOLUTION: Map unmapped drives to a new drive letters. (MyComputer/right button/Manage/Disk Management/Select unmapped drive/right button/Change Drive letter/Select letter that is not used and press OK). This happens a lot when you have external disks/card readers blocking a first few drive letters above your harddisk/dvd drive. You can manually assign (via the method above) the Cybook drives a drive letter far back in the alphabet and windows will remember those letters next time you connect the Cybook.
• It has been reported that with some USB hubs the Cybook is not recognized. Try connecting directly to the computer in that case. Sometimes the front USB connectors are on an internal hub and show the same behaviour. Try the USB connectors on the back of your computer in that case. Sometimes all the hubs in the back don't work with the Cybook either, even if they work with other devices. Try them all.

File Corruption Problems

Here are some things you can try:

• Save a copy of your Cybook system folder on your hard drive - BEFORE you have any problems. In case of problems with your Cybook, replace the system folder with your backup copy.
• Try running check disk on your Cybook and/or SD card.
• Try reformatting your Cybook's drive and then replacing system folder and any desired files. WARNING: reformatting deletes everything on the drive. You must save a copy of the system folder and any files you don't want to lose before reformatting.
• If a particular file is a problem, delete it and download a new copy.

Cybook Doesn't Save Your Place When Leaving A Book

Here are some things which may help:

• Use a different SD card. There are reported problems with the SD card provided by Bookeen. There are reports that a card with less storage capacity helps. There are reports that switching brands helps.
• If you're syncing to the SD card through Mobipocket Desktop, stop. Open the file system and move the files yourself instead.
• Be sure to Safely Remove Hardware (discussed above) before disconnecting the Cybook from your computer.
• Use plain ASCII filenames.
• When Cybook is on low battery current page is not saved when switching off. This behaviour starts at around 40% (though it still saves most of the time) and happens nearly all the time at 30% battery (as the charge level is not precise below 40% I have never really seen anything less then 30%). This is not really a bug per se but it might be good to know so you can charge when battery is at 40% or if that's not possible *always* place a bookmark when at low battery.
• After reading for a couple of hours the Cybook may not allow you to save a bookmark nor save your place when you exit. If you reboot every couple of hours when actively reading, you may avoid this problem.

Cybook Freezes Before Or On The Library Page

These are some things you can try:

• Remove the SD card and try rebooting. If it works correctly, the card or corrupt files on your card is your problem. Try deleting files and see if it reboots correctly now. If it does, you removed one or more problem files. If it still doesn't reboot correctly, try reformatting using FAT32, or get a new card.
• Run check disk on the Cybook's drive and the SD card.
• Remove all corrupted files.
• Reformat the Cybook's drive. WARNING: reformatting deletes everything on the drive, so you must save your system folder and any other files you don't want to lose somewhere safe (like your hard drive) before reformatting.

Cybook Freezes Before The Library Page

Symptom is the repeated display of the second startup screen.

Try the following, starting with procedure 1.

Note: When removing/inserting the SD card from/into the Gen3, the unit must be switched off first. Before removing the SD card from your computer's card reader you must first use "Safely Remove Hardware" (or equivalent) to make sure the computer has finished transferring any files. Not taking these precautions could corrupt the SD card and may even be the source of the problem.

Procedure 1

1. Press the reset button on the back of the unit. The display will still show the second start-up screen but the led will be off showing the unit is not powered.
2. If a SD card is not fitted then jump to procedure 2.
3. Remove the SD card and power-up the unit.
4. If the unit still does not work after removing the SD card then jump to procedure 2.
5. Now that the unit is working again the problem with the SD card needs to be fixed. If you do not already have backups of the files on the SD card then back them up now.
6. Reformat the SD card (FAT32), install it in the unit, and power-up the unit.
7. If the unit does not work again then get another SD card.
8. If the unit is now working then copy your files back to the SD card.
9. If the unit still works then the problem is fixed otherwise continue with the next step.
10. There is a problem with one or more files on the SD card so delete all the files on the SD card.
11. Add the files back one at a time, testing the card in between, until you find the offending file.
12. Remove the offending file and the problem should be fixed. The problem with the file is another matter.

Procedure 2

1. If the unit had been re-displaying the second startup screen for sometime before it was reset or if you are unsure how much power remains, connect the USB cable and allow time for a full recharge before continuing with the next step.
2. Re-flash with version 796fmt [1]. Any books that were stored on the internal memory will be deleted. Version 796fmt fixes the problem because it fully reformats the internal flash whereas version 796 does not.
3. If the unit still does not work with the SD card fitted then follow procedure 1 (starting at step 5) since the SD card also has a problem.

Links

• Mobile Read's Bookeen Cybook Gen3 Forums