Kindle files keep returning "from the grave"

[twobob]

Regarding c) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Verse_(short_story)

: )

I liked your other plans btw...

[davehallett]

Thanks, seems we're thinking on the same lines.

I tried Alt-Del yesterday just in case. It shouldn't make any difference, and it didn't.

Regarding (ii), it's hard to see how a backup program on my PC can mysteriously put the files back on the Kindle after it's been disconnected from it.

However, I agree that it's good to eliminate variables, so I tried the same routine on a laptop that has never seen any Kindle before. Same result.

Here's an idea. When files are deleted, they don't get wiped right away, just tagged as deleted. Could be that the Kindle is detecting an error with the disk at startup, and in trying to fix the error, is undeleting all the recently deleted files?

If so, formatting the drive is the obvious answer, but I don't know enough about Kindles to say whether that's a safe thing to try. Can anyone advise?

Thanks!

[twobob]

It's pretty trivial to reformat the drive from Linux. I am not sure about the windows details.

Anyone?

[ixtab]

Yes, it should be perfectly safe to format the drive. You will of course lose all documents and possibly some hacks (jailbreak, usbnetwork).

So as an added safety measure, I suggest you copy all files before reformatting.

I just tried it on my K3:

sudo umount /dev/sdb1
sudo mkfs.vfat -F 32 -n "Kindle" /dev/sdb1

(for you Windows people, that's the equivalent of ejecting, then reformatting, the partition).

Then I rebooted the Kindle. It *did* come back with (only) the Oxford dictionaries listed, so they're obviously stored somewhere else.

Finally, I plugged it in again and copied back all the files, and now it looks exactly as before.

Bottom line: yes, it's safe to reformat.

[davehallett]

Thanks, will give it a try. If formatting as FAT32 from Windows breaks anything, I have some Linux distros available for fixing it.

[davehallett]

This is very strange. I formatted the drive in Windows. It warned me that some other process was using it, said to ignore that. Completed fine, all 1.35 GB free. I copied across all the files that used to be there. Then I deleted some of the documents and ejected the Kindle. It showed the right number of books as expected.

Rebooted, and...back to the same number as before. So much for that theory.

So if I'm not really deleting files, then I'm also not really formatting the disk.

The only other alternative I can imagine is that a drive image is somehow being restored from the part of the Kindle that I can't access. I don't know how feasible that is, but it sounds pretty unlikely...

Any more ideas???


Edit: or I could try rebooting straightaway once the partition is formatted

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by davehallett

Edit: or I could try rebooting straightaway once the partition is formatted

Yes, I suggest to do that. And while we're at it, I also suggest to use Linux. I found it to feature fewer surprises than Windows

[davehallett]

I dunno about that. I know my way around Windows, and I've had some interesting "unexpected dependency" surprises in my admittedly short Linux experience. But if this doesn't work from Windows, I've a JoliOS DVD I can boot into. Will get back to you.

[Katsunami]

I'm getting the feeling that your Kindle's flash memory is defective....

[davehallett]

Something like that.

Reformatted from Windows, rebooted, same result.
Reformatted from Linux (using GParted, less risk of formatting the wrong drive) , same result.

It's Kindle Groundhog Day all over again...

Is Kubrick the only sensible thing left to try?

[ixtab]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I'm getting the feeling that your Kindle's flash memory is defective....

Hmmm... that is another possibility, but I doubt it. I would expect much more serious malfunctions in that case, like the entire framework crashing randomly.

That said, @dave: So it's really the actual *physical* files re-appearing in their original state on the partition after deletion? (as opposed to the Kindle thinking that it has some book, but not being able to open it... which would point to a corrupted database or something like that)?

Honestly, if the problem persists, my suggestion at this point is to perform a factory reset, followed by a complete reflash of the Firmware (Kubrick), followed by a reformat of the USB partition. Each of these steps resets a different "part" of the Kindle, so you may want to also retry after each step and see if the problem went away.

[davehallett]

Oh yes, the files are there all right. I can read bits of books I hadn't even started yet!

I have already done a factory reset a couple of days ago, to no avail. Should I go straight to Kubrick or try it again?

Alternatively, I could go to Amazon at this point, as it has 9 days of warranty left. I was initially reluctant to try explain a problem of this kind to a help-desk person, but if I'm going to end up getting a new Kindle anyway, it may be the best move.

[ixtab]

Well, Kubrick will take 2 hours or so. Just try it in the order I suggested, and you'll still have 8.5 days left for the warranty

But of course, it's your decision in the end.

[twobob]

I would return it. Given the 9 days and all.

Plenty of time to give it a wipe in the interim. I would return it anyway, even if that DID work.


I wouldn't go too deep on the "explaining part" merely indicating the flash memory appears defective, with a sprinkling of backstory of required.

It's sad though. Would have been nice to know how the robot did the light sculptures

[davehallett]

Quick update: I've just realised I can't count properly, and my Kindle is a *4* not a 3. Edited first post to reflect that. Not that it makes much difference that I can see, but it makes Kubrick a bit quicker. Which I think I will try, then return the device if no result.