Technical Support

Welcome to the Technical Support page. Sourcebooks is dedicated to bringing you books in every form possible, and we have put together some frequently asked questions to help troubleshoot your most basic problems.

What eBooks can I purchase from this website?
We support the following formats for purchase and download from this website:

• eBooks in the Adobe® Digital Editions EPUB format
• eBooks in the Adobe® Digital Editions PDF format

What is an 'eBook'?
'eBook' is short for 'electronic book', a digital version of a print book that has been optimized for on-screen reading. eBooks are available in a variety of different formats:

We currently support the following formats, which are readable on most devices:

• Adobe® Digital Editions for Adobe EPUB eBooks
• Adobe® Digital Editions for Adobe PDF eBooks

Why would I want to read eBooks?
eBooks are a great reading experience with some added bonuses. You can get eBooks immediately (no waiting or paying for shipping), plus many older titles/backlist titles are available in our eBook selection. Just use search to look for authors and titles you missed when they were in the bookstore. There is no extra storage space needed in your home to shelve your eBooks. If you read your eBooks on a portable device then you can carry dozens of books with you at any time. You can also increase the font size for more comfortable reading.

What are the minimum hardware requirements to read an eBook?
Windows

• Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) Windows Vista® (32-bit or 64-bit), Windows® 7 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Intel® Pentium® 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM
• 800x600 monitor resolution

Macintosh
PowerPC

• Mac OS X v10.4.10 or v10.5
• PowerPC® G4 or G5 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM

Intel®

• Mac OS X v10.4.10, v10.5, v10.6, or v10.7
• 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM

What software do I need to use the content at this site?
In order to purchase and use a specific format, you must download and install the appropriate software.

• Adobe® Digital Editions is available for desktop and laptop computers. It will handle both the ePub and pdf formats that we sell.

Why do I need to create an eBook account when I attempt to download a title from the site?
Our site uses Digital Rights Management (DRM) to protect our products from piracy. In order to download and verify an eBook from our site you must first log in to the cart. Once you have done so you will be able to access the download and put it on your computer, as well as any other devices registered with that account.

The download finished but I can not find the file.
All operating systems have a default download folder. If you have not changed your download destination, this is where your product file is located.

If I lose my eBook can I download it again?
In order to download an eBook, whether it be for the first time or to replace a lost title, you will have to log in to our secure eBooks area. Our site records what titles you've purchased so that you may download them at any time in the future. If you have trouble downloading a title a second time then you should use the form at the bottom of this page to contact technical support.

When I'm done reading my book, does it become useless?
Unless you have bought a timed subscription, which we do not offer, your title will remain on your device indefinitely. You will be able to come back at any time in the future to read your eBook, enjoying the text as though you had just bought it.

Is it possible to view the eBooks I download from your site on multiple computers?
The answer to this question is entirely dependent on the format you downloaded it in. Most formats use DRM (Digital Rights Management) to control the product, in order to stop people from pirating titles and distributing them for free. However, certain programs allow you to do a limited amount of sharing:

• Adobe® Digital Editions allows you to authorize computers by activating the program with an Adobe ID that is unique to your account. By authorizing multiple computers you will be able to share your purchased eBooks between them.
• The DNL Reader allows you to authorize a certain number of devices for each title, per activation key, which will allow you to share your books with friends and family.

What is an enhanced eBook?
Enhanced eBooks are titles that come with supplemental content, normally multimedia such as pictures or audio, which adds an extra level of interaction into the reading experience, allowing you to change the way you perceive the text. Most publishers incorporate enhanced material directly into the eBook, which restricts what readers and software can handle the new formats.

I entered a coupon code with my order but the savings shows as $0.00; did the coupon work like it should?
Coupons are applied based on the title's original Suggested Retail Price (SRP). If there are multiple opportunities to receive a discount (for instance, a coupon and a promotion at the eBook Store), we apply the highest discount on your behalf. In cases where a promotion at the eBook Store is greater than the coupon discount, the on-site discount takes precedence and the coupon savings will show as $0.00. Note that in this scenario, the coupon code entered is not actually applied. You can therefore use the coupon with a future purchase if desired (subject to the original expiration date of the coupon).

