@DuckieTigger: I know how to get out of that dreaded repair mode - I was the one who originally released the "rescue pack" for the PW ...
The correct and working way to do it is described near the end of
this document. Still, it's a PITA, because the Kindle gives up way too fast, and then one has to go through the entire procedure to get it back to life, which takes about 5 minutes every time...