Download a library eBook to read offline (Adobe Digital Editions and ByteBooks)

Issues / Questions

  • How do I download a library eBook to read offline on my laptop?
  • I found a book under "View Online" in the catalog. How do I actually download it?
  • Why does a library eBook ask me to create an account with Ebook Central?
  • Do I need an Adobe account to open a library eBook, and does my Bowdoin login work?
  • Adobe Digital Editions is asking me to sign in. Which account do I use?
  • What is a ByteBooks ID and why do I suddenly need one?
  • I made an Adobe ID but Digital Editions won't accept it. What now?
  • The download gave me a tiny file, not the book. How do I open it?
  • The sign-in screen still says "Adobe ID" but my old Adobe login fails.
  • I forgot my ByteBooks password. How do I reset it?
  • How many accounts do I really need just to read one library eBook?

Environment

This covers downloading a full eBook from the Library's Ebook Central (ProQuest) collection to read offline on a computer with Adobe Digital Editions. As of 2026, Adobe no longer runs the sign-in for Digital Editions. A company called ByteBooks (a Wipro company) now handles it, so the account you sign in with has changed.

  • Who: Students, faculty, and staff downloading eBooks from Ebook Central for offline reading.
  • What: Full-book download to a Mac or Windows laptop or desktop using Adobe Digital Editions.
  • Accounts you will need: Two accounts that are not your Bowdoin login. One is an Ebook Central account. The other is a ByteBooks ID.
  • Not covered here: Reading a book online in your browser (no app or account needed), downloading a single chapter as a PDF (does not use Adobe Digital Editions), and reading on a phone or tablet (a different app and process).

Resolution

Read this first. Reading one library eBook offline means creating two separate accounts, and neither one is your Bowdoin username and password. The first is an Ebook Central account with the book vendor. The second is a ByteBooks ID, which is what Adobe Digital Editions now uses to sign in. Use the same email address for both, and save your passwords somewhere safe, perhaps using Apple's Passwords app. The app still says "Adobe ID" on its login screen, but your ByteBooks account is what actually works there.

Step 1 — Open the book from the catalog

  1. Find the book in the Library catalog.
  2. Under View Online, click the name of the provider offering the book (for most eBooks this is Ebook Central or ProQuest Ebook Central).
  3. The book's page opens on the provider's site.

Step 2 — Start the download and sign in to Ebook Central

  1. On the book page, click Download Book (or Full Download).
  2. You will be asked to sign in to an Ebook Central account. This is your first non-Bowdoin account.
  3. If you already have one, sign in. If not, create one at the Bowdoin Ebook Central sign-up page (or choose Join Ebook Central on the sign-in screen), enter an email address and a password, and finish creating it.
Tip: Use your Bowdoin email for this account. You will reuse the same email in a later step, and matching them keeps things simpler.

Step 3 — Choose your device

Ebook Central asks what you are reading on. Choose the option for a laptop or desktop computer (rather than a phone or tablet).

Step 4 — Get Adobe Digital Editions

  1. Ebook Central shows a step about Adobe Digital Editions, the free app that opens the book.
  2. If you do not already have it, use the Get Adobe Digital Editions link on that page to download and install it.
  3. If you already have it installed, choose Done with this step and move on.
Important: This page still talks about signing in with an Adobe ID, but Adobe no longer runs that sign-in. Do not try to create or use an old Adobe ID here. You need a ByteBooks ID instead, which is the next step. There is a "ByteBooks ID" link in the text on this page, but it leads through several pages about an error message before it reaches the account setup. The next step takes you straight there.

Step 5 — Create your ByteBooks ID

This is your second non-Bowdoin account, and it is what Adobe Digital Editions will actually accept.

  1. Go to https://dtsbytebooks.com/register.
  2. Enter your first name, last name, and country.
  3. Enter your email address. Use the same email you used for your Ebook Central account.
  4. Create a password. It needs at least 8 characters, one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, and one number.
  5. Leave the box for "I have an existing Adobe account to migrate" unchecked. You are creating a brand new account, not moving an old Adobe ID.
  6. Agree to the privacy policy, then click Create Account & Verify.
  7. ByteBooks emails you a six-digit code. This is the "OTP" (one-time password) some pages mention. It is simply the code in that email.
  8. Type the code into the verification box and submit it. The code expires after about 10 minutes, so do this right away. If it expires, request a new one.
Why the box stays unchecked: Checking "I have an existing Adobe account to migrate" is what triggers the confusing error message the setup pages warn about. Since you are making a new account, leaving it unchecked skips that problem entirely.

Step 6 — Finish downloading the book

  1. Go back to the Ebook Central book page.
  2. Choose your download length and file type if you are given options, then click Download.
  3. Your computer downloads a small file. This is not the book itself yet. It is a license file that tells Adobe Digital Editions which book to open.

Step 7 — Open the book in Adobe Digital Editions

  1. Double-click the downloaded file. Adobe Digital Editions opens automatically.
  2. At the sign-in screen, choose Adobe ID. This is the confusing part: the button says Adobe ID, but you enter your ByteBooks email and password (the second account you just made).
  3. Sign in. Adobe Digital Editions downloads the full book and opens it.
Done: The book now sits in your Adobe Digital Editions library and you can read it offline. You only sign in like this once per device.

If you forget your ByteBooks password

You cannot reset it inside Adobe Digital Editions. Reset it on the ByteBooks website first, then sign in to the app:
  1. Go to https://dtsbytebooks.com/forgot-password.
  2. Enter your email and click Send Verification Code.
  3. Enter the six-digit code from your email (again, it expires in about 10 minutes).
  4. Set a new password, confirm it, and submit.
  5. Return to Adobe Digital Editions and sign in with your new password.

Additional Help

If you get stuck, where you go depends on the problem:

  • Finding a book, licensing, or downloading limits: These are Library questions. Contact the Library's research help or the library service desk.
  • Installing Adobe Digital Editions or a computer that won't cooperate: These are IT questions.
  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.

Additional Resources

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