Hello! Welcome to my Kobo Glo Memory Upgrade Guide!
I'm going to show you how I upgraded the internal memory to my KoboGlo!
The pictures aren't from when I actually did it, but have been recreated for this guide but that doesn't change how awesome it is! They will all be in the second post in this thread.
I will include all links to where I got this information on the 3rd post in this thread. I found most of it here within this forum, which is why I'm posting this guide here.
Is it worth it?: If you're asking yourself this, it probably isn't worth it. It already has an external slot while giving you access to an internal slot. It's illogical at best given that no one has 64 gigs of ebooks, and if you did it would probably explode the Kobo when all the storage is full. Or at least just be VERY slow.
That being said, the people coming here already want to do this and don't need or even want someone else telling them why they should void their warranty!
Given that I was opening this up, I went all out and put a class 10 32 gig microsd card
into it! I figure the faster and the bigger the better! (well maybe not bigger in this case)
First things first, might as well collect the software needed for this.
I will amend this guide in future to include the known linux commands, as well as to test them from terminal in Mac (Lion).
This is all free 3rd party software I have NOTHING to do with. Worked for me, but use at your own risk.
Partition software:
http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html
"Free Partition Software - MiniTool® Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.8"
These two tools are standalone and require no installation:
For ripping images from the SD Card:
http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=28
"Flash Drive Image Creator"
For writing images to the SD Card:
http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=29
"Flash Drive Image Writer"
Make sure your Kobo is FULLY off and not just in sleep mod. So long slide over and hold till it's powered down.
Step 1. Opening your Glo:
I used a bus pass, any thin card will do.
I pushed at the Kobo first where the back and outer casing meet, parallel to the device, with a card right between the LED and the light button. I did this because of that single clip you can see in the picture below.
Once I got under the lip of the back case, I then pried the outer case out while pushing the card to be perpendicular to the Kobo. This separates the back from the top. You'll have to repeat at the right side of the top.
Once you have done this there should be a visible separation at the top. Pick a side, left or right, and work the card in again right at the top corner on the long side this time. Again go from parallel to perpendicular with the card and push it down this time, so the card is against the inside side and front. Slide the card down like you're swiping an actual magnetic strip reader (like your bank card). Do so gently!
This should free one side, one corner completely.
Repeat this exact process on the other side of the case. I'm right handed so I did the right side first without thinking.
Now you can get to the bottom where you will take it off similar to the top, basically not sliding the card past the port.
Now you have done the hardest part which is removing the back!
You'll be amazed to see a simple microSD card slot. So crazy!
My card came with a white dot, I assume they all do from the factory. I think it possibly is a moisture detection or just to mark their own sd cards.
Step 2. Copying the SD Card:
Make sure your Kobo is FULLY off, AGAIN. So long slide over and hold till it's powered down. Just in the event you turned it on opening the case without noticing.
Now slide the SD card out very carefully.
Load it up in your PC.
Ignore/dismiss ALL prompts. DON'T format it.
Once you dismiss everything that pops up when you added the SD card, you use your "Flash Drive Image Creator" you downloaded to clone the SD card. To do this, run the program selecting the SD card as well as setting an output location. The desktop will do if it's temporary. C:\KoboSD\ will work great if it's to be kept as a backup. Make certain you select Entire Disk for what to backup.
Remove the old MicroSD card. You are completely done with it from this point forward. I'd suggest putting it into a plastic bag in the original Kobo box for safe keeping.
Place your new MicroSD card into your computer. Again dismiss any prompts that popup.
Next, open up "Flash Drive Image Writer". Here you will select the .img file you just created from the Creator program. Either from C:\KoboSD\ or the desktop. Also select your destination drive. Click Write Image. Read the prompt and click yes if you want to format the destination SD and continue.
You’ve now completely cloned the original SD Card.
Step 3. Setting up the new SD Card:
Next load up “MiniTool® Partition Wizard Home Edition 7.8”.
In the main area (top half), select your newly setup SD card. To verify you have the right drive, it should be set up as follows, or something close: (Unallocated) 10MB, rootfs(EXT4) 256 MB..., recoveryfs(EXT4) 256MB.., KOBOeReader (FAT32) 1.33 GB.., (Unallocated) [however big the rest of your sd card is. 5.9GB for the 8GB card in the pictures].
Select the KOBOeReader drive (either in the upper or lower half).
Right click it and select Extend.
From here move the slider all the way to the right. You should see a total of both the unallocated space and the KOBOeReader partition. In the case of my pictures, it’s 7.19GB for the 8GB sd card.
You’ll see at the bottom of this window that the new size of Unallocated will be 0.00KB, that’s how you know you’ve done it right. Click OK.
Verify that the unallocated space at the end of the SD card is no longer there and that the KOBOeReader partition is taking up the bulk of the SD card.
Click Apply in the upper left of the application and yes to the prompt AFTER reading it ;-)
It will go through it’s process. It hangs a bit at the end, that’s normal. Click OK once it’s done.
Step 4. Reinstall SD Card, Finishing up!
Just re-insert the MicroSD card into its slot in the Kobo Glo. From there, just pop the case back on making certain which way is up. The bottom only has 1 gap in the middle for the USB port and the top has a gap along most of the one side with the LED and two buttons. Once it’s fully snapped together, power on your new beast!
You’re complete!
Everything should be perfect now!
After everything was A-OK, I placed my original 2gig MicroSD card into a bag and put it back into the original box for safe keeping. That way I know if I need I always have a clean untouched SD card to replace my big one if anything goes wrong. So far it's not been needed! This also means that the backup on your computer is a duplicate backup.
