Got an old Kindle? How to resurrect your e-reader with new books

## Summary
PT Amazon / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET This article was originally published in early 2025 in response to news that Amazon was restricting the ability to download Kindle files to your computer. You can download e-books (but not Kindle e-books) to your computer and then upload them to the discontinued devices via USB. But if you have to download Kindle books on a newer device, newer books will only download in a newer file format that is incompatible with older Kindles. Here's the step-by-step process for moving EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to both new and old Kindle devices via both USB and Amazon's cloud.

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Got an old Kindle? How to resurrect your e-reader with new books
I added new books to an ancient Kindle DX. Here's how you can breathe new life into your outdated e-reader.
Written by
David Gewirtz,
Senior Contributing Editor
Senior Contributing Editor
April 8, 2026 at 12:24 p.m. PT
Amazon / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
This article was originally published in early 2025 in response to news that Amazon was
restricting the ability to download Kindle files
to your computer. Now, we're learning about an even more challenging restriction:
As of May 20, 2026, users of
all Kindle devices released before 2013 will be completely cut off
from the Kindle ecosystem. You will not be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store.
Also:
Amazon is ending support for 8 Kindle models next month: Is yours on the list?
In response to this unprecedented and draconian restriction, we're updating this article. Because while you may not be able to access the Kindle ecosystem, you can use your pre-2013 Kindle devices with e-books going into the future. This article shows you how.
Other articles in this series
How to easily convert EPUB files to Kindle format in minutes
How to add EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to your Kindle - no converting required
How to transform your old, obsolete Kindle into the ultimate open-source reader
It all starts with a factory reset
As a tech professional, there are many things I know because I know them. But I also learn things because it's my job to fix the tech problems around the house. In this case, my wife had performed a factory reset on her cherished Kindle DX, which she purchased more than 10 years ago. After the reset, she couldn't download any of her books.
She wanted to clean the Kindle of all its cruft. Every book she ever bought, up until the last time she powered up the machine, had been on that device before the reset. She thought a factory reset would be the fastest way to start with a clean slate.
It was indeed a clean slate. All that was left was a dictionary and a user guide, both installed during the reset process. She couldn't download anything else she wanted on it.
Also:
This simple Kindle accessory has seriously upgraded my reading experience - and it's on sale
I don't use Kindles nearly as much as she does. I have one entry-level Kindle, which I read in the
biologitorium
, but that's about it. I like keeping a Kindle there because it's always available and nearly always has enough charge for bio-break sessions.
As for my wife's Kindle DX issue, it took a bit of Googling to figure out that the DX never supported Wi-Fi. The device did, however, come with full-time 3G cellular support, which is how she had loaded books on it throughout the years.
Read that last paragraph and note that I'm writing this article in 2026, not 2014. In 2014, we had 3G. By 2026, most of the major carriers in the US will have shut down their 3G networks.
Amazon has also phased out support of 3G
for the Kindle Generation 1, Kindle Generation 2, and Kindle DX.
That left us with the question of how to get books back on her cherished DX. The Kindle DX has a 9.7-inch display. While she does have a more modern Kindle she could use, it's not that big. Amazon does make
the 10.2-inch Scribe
, but at $318, she'd rather keep using the DX, especially since it's in perfectly workable condit

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- As for my wife's Kindle DX issue, it took a bit of Googling to figure out that the DX never supported Wi-Fi.

### Implications
- When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
- When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions.
- This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay.
- If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers kindle, books, amazon topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1969.