PRS-650 Charging issue - battery down to zero

[Bvelleko]

I didn't dismiss all the solutions, If that's how it came trough to you I'm sorry.

The thing is that I don't like workarounds because that's never a solution. It's like looking the other way when there still is a problem. If I ignore it I can't upload books by example.

But I did spend time troubleshooting and found the problem and solved it.

When it connects to a PC it creates 2 mass storage devices. One with the actual data and one called 'SETTINGS' and got some software on it.

I disabled the software drive in my device manager and now I can plug and charge it without any draining problems at all. It's a strange problem and I don't think anybody else will get the same thing with their reader.

Because it's managed now I don't need to return it. It just works fine when you know how to handle it.

Thanks for all the tips and I'm glad that I don't need to worry again about this

[elcreative]

The settings drive is for the initial software install when you first get the reader and shouldn't do anything else... maybe something set in your W64 was accessing it or trying to get it to continuously operate... glad your solution works but wonder why it occurred in the first place...

[Pinecone]

You do know that USB and other removeable devices are SUPPOSED to be ejected, not just disconnected?

Try that first.

[Bvelleko]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

You do know that USB and other removeable devices are SUPPOSED to be ejected, not just disconnected?

Try that first.

Lol, I know and I'm still not using it

When troubleshooting I tried it of course and it wasn't the solution.

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

You do know that USB and other removeable devices are SUPPOSED to be ejected, not just disconnected?

Try that first.

Personally the only USB device that I ever eject is my iPod, as this locks up if you do not do so.

As long as you are certain that the device is not being written to when you unplug it, then it makes no difference whether you eject it or not. I just make sure that sufficient time has elapsed since accessing the device in question before unplugging it.

In fact you can make this even safer by turning off write caching on the device.
In Windows open Disk Management
Right-click on the USB device in question
Choose properties from the menu.
Click on the Hardware tab, look for the properties button down in the lower right-hand corner, and choose the Policies tab.
Turn off write caching, then you never need worry about corrupting the data, before ejecting the USB device, just pull it out!

[deanie]

Hi there all.

ive got a charging issue with prs 500..

ive just got a prs 500 , used, a few weeks ago and all well until i tried to charge it in the mains.

i plugged the USB lead into an AC adapter (it was for a LG phone ) and plugged it into the wall.

if never came on again.

it is a used unit, so maybe the battery needs replacing,

do you know what to do next?

if plugged into a PC via the USB post
the device should have power, even if the battery is damaged...

is this true?

so after testing the USB lead as working, the device has no power when it is directly connected to a PC.

could it be the charging circuit that is damaged?

also when i flick on the power switch, a little yellow/ orange lamp flashes for a second.

thanks..
Dean

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

You do know that USB and other removeable devices are SUPPOSED to be ejected, not just disconnected?

Try that first.

Don't think I've ever done that ........ (ie ejected it.

Just look at the reader after installing stuff, if it says "connected to computer" it's OK to just pull the plug out.
If it says anything else. back to the software and hit Reader, changes to "USB connected" , unplug it.

Sounds like you have something odd on your PC ?

But then anything on a PC is odd to me .........

[carpetmojo]

Hey !

I'm a guru !!

How'd that happen ?

Awful lot of people that know me would have differing views about that........

Even me...............

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Bvelleko

Just discovered that the problem isn't my reader or it's battery but the OS installed on it.

When I charge it trough AC there's no problem but when I charge it with my or an other computer the battery drains dead in about 10 minutes. When I reset my reader by the switch after a full charge on USB it keeps working.

So I guess the OS crashes somehow after I unplug it. My computer runs Windows 7 with the Sony software installed, the other computer uses Windows XP without any software.

Tomorrow I'll start testing different scenes to figure out what the exact problem is.

The reason I'm doing all this is because I don't use AC-adapters at all, not for my phone, music player, camera or anything else. I don't want any cables or stuff lying around. I've got one USB cable and that should do it!

Before you unplug your 650 from the USB port of the computer, do you eject it via Reader Library or via the OS? I do and I never have a battery issue with the USB port.

[Pinecone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Before you unplug your 650 from the USB port of the computer, do you eject it via Reader Library or via the OS? I do and I never have a battery issue with the USB port.

Exactly.

Devices MAY be able to just be disconnected, but the standard is for the Stop or Eject feature.

Considering that those who use this feature so not seem to have issues with their Readers, and those who do not do (not an exhaustive study, but sure seems like that) do have some issues, the safe thing to do is to use it.

When you have a removeable device there is an icon in the tray that if you click will open to allow you to safely stop (eject) a device.

I always use the Safely Remove feature on all my USB-connected devices, if it is available. I think only my Sony Walkman doesn't offer this function.

Today, I have charged my 650 via the Blackberry charger for almost 12 hours (I'd waited until I had one bar left on the battery). I am glad to report that my reader has survived this apparently intact, LOL. I will not change the way I use the reader and I will now wait to see how long this charge will last.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by deanie

i plugged the USB lead into an AC adapter (it was for a LG phone ) and plugged it into the wall.

If the adapter suppplies more power than the Sony can handle, it may have damaged the battery. Most likely this is not the case.

Originally Posted by deanie

if plugged into a PC via the USB post
the device should have power, even if the battery is damaged...

Incorrect. The battery needs to have a minimum charge prior to the unit starting up. This can take an hour or so.

I suggest you leave the unit plugged into the USB port for at least a few hours. Make sure the PC does not go to sleep during this time, or that will drain the battery as well. If it charges OK via USB, I would suggest getting a new wall adapter.

[elcreative]

pidgeon92... don't resurrect the "too much power" story again... it's been killed so many times... USB is 5V at 500mA as standard... the voltage is ALWAYS 5V while the current can vary (I use 2,000 mA USB PSU)... excess voltage fries things, excess current is just that - a device takes as much current as it needs - if it wants 500mA and there's 2,000 available then it takes 500mA.

Modern USB powered devices can also handle variable power and can take from 500mA upwards depending on the device, they start at 300-500mA and then query if more is available, if it is then it'll step the power draw up to the device's max (or the PSU's max if less than the device).

Bottom line: Excess voltage can wreck things but USB PSUs are a standard 5V so no excess unless PSU is totally broken. Current is taken as needed...

[Ashjuk]

Originally Posted by Pinecone

Exactly.

Devices MAY be able to just be disconnected, but the standard is for the Stop or Eject feature.

Considering that those who use this feature so not seem to have issues with their Readers, and those who do not do (not an exhaustive study, but sure seems like that) do have some issues, the safe thing to do is to use it.

When you have a removeable device there is an icon in the tray that if you click will open to allow you to safely stop (eject) a device.

Not so. The default setting in Windows is for Quick Removal where the device can be unplugged without having to eject it first.

As long as you do not unplug your device in the middle of writing information to it then there will be no problems.

I currently have four USB hard drives, numerous USB flash drives, two Sony readers, an iPhone and an iPod all of which I connect to my PC on a regular basis. The only one of these I 'eject' is the iPod which for some reason does not like just being unplugged.

[carpetmojo]

Originally Posted by elcreative

pidgeon92... don't resurrect the "too much power" story again... it's been killed so many times.....

So, elcreative, any charger type thingy, as long as it has the right plug, is OK for charging ...well, a reader, yes, but actually anything with the right socket, I suppose ?
(Or at least, it won't hurt anything? )

We can ignore all the stuff in unkindly tiny print on the things ?

And stop worrying, basically?

That'd be a relief......