Bricked Kindle Touch

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by cscat

geekmaster: By data.tar.gz. are you referring to: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...3&postcount=84 ?
There is no runme.sh file in it? but I think as you said, if I can run a shell code and undo those logging changes, my Touch should come alive!

If ixtab's data.tar.gz jailbreak sees a RUNME.sh (case sensitive), it will call it. You can put your custom stuff in there. To modify root, you need a "mntroot rw" before any changes. I would not remove or change ANYTHING without making a backup copy of the file or folder first. An do not put extra stuff on the root partition or it may be too full to update the firmware. Move backup copies to /mnt/us where there is plenty of space. All startup scripts should be conditional on the existence of an ENABLE file (like ENABLE_MYSTUFF) on the USB Drive, and exit immediately if their ENABLE file is not found. This let's you disable them from the USB Drive during a short visibility during a reboot.

[Crevecoeur]

I also just bricked my Kindle Touch. I am getting the kindle start screen with the tree, but no loading bar and no error messages. When I attempt to connect to a Mac OSX (10.7) computer via USB, I get the following in the dmesg logs:

0        0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): [not sure if there is any harm in posting this online but I’ll leave it out just in case]

If, however, I attempt a hard reset I then get the following:

USBF:	3290.794	[see above] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in.  It will keep retrying.  (Port 1 of Hub at 0xfd100000)
USBF:	3290.795	[see above] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
       0        0 AppleUSBCDC: start - initDevice failed
USBMSC Identifier (non-unique): [see above]

When connecting to a Linux machine (Arch Linux):

usb 1-2: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 9
scsi10 : usb-storage 1-2:1.0
scsi 10:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Kindle   Internal Storage 0100 PQ: 0 ANSI: 2
sd 10:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
sd 10:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk

If I reset the Kindle while connected to the Linux machine I get the same message (more or less). In both case the drive is in fact not mounted (it doesn't appear under the /media/ folder as it should and is not among the drives included when I run "df").

When connecting to a Windows (Vista) machine, a drive G: appears, but when I try to click on it I usually get a message indicating that the device is not connected. But it will occasionally open drive G: as a zero byte device. If I then try to put something on the drive, I again get the same message indicating that no drive is connected.

I’m assuming this means that the computers are reading this device in USB HID mode, as others have mentioned. Is this correct? I would like to salvage the Kindle, but while I am pretty good with software (although obviously not that good) I am pretty much ignorant when it comes to hardware/electronics, and the serial port method I’ve read about seems like it would be a pretty steep learning curve for me. Is there any hope of a USB drive solution at this point?

Also, can someone provide a link for the most concise, understandable-for-the-educated-layman description of the serial port method? I am tempted to just buy a new one and cut my losses because I think that I might end up putting more than $100 worth of work into it if I try to unbrick it!

[geekmaster]

If your time is valuable, and you do not wish to invest in this as a learning experience, then it will certainly be cheaper to buy a new kindle. For a touch, I recommend buying connectors for it instead of soldering to it, especially if you do not have tools or skill for surface mount soldering. Better to practice soldering first on discarded electronic devices.

There is an entire thread devoted to kindle touch serial port recovery.

If you are still interested, read here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=162292

and here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=1903472

[Crevecoeur]

Well, to be honest I wouldn’t be able to avoid the temptation to at least try so thank you for those links. I bought the cable mentioned in the links (TTL-232RG-VREG1V8-WE).

I have a friend who is very good with a soldering iron and has the equipment, but he does not live anywhere near me, so I will be going the connector route as you suggest. However, I notice that the recommended receptacle housing (78172-0003) and
receptacle crimp terminal (78172-0410) have a different gauge size (28-30) from the ttl to usb cable (24). Will this present any problems (again, I have almost no experience with electronics)?

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Crevecoeur

... I will be going the connector route as you suggest. However, I notice that the recommended receptacle housing (78172-0003) and
receptacle crimp terminal (78172-0410) have a different gauge size (28-30) from the ttl to usb cable (24). Will this present any problems (again, I have almost no experience with electronics)?

Look at the photos posted by hondamarlboro on a different thread. He soldered to the connector sockets. The special crimp tool costs $300 USD.

You could attach smaller wires to the connector, then solder larger wires to those.