What is your return policy on eBooks?
Due to the digital nature of eBooks, and the fact that there is no physical property to return, we cannot offer refunds on successful downloads of our books. If you have concerns about your purchase, please contact customer support.

How to Download:
​This quick step-by-step guide is designed to help you go through the process of buying and downloading our eBooks properly so that you may enjoy them quickly. If you continue to have problems feel free to contact us so that we may get back to you with any extra information that you may require.

Instructions
Step 1: All titles purchased from Sourcebooks.com contain DRM and Adobe Digital Editions will be required to access your eBooks. To download and install Adobe Digital Editions, click here. iPad/iDevice users you will also be required to download the Bluefire Reader App to your iPad. This application is free and can be found on the Apple App Store on your device. Note: Adobe Digital Editions and Bluefire Reader must both be authorized with the same Adobe ID.

Step 2: Go to www.sourcebooks.com/store and click the Sign In link under the My Account menu on the left side of the page.

Step 3: Login to the site.

Step 4: Click on the Downloads link in the My Account menu on the left.

Step 5: In the Downloads page you will see links to all the eBooks you purchased. Click on each link to start the download. Note: your download will be an urlink.ascm file, which can only be opened with programs that work with DRM ( ie Adobe Digital Editions).

Step 6: Once you have successfully downloaded the title you will be able to upload it to your device.

iPad/iDevice User ONLY:

Step 7: Connect your iPad/iDevice to the computer that has both iTunes and Adobe Digital Editions on it. You should see your device appear under Devices on the left side of iTunes. Click on it.

Step 8: With the device selected, click on the Apps tab button at the top of the main iTunes window.

Step 9: Underneath the Sync App panel you should see the File Sharing Panel. You should see the eBooks you have in Bluefire Reader appear in the Documents list on the right.

Step 10: At the bottom of the Documents list click Add and browse to your books in the Digital Editions default documents directory and choose the file.

Step 11: iTunes should then transfer the file to your device and Bluefire Reader will then automatically add this item to your Bluefire Reader Library.

Step 12: You can then open and enjoy your books in Bluefire Reader

Supported eBook Formats
​There are numerous formats that you will find eBooks in across the web. Most are constrained to a particular device: whether it is Kindle or the iPad every company wants you to support their proprietary reader. Sourcebooks carries Adobe PDF eBooks and ePubs. These formats were chosen for their versatility and reliability. They are fairly easy to operate; however, if you have any problems you should look through this page for the answer. If you have a problem that is not covered on this page please contact Technical Support.

Adobe® Digital Editions (ePub and PDF/A)
Adobe® Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages. Digital Editions also supports industry-standard eBook formats, including PDF/A and ePub.

What is Adobe® Digital Editions?

Adobe® Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline. Transfer copy-protected eBooks from your personal computer to other computers or devices. Organize your eBooks into a custom library and annotate pages. Digital Editions also supports industry-standard eBook formats, including PDF/A and ePub.

Where can I download Adobe® Digital Editions?
This download can be found at http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/

The minimum system requirements for Adobe® Digital Editions are as follows.

Supported formats

• Adobe eBook (.ebx)
• Adobe eBook (.PDF/A)
• ePub

Windows

• Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4, Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista (Home Basic 32-bit and Business 64-bit editions supported)
• Intel Pentium 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM
• 800x600 monitor resolution

Mac

PowerPC

• Mac OS X v10.4.10 or v10.5
• PowerPC G4 or G5 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM

Intel

• Mac OS X v10.4.10 or v10.5
• 500MHz processor
• 128MB of RAM
• Supported devices

For more information please visit Adobe's device support page. For Kindle, please contact us so that we can make the eBook available to you.

