Kobo Libra Colour · Troubleshooting
KOReader won't launch on the Kobo Libra Colour
The KOReader icon does nothing, never appeared, or the app opens and closes straight away. Almost always this is where the installer files were copied.
Symptoms
- Tapping the KOReader tile does nothing.
- The KOReader tile never appeared after installing.
- KOReader shows a black or white screen for a few seconds, then drops back to the Kobo home screen.
- The Libra Colour restarts when you tap KOReader.
Before you start
- Check which firmware version the Libra Colour is on — Settings, then Device information.
- Have the USB-C cable and the computer you installed with nearby.
- Know that none of the fixes below touch your books, your highlights or your Kobo settings.
Which fix do you need?
What happens when you tap KOReader?
- Nothing at all — no tile, or the tile does nothing The launcher did not install, or the files are in the wrong place
- A black or white screen, then back to the home screen KOReader starts but exits immediately
- The Libra Colour restarts Usually a half-written or interrupted install
- An error message with text in it Note the wording — it points to a specific cause
Most common cause
On the Libra Colour the usual reason is that the installer files were copied into a folder on the device instead of to the top level of the drive. The Kobo software only looks for the launcher and the "koreader" folder at the drive's root. If a folder named something like "KOReader-2024.11-kobo" ended up on the device, the install quietly did nothing.
Fixes
Fix 1 Put the installer files where the Kobo can find them
The launcher and the "koreader" folder have to sit at the very top of the drive. If they are one level down, inside a folder, the Kobo skips the install without any warning.
- Connect the Libra Colour and open the KOBOeReader drive on your computer.
- Turn on "show hidden files" so you can see folders whose names start with a dot. On Windows, use View, then Hidden items. On macOS, press Command-Shift-period.
- Look for a folder named like "KOReader-2024.11-kobo" in the drive root. If it is there, open it, select everything inside, and move those items up into the drive root so that ".adds" and ".kobo" sit directly in the drive.
- Confirm the drive root now contains a ".adds" folder with a "koreader" folder inside it, and a ".kobo" folder that contains a file called "KoboRoot.tgz".
- Eject the drive safely, unplug, and wait for the device to process the update.
Fix 2 Reinstall KOReader over the top of itself
An install can finish but leave one file damaged, usually from a copy that was interrupted or an eject that was cut short. Copying the package again repairs it and leaves your KOReader settings alone.
- Download the current KOReader package for Kobo again, letting it finish completely.
- Connect the Libra Colour and copy the contents of the zip to the top level of the drive, choosing to merge folders and replace files when asked.
- Eject safely, unplug, and let the device install.
- After it finishes, restart the Libra Colour once from Settings, then Device information.
Fix 3 Rule out a firmware change or a stuck launcher
A recent Kobo firmware update can leave the launcher unregistered until it is reinstalled, and a launcher caught mid-update can make the tile do nothing or trigger a restart.
- Check the firmware version under Settings, then Device information. If it changed in the last few days, that is the likely cause.
- Reinstall the KOReader package as in Fix 2. The package includes a current launcher, and reinstalling re-registers it with the new firmware.
- If the device still restarts when you tap the tile, do a normal restart from Settings first, then try again. This clears a launcher that was left half-updated.
- If an error message appears, note its exact wording. A message about "no such file" points back to Fix 1; one that names a specific ".lua" file points to Fix 2.
Undo / recovery
KOReader lives entirely in the ".adds/koreader" folder plus a couple of launcher files. To remove it and put the Libra Colour back as it was: connect the device, delete the ".adds/koreader" folder and the "koreader.png" file from the drive root, then eject. To also remove the launcher, use the KFMon uninstall package from the KOReader site, or do a factory reset from Settings (which also erases downloaded books, so back them up first). Removing KOReader never changes the stock Kobo reader.
Related guides
If KOReader worked before and stopped after a Kobo update, start with Fix 3. If it has never opened since you installed it, work through the fixes in order — Fix 1 resolves the large majority of first-time installs on the Libra Colour.