Troubleshooting Guide

Many of the questions in this guide apply to DRM-protected eBooks only. Questions about watermarked eBooks will be noted.

First, make sure that you have followed all of the steps as given in the HowTo guide. If you have done this and are still having problems, the following is a list of possible solutions.

Symptoms Possible Solution(s)
When you try to download a watermarked eBook, you receive the error "This eBook does not appear in your order history" Disable any web accelerator software you might have running. Some ISPs (like Earthlink Total Access) include web accelerator software, which interferes with the download process.
When you try to download a watermarked eBook, you only get a file called "download.htm". If you are using the MSN or AOL browser, try using the standard Internet Explorer instead, or Firefox.
When you click on the link to download your books, Adobe Reader opens but nothing else happens. Try one of the following solutions:
  • Right-click on the link and select "Save target as...". This will prompt you to save a small file called "ebx.etd". Save it to your hard drive, then double-click on that file once it's downloaded. Adobe Reader should open, and your download should begin.
  • Empty all temporary files in Internet Explorer, and try the download again.
  • If all else fails, try uninstalling and reinstalling Adobe Reader.
    • When you uninstall, make sure to back up your eBooks first (they're located in My Document/My eBooks)
    • Then delete everything from My Document/My eBooks and Documents and Settings/[user name]/Application Data/Adobe/Acrobat/6.0/eBooks (where [user name] is the name you log on to your computer with).
DRM activator tells you that you are not online
  • Make sure that you are actually connected to the Internet.
  • If you have any firewall software (such as Norton Internet Security), disable it.
You receieve the error "Security Failure. Data decryption error." when trying to log on or check out. This is a known problem with Internet Explorer for Macintosh and older Versions of AOL software. This error is due to an incorrect implementation of encryption in Microsoft's Internet Explorer for Macintosh and older and older versions of AOL.

The only true solution is to use another free web browser such as: Netscape, Safari (if you are running OS X, this should already be installed), or Firefox. If you are an AOL user you can try to upgrade to the most current version AOL provides.
Your Adobe Reader DRM Fails to Activate

Contact Adobe technical support here. If you have registered your copy of Adobe Reader, you can also try calling 206-675-6304 in the US. For international support, click here.

You can also try the following, which has helped some of our users and was suggested on Adobe's forums by FabianF (second post down on that link):

  1. Empty all temporary files in Internet Explorer. We do not know why, but this usually solves the problem. In Internet Explorer select Tools->Internet Options. Press "Delete Files" in the "Temporary Internet files" section.
  2. Make sure you have the full version of Adobe Reader 6.0. If you are unsure reinstall Adobe Reader. A less confusing download page can be found at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/alternate.html#60uxall
  3. Actively activate the Adobe Reader by selecting "Tools->eBook Web Services->Adobe DRM Activator" in Adobe Reader and follow the instuctions.
You get the error "410 Gone" when you click to download your book This means that you have already downloaded this order. If the download was interrupted in the middle, you can resume it by following the instructions in the FAQ here.
Error "Adobe DRM Activator error (server code 27)..." occurs when you try to activate eBook Reader (Adobe Reader 6.0.1 and Acrobat 6.x)

Try one of the following solutions:

Solution 1: Reset the eBook Reader client.
If you don't have any eBooks that you want to retain, reset the eBook Reader client by deleting the contents of the following folders:

Windows
-- My Document/My eBooks
-- Documents and Settings/[user name]/Application Data/Adobe/Acrobat/6.0/eBooks

Mac OS
-- [User name]/Library/Acrobat User Data/eBooks

Solution 2: Reactivate eBook Reader using your original ID.
If you have eBooks that you want to retain, reactivate eBook Reader using the same Microsoft .NET Passport ID or Adobe ID that you originally used to activate eBook Reader.

To activate eBook Reader using your original ID:
1. Go to the Adobe DRM Activator Site on the Adobe website at http://aractivate.adobe.com.
2. Log in with the same .NET Passport ID or Adobe ID that you originally used to activate eBook Reader.
3. Click Activate and wait for the activation process to complete. When activation is complete, you'll be able to open your eBooks.

Background information

This error occurs if you originally activated eBook Reader using a .NET Passport ID or an Adobe ID, and then try to reactivate eBook Reader using a different ID.

Error "Adobe DRM client error 706" or "Adobe DRM client error 422" occurs when you try to download an eBook This particular error, Error 706 or 422, is typically caused by Web Accelerator software interferring with the verification stage of eBook downloading. The fix for this problem is to temporarily disable your Web Accelerator. This will enable the eBook to download properly, after which you can re-enable your Accelerator.
Error: "client code 31; HTTP code 404; fault location 3" If you receive this error when using Earthlink's Total Access Internet software, then disable it. It strips some of Adobe's HTTP headers when downloading the appropriate files, which causes this error. You should deactivate Total Access and reconfigure Network Settings without it.

If your question isn't listed here, or one of these solutions didn't work for you, contact us here.