How to Download and Use the OverDrive App

What is the OverDrive app?

The OverDrive app is another optional but convenient way to use OverDrive. With the OverDrive app installed, you can play and otherwise manage any of the titles that you’ve downloaded from OverDrive. Basically, this allows you to use OverDrive without having to actually access your Bookshelf by logging back into OverDrive itself.

To learn how to download items from OverDrive, see our How to Use OverDrive guide.

(NOTE: If you want to read e-books downloaded from OverDrive on your Windows or Apple desktop computer, you may need a program called Adobe Digital Editions instead. Click here and follow the instructions to download and use this program.)

How to download the OverDrive app and install it

You can download and install the OverDrive app from many places, and for many devices. As an example, we’ll show you how to download and install the OverDrive app for your Windows desktop computer, right from the OverDrive website.

1. Go to www.overdrive.com in your web browser. When you get there, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and under the “Using OverDrive” heading, click Download the App.

2. On the page you’re taken to, scroll almost to the bottom of the screen, and click Download for Windows Desktop.

3. You will be asked if you want to save the file “ODMediaConsoleSetup.msi”. Click Save, then use the explorer window that appears to choose where you want to save the file, and click Save again.

(NOTE: If this window doesn’t appear, the file will automatically go to your “Downloads” folder.)

4. Now, find where you saved the installer from OverDrive, and double-click it to open it.

5. Allow the installer to run by clicking Run, click Next, and accept the license agreement by clicking the button beside “I Agree”. Click Next again, and when you get to a screen like the one below, you can choose where you want to save the OverDrive app.

More importantly, you can choose whether or not you want to be the only one who can use the OverDrive app on your computer. If you do, click the button beside “Only Me”. Or, if there are other people who use your computer who might also want to use the OverDrive app, leave the button beside “Everyone” marked.

Click Next when you’re ready to move on. Click Next again to begin installing the OverDrive app. Click Close when it’s done.

How to use the OverDrive app

We’ll go through how to use the OverDrive app on Windows in order to demonstrate what you can do with it.

1. Double-click on the OverDrive for Windows icon on your desktop to open the program.

2. Your OverDrive app won’t initially have any items from OverDrive in it, so click File, and then click Open.

(NOTE: You can also hold the “Control” key on your keyboard and press the “O” key as a shortcut. That’s the letter “o”, not a “zero”, by the way.)

3. Find a file on your computer that you’ve downloaded from OverDrive (again, see our How to Use OverDrive tutorial for how to download items from OverDrive). You can identify one by the file extension “.odm”, which stands for “OverDrive Media” (it will also likely be represented by the OverDrive logo). Click it to select it, and then click Open.

The next window will ask you where you want to store your file on your computer; just click OK if you’re fine with the default location. If the location doesn’t exist, just click OK, and the OverDrive app will create it for you.

4. Some items from OverDrive will have to be downloaded in parts. The next window will allow you to select which parts you want to download. Click the individual check boxes beside each part to mark them or unmark them for download, or click Check All or Uncheck All to select or deselect all parts. Then click OK.

(NOTE: If you only want to download certain parts because you’re strapped for time, don’t worry; we’ll show you how to get the rest later.)

5. Once your item is registered in your OverDrive app, clicking on it will select it and allow you to choose different actions for it across the top of the page.

Play — Play the selected item.

Transfer — Move the selected item onto another device, such as an e-reader, tablet computer, or smart phone. The instructions for doing so will be provided as you go along.

Burn — Transfer (parts of) the selected item onto a CD. Again, just follow the instructions that you’re given for doing so.

Download — If you haven’t downloaded all parts of this item yet, click here and follow step 4 to get the rest of them.

Delete — If this item doesn’t work anymore (because your lending period has expired), or you just don’t want to use it anymore, click here to remove it from the OverDrive app.

Properties — You can see more information about this item, including a description of its content, what collection on OverDrive you got it from, and what you’re allowed to do with it.

6. You can also use the other buttons here to change how items are displayed in your OverDrive app, sort them in various ways, or get further help on using the program, respectively (from left to right).

Well, that’s a crash course on using the OverDrive app! Enjoy your media!