KK 3G not charging / powering up problem

[Andy_T]

Hello all,

sorry for posting this thread if the question is a very simple one ... I have tried the search function to search for a solution to my problem, but I have found either threads that went to the details of debricking Kindles (rather a bit too technical for me at the moment) or some that were very basic.

My problem is a very basic one - My Kindle Keyboard 3G is stuck on the "Kindle" screen (the guy sitting under the tree) and does not power up, regardless how many seconds (have not tried minutes yet) I hold the power-on button.

I could get it to reset once (holding the button for ~30 seconds), afterwards it showed an empty battery. I then put it to charging overnight in the hope that it would work well again, but since then I have not been able to power on - or reset - it again. I have tried with different USB cables and different wall chargers (Amazon Kindle charger, iPad charger) but to no avail. My best guess is that for some reason the battery is not charging. It is not that old, have had it for about a year and a half, and it has seen regular use and recharge. When I plug it in, either the little LED does not show any reaction, or it glows orange steadily.

So here my question ... is there anything else to do than simply to slide the switch to reset the Kindle? I have read something about a "3-finger-reset", assuming that this would involve pushing more than one button when sliding the on/off switch, can anybody here comment whether such a thing exists or not (and how to do it)?

So what next? Leave it to charge for a week or so, and try to reset it again? Take it apart and take out the battery? Start with some of the de-bricking-methods mentioned in the expert threads? (If so, which one)?

Sorry if I come across as a total noob, I have had Kindles (KK Wifi and 3G, NT, Fire, PW 1+2) for some time, but so far they have worked fine and not needed any special hardware skills...

Best regards,
Andy

[JimmyR]

Try Kubrick:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=206064

[Andy_T]

Hello Jimmy-Jim,

thank you for your prompt reply ... another idiot question from my side ... I notice that this is for linux ... would that work on a Windows 8 PC? If so, would I have to install some additional operating system or similar?

Thank you in advance!

Best regards,
Andy

UPdate: OK, my question was answered, have read the "readme" file in the Kubrick thread that was hidden in spoilers, and it seems I simply have to create a bootable CD and boot from it. Thank you, will give that a try when I am home !!!

So the 3-finger-boot would be the described procedure of holding the on/off-key, then also holding the "home" button, and letting go of the other? Thank you for the info!

[JimmyR]

It's a "live CD" so you burn the image to CD/DVD and boot the computer from that- you don't need to install another OS. If you don't have a CD/DVD drive, the image needs to be copied to a USB stick.


Just saw your update... Once you boot from the CD, just follow the on-screen instructions. It's pretty simple.

If I remember correctly, the slider + volume down button is used on the KK. Anyway, it'll be mentioned in the Kubrick wizard.

Good luck!

[Andy_T]

Thank you!!!!

[NiLuJe]

Just a side note on the ~30s power slider resets: the device has to be unplugged from any and all power sources for it to actually do anything.

[Cykotitan]

Just a side question, how did you get it to charge properly (or at all) in the end?

My own KPW1 is having the same charging issues for the past 3 weeks or so, at first requiring the microusb connector to be at a certain angle or else the charging (or the orange LED) would not start at all.
And when I say angle, it means it's slightly tilted to the side which means it has already become loose - I don't remember the connection being that way some 9 months ago.

More recently, it would not charge at all unless enough force is applied to the cable end towards the device, which you could imagine, becomes quite tiresome if done by hand. Not to mention the concerns of damaging the pins further, if that seems to you like the reason of the issue I'm facing.
The usual procedure of cleaning the charging port of dirt did seem to work for a short while (a day or two), after which it reverted to the same.

I have not tried using a different compatible charging cable or adapter, and I'm not sure if my KPW is under warranty, it was merely a gift and not a purchase of my own. I'm also not sure if I can get Amazon service at all in this area.

[NiLuJe]

@Cykotitan: Do try another cable, IIRC, one of the key features of the micro-USB plug format was that the breakable/wearable parts were on the cable's end, not the device's .

[Andy_T]

Indeed. I have tried most of my around 10 micro USB cables to find some that seem to be working.

I have not managed to get around to make the Kubrick CD/USB drive (mainly because of workload and because I could not find my USB drive so far), but re-charging it again and having patience enabled me to start up my KK yesterday. Have selected the "reset to factory settings" option, now it seems stuck on the "Your Kindle is rebooting" screen, will give it some more time to charge and then try again...

Regards,
Andy

[Cykotitan]

Sorry for hijacking your thread, but I'd like to add that in my case, the charger as well as the cable are fully working when used with other devices (like a smartphone), meaning that the problem has to be on Kindle's end.