Avoid Kindles

robynmau · 11-14-2012, 01:28 AM

Hi All

I can't believe it - my Kindle 3 is just 15 months old and is 'dead' I've spoken to Amazon help - out of warranty so no replacement.

When I started getting problems I checked the forum out for advice and followed the instructions provided [a

to those in the know], but it didn't solve the issues, so I resorted to calling Amazon.

Amazon assured me I haven't done anything to cause the problem. My Kindle just keeps freezing, then when it reboots it goes to the Main screen, doesn't remember which book or where I was at the time it froze. It seems freezing is a 'regular' problem with Kindles, so I will not be recomending them to anyone who will listen.

Kindle help actually expect me to 'buy' another one - just not gonna happen as I don't have the money to replace it - especially since I might have to replace it again in just over 12 months time. I suppose I'll have to buy a cheap & nasty then when it dies I can't complain, eh

So there, I've had my rant. I feel a little better that I have warned any potential buyers..

Regards

SeaKing · 11-14-2012, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robynmau

Hi All

I can't believe it - my Kindle 3 is just 15 months old and is 'dead' I've spoken to Amazon help - out of warranty so no replacement.

When I started getting problems I checked the forum out for advice and followed the instructions provided [a

to those in the know], but it didn't solve the issues, so I resorted to calling Amazon.

Amazon assured me I haven't done anything to cause the problem. My Kindle just keeps freezing, then when it reboots it goes to the Main screen, doesn't remember which book or where I was at the time it froze. It seems freezing is a 'regular' problem with Kindles, so I will not be recomending them to anyone who will listen.

Kindle help actually expect me to 'buy' another one - just not gonna happen as I don't have the money to replace it - especially since I might have to replace it again in just over 12 months time. I suppose I'll have to buy a cheap & nasty then when it dies I can't complain, eh

So there, I've had my rant. I feel a little better that I have warned any potential buyers..

Regards

I feel your pain. This kind of thing happens to all sorts of equipment. Most of us have had nothing but success with Kindles. You unfortunately were different. Next time add 4Square warranty to give you more confidence.

Personally I just bought a used and I mean very used Droid phone which I am using for a small tablet. It is at least 3 years old, 3 generations old. The paint is worn off many places, and the metal is wearing where the paint is gone. Scratches! It looks old. But it works! It was not refurbished. They did give me a new charger and cable, but I am now suspecting the battery is old and I have ordered a new one. I had only 30 days return on it. That is gone now. It is a risk of course. Life is a risk.

The CB · 11-14-2012, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robynmau

Hi All

When I started getting problems I checked the forum out for advice and followed the instructions provided [a

to those in the know], but it didn't solve the issues, so I resorted to calling Amazon.
....

I assume then you read about the K3 original cover (not lighted) issue? I am repeating this because many people didn't know about this issue. I was one of them untill a friend told me. 15 months ago they were still selling them and now is just right time for hooks on cover to loose their finish and start making problems.

shenye · 11-14-2012, 03:23 AM

FWIW my wife has a Sony Reader (a PRS-650 I believe) and it randomly freezes. I think it has something to do with epubs not properly formatted or not fully following the specs, triggering some kind of overflow in the Sony software. No idea, but it's annoying.

booklover6 · 11-14-2012, 06:22 AM

Try keeping the wifi and/or 3G off for a few days and see if that makes a difference. The freezing/rebooting happened to me due to a large archive. Once I took that K3 off the account, I never had the problem happen again.

speakingtohe · 11-14-2012, 06:53 AM

My mothers kindle had this problem. It was still under warrenty and they replaced it.
She didn't use wifi or have a cover.

If you bought it with a credit card you may still have a warrenty from Credit card company.

Helen

pgnds · 11-14-2012, 07:20 AM

I had same issue. I had to remove some of the books from the unit. No problems now.

poohbear_nc · 11-14-2012, 08:48 AM

You have several options at this point (if you want to continue using your Kindle).

1. Individual book files can cause a Kindle to freeze. Especially books not bought from Amazon. To see if this is the problem, remove all books, do a factory reset, and add them back one by one. This will locate a "problem" file or eliminate the books as the cause of the freeze.

2. Some Kindles don't "like" having hundreds or thousands of books stored on them - lower the number of books and see what happens.

3. Visit the Kindle Dev Forum here - we have a lot of extremely knowledgeable folk who can help you diagnose a firmware problem and suggest solutions.

It kind of depends on how much time/effort you want to put in on the problem.

