Updating the NOOK’s Software

Barnes & Noble regularly updates your NOOK’s software without your having to do anything, over your NOOK’s WiFi connection. You’ll know that it’s been updated because a small green notification icon appears in the Notification bar. Tap the icon, and you see a notification telling you the new version number of the software.

However, if for some reason yours doesn’t have the latest update, you can manually update it yourself. Also, sometimes Barnes & Noble makes a manual update available before it automatically updates the NOOK via WiFi, so if you absolutely must have the latest update, you can install the update yourself.

First check the version number of your NOOK software, and then see whether Barnes & Noble has a newer version available. To do it:

1. Press the NOOK button to bring up the Quick Nav bar.

2. Tap Settings→Device Info→About Your NOOK.

3. Look at the number beneath “Software version.” That’s the version of the NOOK software you have.

   

4. Go to the NOOK Tablet Support page on the Web at http://bit.ly/z3rAk7. If that URL is out of date, go to the Barnes & Noble website and from the navigation bar at the top of the page, click Nook Support.

5. Look for the section of the page that covers your device. The NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color don’t use identical software.

6. Underneath your device listing, click Software Updates. You’ll see the latest version of the NOOK software listed. If it’s the same version as yours, there’s no need to do anything else. If it’s newer, however, you can manually update your software, as you’ll see in the following instructions.

   

If it turns out that your NOOK software is out of date, you can update the software yourself. Here’s what to do:

1. On the support page for your device, click the + sign next to “Get Version 1.41 (or whatever the newest version is) Today.” Look for the text that says “click here for the software update file,” and then click it.

   

2. Save the file to your computer, and note where you’ve saved it. Don’t change the name or try to open it. It will be a file in the .zip format.

   Note

   Before attempting an update, make sure that your NOOK has a battery charge of at least 20 percent. To check your battery life, press the NOOK button, and then tap Settings→Device Info. At the top of the screen, you’ll see how much battery juice you’ve got left.

3. Connect your NOOK Tablet to your computer with a USB cable and then drag the .zip file you just downloaded to the main directory of your NOOK. For details about how to connect a NOOK Tablet to a computer and transfer files, see Chapter 11. Don’t create a new folder for it, or rename the file.

4. Disconnect your NOOK from your computer. When your NOOK goes into sleep mode, it will begin the process of installing the update. Make sure not to turn off your NOOK while it’s performing the installation.

   When the installation is done, the NOOK will restart, and you’re sent to the unlock screen. You’ll see a green “n” in the Status bar telling you that the update has been successful.

5. Tap the notification to see the version number of the update, which will match the number you saw on the Web.