I needed VERY small wires to connect to the tiny remaining SMT resistor pads on my k4nt, so I took apart a dead CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb), and I uses some of the enamel-coated wire from the choke coil contained on the circuit board inside the light bulb. Lot's of other useful components in their too, including two diodes you could use in a level shifter circuit (but your cable does not need that).

You can get small wires from descarded electronics.

[Crevecoeur]

I see, so some soldering may still be required, but not directly to the device.

[zkat]

Originally Posted by cscat

Also zkat, I think the main reason for this is disabling logging (damn it!) because I did the same thing... so, for reference of others, I absolutely recommend NOT meddling with those configs (or be really suspicious about them)!

I suspect you're right. It seemed a little suspicious to get rid of something like syslog-ng, but I made the (very bad) assumption that it was okay simply because it got posted on these boards and people had presumably been successful.

I think a more effective way to get rid of the logging is probably to just never connect the kindle to wifi, which is what I'll probably do with the new kindle I'm getting, until a more reliable solution is found. (I still wonder whether the kindle enables wifi and tries to connect to open APs, though, but that may just be paranoia)

[thatworkshop]

I think some threads should be called "threats" instead... but seriously it's a really good idea in order to have less people being affected by this seemingly contagious issue.

Among these threads are the following for which you should be really cautious what you change (not that you shouldn't be for any other changes!):
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51371

If we develop a Kindle Touch Emulator, we wouldn't have any of these problems!!!

[yifanlu]

Emulator? It's just a ARM computer running Linux with java. Get qemu or something.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by Crevecoeur

I see, so some soldering may still be required, but not directly to the device.

@Crevecoeur: No soldering *required* -- you could do it *right* and buy the $300 USD crimp tool for those connectors instead of soldering to them. Most *standard* crimp tools cost about $30 (a much more reasonable price). Unless you plan to go into business making these cables, when you have no more use for the crimp tool, I would be willing to buy it from you for $30 to add to my assorted crimp tool collection.

Originally Posted by cscat

I think some threads should be called "threats" instead... but seriously it's a really good idea in order to have less people being affected by this seemingly contagious issue.

Among these threads are the following for which you should be really cautious what you change (not that you shouldn't be for any other changes!):
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51371

@cscat: You asked for it:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho....php?p=1948103

[Crevecoeur]

Unless you plan to go into business making these cables, when you have no more use for the crimp tool, I would be willing to buy it from you for $30 to add to my assorted crimp tool collection.

:-)

Thanks for the “generous” offer but I found a friend who says he can connect the cable to the terminals, whether using crimping tools or a soldering iron.

[Crevecoeur]

Now all the necessary hardware for this attempt is on its way. I hope to be able to post an update soon explaining how I unbricked my Kindle Touch.

[thatworkshop]

Originally Posted by Crevecoeur

Now all the necessary hardware for this attempt is on its way. I hope to be able to post an update soon explaining how I unbricked my Kindle Touch.

Please keep us posted with your progress as this thing is getting me really frustrated! Thanks.

[Crevecoeur]

Originally Posted by cscat

Please keep us posted with your progress as this thing is getting me really frustrated! Thanks.

I certainly will. I am a strong believer in giving back to forums have helped me.

[linuxuser]

Hi all. Two days ago to buy a new kindle touch and had no better idea than trying to crack this. Now I have a brick.

How did I get this?
Well, I wanted to apply jailbreack using the "Method 3" according to next link "http://yifan.lu/p/kindle-touch-jailbreak/."
This launches the Kindle on diagnostic mode, after this and in the last step which is explained in the link (... 14. Select "D) Disable Diagnostics" and "Q) To continue "...) emerged the following error:" device_nfo.xml not found ".
To try to avoid the problem of repeat 2 more times from step 10 to 14. After this at one point he turned off the kindle and never lit anymore.

How does kindle behave now?
- I can not mount this (ls / dev / sd *).
- Not boot after hours of charging in more than one pc.
- The LED only turn on when you connect the USB cable and always with the color "amber"(Kindle discharged). I never can see the green light (charged).
- If I connect the USB cable to a PC with WinXP, it detects the device as a "Kindle", but windows can not find the driver. This only happens after holding down the power button a few seconds.

I am a Gentoo user and I graduated as electronic technician in my high school. I have not found simple instructions to build the serial cable they are talking about so far. It would be helpful have an instruction.
I am really disappointed, the Kindle cost me a good sum andand I want to make it work at all costs, but i need help.

There chance to save the kindle? how?

From and to thank everyone for the help they can give me