FWIW - I had this problem happen on & off on my K3 - it had a LOT of books on it (over a thousand) - reducing the number "cured" it.

dwig · 11-14-2012, 08:50 AM

Also, delete the "My Clippings.txt" file that lives in the "Documents" folder.

sirmaru · 11-14-2012, 09:30 AM

Get rid of the original KK3 cover without lights, charge overnight, then hold start button for 30 seconds to reboot the unit.

VaultBoy · 11-14-2012, 11:18 AM

This is why I love square trade. Although, I have only had to use it once on an iPod. It's still nice to have.

Blossom · 11-14-2012, 01:11 PM

The OP is from Australia. I don't know if Squaretrade is international?

K3s do go bad it doesn't mean the Kindle product is something to avoid. I would call Kindle support again. It sounds like you got a bad rept to me. It can happen more so lately is the norm. On the little email you get where it asks if they solved your problem click No and fill out the the feedback form. Once that is finished it was ask you to contact them again. Ask for a discount on a new K3 or even refurbish unit with a discount. There is the $69 Kindle which is $89 for international. It's a great Kindle. I suggest buying the black version. It has better Quality control.

My K3 is from 2010 so yes a non defective Kindle can last a long time. I've had to do a few factory resets indexing likes to get messed up on the K3 for some reason. I do not have this problem on the K4s as they improved the firmware alot.

Make sure you have the latest firmware. There was an issue where people with a large Archive had random restarting this was fixed in 3.4 Firmware.

I would try a factory reset and loading a few books at a time then letting them index by plugging the kindle into the wall or pc. If it freezes after a certain batch then you know it is a corrupted book causing it. Remove that batch and see if the problem goes away.

Saturday · 11-14-2012, 04:20 PM

I'm not sure, to be honest, why you would have expected a different response for a device that's out of warranty. If my computer, my phone or any other electronic device broke (and they do break, it happens) and my warranty had expired, I'd get exactly the same response from any other company, so it's not a Kindle/Amazon issue. Next time around, regardless of which company you buy from, I would suggest looking into an extended warranty.

I hope you manage to find a fix for your Kindle.

Martyd · 11-14-2012, 07:09 PM

While I feel bad for you and your problem with your Kindle, I am sorry you used "Avoid Kindles" as a title for this thread. All things break at some time and I think the Kindle 3 has a good track record. Mine is still going fine and I would recommend it to a friend. My hope is that some of the suggestions from our helpful members got your Kindle going again. Good Luck.

SteveEisenberg · 11-14-2012, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robynmau

Kindle help actually expect me to 'buy' another one - just not gonna happen as I don't have the money to replace it - especially since I might have to replace it again in just over 12 months time.

Unless you are using a high percentage of the memory, in which case I would delete currently unused books and music, you have a rare problem.

A more common, and more expensive to repair, problem is screen cracking due to impact.

I know we are living in a throw-away era, but here is a source of Kindle 3 repair parts:

http://www.powerbookmedic.com/xcart1/home.php?cat=694

11-14-2012, 01:28 AM	#1
robynmau Member Posts: 18 Karma: 494132 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Darwin, Australia Device: Kindle	Avoid Kindles Hi All I can't believe it - my Kindle 3 is just 15 months old and is 'dead' I've spoken to Amazon help - out of warranty so no replacement. When I started getting problems I checked the forum out for advice and followed the instructions provided [a to those in the know], but it didn't solve the issues, so I resorted to calling Amazon. Amazon assured me I haven't done anything to cause the problem. My Kindle just keeps freezing, then when it reboots it goes to the Main screen, doesn't remember which book or where I was at the time it froze. It seems freezing is a 'regular' problem with Kindles, so I will not be recomending them to anyone who will listen. Kindle help actually expect me to 'buy' another one - just not gonna happen as I don't have the money to replace it - especially since I might have to replace it again in just over 12 months time. I suppose I'll have to buy a cheap & nasty then when it dies I can't complain, eh So there, I've had my rant. I feel a little better that I have warned any potential buyers.. Regards

