[CS]

I know you can change the metadata as you're converting a file from Doc/PDF etc. to PRC format, but is there any way to change the metadata on a native PRC file?

For example, one of the books transfers to my Kindle as "Chapter 1" instead of the actual title, and no author is listed (an annoyance with many of the books, BTW).

UPDATE: Mobi2Mobi was suggested to me. I need some help with it.

I downloaded and installed .NET Framework. No issues there.

The other files wouldn't extract, so I had to manually copy them to a folder.

After that, I open up the program - but as soon as I try to add an e-book, I get the following error.

(If the pic doesn't show up, CLICK HERE.)

Any idea what could be causing this?

Thanks.

ANOTHER UPDATE - PROBLEM SOLVED! From a PM:

Here is the link to video. Deb uses Vista too so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y74R1sbk_-8&fmt=18

That worked!!!

Thank you so much.

I think the trick is saving everything to the desktop. That's the only thing I didn't do before.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone, especially Shizu and Susan!

 

[Leslie]

Have you tried opening the file in Mobipocket Creator and fixing it there?

L

 

[CS]

Have you tried opening the file in Mobipocket Creator and fixing it there?

L

Yep, was the first thing I tried. Nothing happens when I try to open a native PRC file through Creator (Reader reads it, but I can't edit any metadata through there - as far as I can tell anyway). Creator only seems to be able to access Word, PDF, txt, and HTML files, but strangely enough, not native PRC.

 

[Leslie]

Yep, was the first thing I tried. Nothing happens when I try to open a native PRC file through Creator (Reader reads it, but I can't edit any metadata through there - as far as I can tell anyway). Creator only seems to be able to access Word, PDF, txt, and HTML files, but strangely enough, not native PRC.

Yes, I see what you mean. Hmmm....

L

 

[Michael R. Hicks]

Yeah, that's odd - you'd think you'd be able to do that through Creator.

Not sure if this is any help (looks like info-glut at first glance), but this URL may help: http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/article.asp?BaseFolder=prcgen&File=building.htm

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Jeff]

An original PRC file is compiled by Mobipocket Creator from various source files. To edit the metadata of an existing PRC file, one would need the source project file (*.OPF). If you have the actual book in another format such as RTF, TXT, PDF or HTML one can create a new PRC file and add one’s own metadata to that.

 

[tlrowley]

There is a series of perl scripts called mobi2mobi that will do exactly what you want.  You can also find pre-compiled windows versions.


Tracey

 

[Mike D. aka jmiked]

As far as I know you can’t edit metadata on a compiled ebook with Mobicreator.

This is a function promised with a future version of Stanza, however.

Mike

 

[Jeff]

As far as I know you can't edit metadata on a compiled ebook with Mobicreator.

Unless you crack it and defeat the DRM protection as tlrowley has suggested.

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Unless you crack it and defeat the DRM protection as tlrowley has suggested.

Where's a hat when I need one?

No discussions permitted on the forum about how to crack DRM. Just a friendly reminder. I don't think that's really what tlrowley is suggesting -- the OP just wanted to fix the author info -- but let's be aware, o.k.

Ann

 

[Jeff]

Where's a hat when I need one?

Hmm.

 

[SusanCassidy]

They said it was a .prc file, not .azw, anyway, so no DRM.  Mobi2mobi does not change DRM, anyway, just metadata.

 

[tlrowley]

Unless you crack it and defeat the DRM protection as tlrowley has suggested.

I did NOT suggest removing/cracking the DRM. mobi2mobi edits the metadata, not the encryption of the file. I would appreciate it if you removed your post, or apologized.

 

[Jeff]

They said it was a .prc file, not .azw, anyway, so no DRM. Mobi2mobi does not change DRM, anyway, just metadata.

Of course I can't speak to every book sold by Mobipocket, but my books, in PRC format, are DRM protected.

 

[tlrowley]

I have prc books, not DMR'd, from Baen.com.  Some of them do not have proper metadata for sorting correctly on my Kindle, and I'm a little anal about that.  That's how I discovered mobi2mobi.  Now, those books sort correctly (and no titles in ALL CAPS, another pet peeve of mine.)

Still waiting for a retraction....

 

[Ann in Arlington]

tlrowley, I called him on it:

Where's a hat when I need one?

No discussions permitted on the forum about how to crack DRM. Just a friendly reminder. I don't think that's really what tlrowley is suggesting -- the OP just wanted to fix the author info -- but let's be aware, o.k.

Ann

let's let it be, eh?

Ann - - > TTT Moderator

 

[Jeff]

I did NOT suggest removing/cracking the DRM. mobi2mobi edits the metadata, not the encryption of the file. I would appreciate it if you removed your post, or apologized.

I apologize if you took my comment as a personal attack. That was not my intention.

I've referred your complaint to a mod. If she feels my post should be removed she can do it with a click.

 

[SusanCassidy]

I didn't think you could get books from Mobipocket.com to work on the Kindle.  I had heard that they didn't accept the characters in the PID like asterisk.  Can you get them to work on Kindle?

 

[Shizu]

I know you can change the metadata as you're converting a file from Doc/PDF etc. to PRC format, but is there any way to change the metadata on a native PRC file?

For example, one of the books transfers to my Kindle as "Chapter 1" instead of the actual title, and no author is listed (an annoyance with many of the books, BTW).

You can use Mobi2Mobi to manipulate the metadate of the books. It works directly with .azw, .prc, and mobi files in Windows XP and Vista. Here is the thread from the Amazon board. This will work on Amazon DRM books too. This only changes the metadata so you can sort books more easily on your kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/forum/cd/discussion.html/ref=cm_cd_notf_thread?ie=UTF8&cdForum=FxBVKST06PWP9B&cdPage=1&asin=B000FI73MA&cdThread=Tx3PSVDF9134HIO#

 

[CS]

Thanks, everyone. I will check out Mobi2Mobi.

As for this DRM argument, I can safely confirm that tlrowley's intention wasn't to bypass DRM restrictions, because all of the PRCs I have are unencrypted files from various legal free book websites.