Learn more about using Adobe® Digital Editions.

Where are Adobe PDF eBooks and ePubs saved on my computer?
The location to which Adobe eBooks and ePubs are saved varies by operating system:

• On Windows Vista, eBook PDF files are saved in Documents > My Digital Editions.
• On Windows XP and Windows 2000, eBook PDF files are saved in My Documents > My Digital Editions.
• On the Mac OS, eBook PDF files are stored in Documents > Digital Editions.

Instead of the eBook I expected, I downloaded a file named 'urllink.acsm'. Where is the eBook?
The 'urllink.acsm' file is the license for the eBook, and downloading it should cause Adobe Digital Editions to open.

If Adobe Digital Editions does not open when the 'urllink.acsm' file is downloaded, this may indicate that you did not install Adobe Digital Editions before attempting to download the eBook.
Open the 'urllink.acsm' file as follows:

1. Once you have installed Adobe® Digital Editions, right-click the urllink.acsm file.
2. Select 'Open With', and choose 'Adobe Digital Editions'.
3. Click 'OK'. Adobe® Digital Editions opens and downloads the eBook.

If you have already installed Adobe® Digital Editions, you may need to adjust your computer's file associations so that the Adobe software opens the ACSM file type.

*Please note that Adobe eBooks can be downloaded three times. Please contact customer service for further assistance.

I tried to open an Adobe eBook and got an error message reading 'Adobe Reader could not open urllink.acsm because it is either not a supported file or because the file has been damaged?'. What should I do?
This error message typically occurs if you try to download an Adobe eBook with Adobe Reader. As of March 2009, Adobe discontinued Adobe Reader support for the Adobe PDF eBooks. In order to download Adobe PDF eBooks, you must have Adobe Digital Editions installed.

When attempting to download an Adobe eBook a second time, I received the error 'Error getting license/License server communication problem: E_LIC_ALREADY_FULFILLED_BY_ANOTHER_USER'. What should I do?
In order to download a single Adobe eBook on multiple computers, Adobe Digital Editions must be activated using the same Adobe ID on each computer.

To activate Adobe® Digital Editions using an Adobe ID?

1. Open Adobe® Digital Editions.
2. Select Library > Authorize Computer?.
3. The 'Authorize Computer' dialog box is displayed.
4. In the appropriate fields, enter the email address and password for your Adobe ID.
5. Click 'Activate'. Your computer is activated to your Adobe ID.
6. Click 'Finish' to close the 'Setup Assistant' dialog box.

Adobe® Digital Editions is activated using an Adobe ID. Repeat this process on each computer on which you intend to download Adobe eBooks.

Note that if you activate Adobe Digital Editions with an Adobe ID which has already been used to activate Adobe Digital Editions on another computer, any DRM-protected Adobe eBooks downloaded before activating with the Adobe ID will no longer work.

Also note that if the subsequent download of an Adobe eBook is attempted on a computer that has been activated using a different Adobe ID, DRM-restrictions will make the title incompatible with the second computer.

What happens to an Adobe eBook when I've finished reading it?
A downloaded Adobe eBook remains on your computer, even after it has expired or been returned, unless you manually delete it.

Adobe PDF eBooks and ePubs are supported by many of the popular eReaders available today. If you buy an eBook from Sourcebooks.com you will be able to read it on the devices listed below.

ePub Supported and Adobe PDF supported:

• Nook
• iPad*
• iPhone/iPod Touch*
• Sony Readers
• Kobo Reader
• PC
• Mac
• Most other eReaders

*Sourcebooks uses DRM to protect our eBooks. To read these eBooks on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone you will need to download the free Bluefire Reader App.

Sourcebooks is unable to sell eBooks for the Amazon Kindle directly from Sourcebooks.com, however, our eBooks should be available through Amazon. If you see a book available on Sourcebooks.com which is not available for your Kindle, please contact us so that we can make the eBook available to you.

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