11-14-2012, 01:11 PM	#12
Blossom Treasure Seeker Posts: 18,708 Karma: 26026435 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kobo HD Glo, Kindles, Kindle Fires, Andriod Devices	The OP is from Australia. I don't know if Squaretrade is international? K3s do go bad it doesn't mean the Kindle product is something to avoid. I would call Kindle support again. It sounds like you got a bad rept to me. It can happen more so lately is the norm. On the little email you get where it asks if they solved your problem click No and fill out the the feedback form. Once that is finished it was ask you to contact them again. Ask for a discount on a new K3 or even refurbish unit with a discount. There is the $69 Kindle which is $89 for international. It's a great Kindle. I suggest buying the black version. It has better Quality control. My K3 is from 2010 so yes a non defective Kindle can last a long time. I've had to do a few factory resets indexing likes to get messed up on the K3 for some reason. I do not have this problem on the K4s as they improved the firmware alot. Make sure you have the latest firmware. There was an issue where people with a large Archive had random restarting this was fixed in 3.4 Firmware. I would try a factory reset and loading a few books at a time then letting them index by plugging the kindle into the wall or pc. If it freezes after a certain batch then you know it is a corrupted book causing it. Remove that batch and see if the problem goes away. Last edited by Blossom; 11-14-2012 at 01:15 PM.

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11-14-2012, 03:23 AM	#4
shenye Zealot Posts: 121 Karma: 2560040 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	FWIW my wife has a Sony Reader (a PRS-650 I believe) and it randomly freezes. I think it has something to do with epubs not properly formatted or not fully following the specs, triggering some kind of overflow in the Sony software. No idea, but it's annoying.

11-14-2012, 06:22 AM	#5
booklover6 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,533 Karma: 14008730 Join Date: May 2008 Location: PA (USA) Device: Kobo Clara, 2E, Libre, PW4, PW5, 2022 Kindle	Try keeping the wifi and/or 3G off for a few days and see if that makes a difference. The freezing/rebooting happened to me due to a large archive. Once I took that K3 off the account, I never had the problem happen again.

11-14-2012, 06:53 AM	#6
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	My mothers kindle had this problem. It was still under warrenty and they replaced it. She didn't use wifi or have a cover. If you bought it with a credit card you may still have a warrenty from Credit card company. Helen

11-14-2012, 07:20 AM	#7
pgnds Patty Posts: 52 Karma: 492132 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: USA Device: K-3, Fire 1st & 5 gen 8"	I had same issue. I had to remove some of the books from the unit. No problems now.

11-14-2012, 08:48 AM	#8
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,871 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	You have several options at this point (if you want to continue using your Kindle). 1. Individual book files can cause a Kindle to freeze. Especially books not bought from Amazon. To see if this is the problem, remove all books, do a factory reset, and add them back one by one. This will locate a "problem" file or eliminate the books as the cause of the freeze. 2. Some Kindles don't "like" having hundreds or thousands of books stored on them - lower the number of books and see what happens. 3. Visit the Kindle Dev Forum here - we have a lot of extremely knowledgeable folk who can help you diagnose a firmware problem and suggest solutions. It kind of depends on how much time/effort you want to put in on the problem. FWIW - I had this problem happen on & off on my K3 - it had a LOT of books on it (over a thousand) - reducing the number "cured" it.

11-14-2012, 08:50 AM	#9
dwig Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 6718479 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Paradise (Key West, FL) Device: Current:Surface Go & Kindle 3 - Retired: DellV8p, Clie UX50, ...	Also, delete the "My Clippings.txt" file that lives in the "Documents" folder.

11-14-2012, 09:30 AM	#10
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	Get rid of the original KK3 cover without lights, charge overnight, then hold start button for 30 seconds to reboot the unit.

11-14-2012, 11:18 AM	#11
VaultBoy Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 1683142 Join Date: Nov 2012 Device: Kindle of many shapes, PIPBoy 3000	This is why I love square trade. Although, I have only had to use it once on an iPod. It's still nice to have.

11-14-2012, 04:20 PM	#13
Saturday Member Posts: 21 Karma: 489132 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage (3G)	I'm not sure, to be honest, why you would have expected a different response for a device that's out of warranty. If my computer, my phone or any other electronic device broke (and they do break, it happens) and my warranty had expired, I'd get exactly the same response from any other company, so it's not a Kindle/Amazon issue. Next time around, regardless of which company you buy from, I would suggest looking into an extended warranty. I hope you manage to find a fix for your Kindle.

11-14-2012, 07:09 PM	#14
Martyd Zealot Posts: 117 Karma: 774868 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle Keyboard,nexus 7,Kindle Voyage	While I feel bad for you and your problem with your Kindle, I am sorry you used "Avoid Kindles" as a title for this thread. All things break at some time and I think the Kindle 3 has a good track record. Mine is still going fine and I would recommend it to a friend. My hope is that some of the suggestions from our helpful members got your Kindle going again. Good Luck.

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