Kindle tip #14: Deleting or Archiving Kindle eBooks

My post Tip #6: Organizing Your Kindle written last summer has proved to still be the most popular post. So, as an add-on to that method of organization, I'm writing how to archive or delete items on your Kindle.

Until Amazon bring us folders for our Kindles (which is rumored to be coming this year), archiving and/or deleting is one more method to keep your Kindle a little more organized and clutter free. As my Kindle ebooks and blog subscriptions grow, I decided I wanted to downsize a little, particularly with books that I didn't like or knew I would never read again.

Arching and deleting ebooks is different depending on whether or not you originally downloaded the items from Amazon, or from another website/ personal documents.

Amazon Kindle Edition E-Books only

Archiving relies on the fact that a copy of all your Amazon-purchased/ downloaded Kindle ebooks are stored within your Amazon Manage Your Kindle page.With this in mind, you can remove Amazon Kindle edition eBooks from your Kindle knowing that at any time, you can get them back and read them again.

At the home page of your Kindle device:
 - scroll to the item you want to archive
 - Use your 5 way to scroll left and a note pops up to "remove from device".
 - Click the 5 way to accept.

From there, the eBook is now contained in a folder called Archives on your Kindle. You can access the archive folder on your Kindle device and re-download the book any time using your Whispernet connection.

Other eBooks and pdfs
 
For books not originally downloaded from Amazon, following the above steps will permanently delete the item from your Kindle, with no archive back up.

If, like me, you can't bear to see anything gone forever, you can create a back up on your computer.
 - Connect your Kindle micro-USB to your Kindle and pc.
 - On your computer, click My Computer and find the drive that now says Kindle.
 - Double click, scroll to the Documents folder and find the files/ documents you want to copy.
 - Right click, then click copy
 - Paste the document somewhere on your computer hard drive. I keep a folder on my desktop called "Ebook backup"
 - Go back to My Computer and safely eject the Kindle drive before unplugging (Right click > Eject or Remove)

At this point, you can delete the item from your Kindle. If you want to get it back, simply plug your Kindle back in and copy it from your pc to your Kindle's documents folder.

Blogs and Magazine Subscriptions

These can be deleted in the same way, but note that it will not cancel your subscription!  You still need to go to your Amazon Manage Your Kindle page to cancel any monthly subscriptions.


To completely WIPE your Kindle blank, example, sending it back for an exchange or if selling it, you can do Menu> Settings, Menu> Restore Factory Settings. This cannot be reversed!
You could also link up by USB to your computer, enter the Kindle folder from My Computer and go through each folder deleting the contents.


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