PRS-300 Sony eReader Stopped Working

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 02:06 AM

I have a Sony eReader touch edition, that I got around November 2009. I paid approx. 300 bucks for it along with taxes.

My ereader stopped working. I don't have the box, receipt, manual stored handy and can't seem to find it. It is still covered with a one year extended warranty via credit card.

Initially, the battery will not charge fully about two weeks ago and will charge just about half way thru. The buttons will not work now and it seems frozen. Recharging it didn't help. I can't even turn it off now. It has never been this way before. Moreover, I didn't use it much either.

It is almost full though. I am going to try backing up everything on it and then try a factory reset on it. If it still doesn't work, I might go to eReader forums for support. Lastly, if there are no other options, I might just get another eReader. They are a lot cheaper now.

gardenstate · 02-25-2011, 06:49 AM

several users have found that when charging their readers for at least 12 hours when connected to a WALL charger, it can often help revive the unit.

Asawi · 02-25-2011, 07:38 AM

Also make sure you check around the edge of the touch screen. If anything gets caught between the screen and the edge it locks up, thinking it's being touched.
I learned that through this forum when my !old" PRS-600 did that. In my case it was the screen protector that I had put on it, and a piece of it was caught between the screen and the rim. Worth checking out at least!

jbcohen · 02-25-2011, 08:20 AM

One of the reasons I like reading on my Blackberry. My office owns it not me, anything happends to it I simply go to work and ask for a new one and twenty-four hours I have a new one in my hands. Only thing I need to do then is to re-download the reader software.

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 12:27 PM

I have a PRS-300, nothing visibly stuck on it. Display just shows home page like in a coma and is staying like this since late last night. Buttons still not working. I am trying to recharge it, red light is on indicating that charging is in progress. PC doesn't even recognize USB drive on the eReader.

RSaunders · 02-25-2011, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvijay

I have a PRS-300, nothing visibly stuck on it. Display just shows home page like in a coma and is staying like this since late last night. Buttons still not working. I am trying to recharge it, red light is on indicating that charging is in progress. PC doesn't even recognize USB drive on the eReader.

When you say "PC doesn't even recognize USB drive on the eReader." that concerns me. The first step in reviving a coma patient reader is to connect it only to the wall charger using the round charging connector. USB charging is fine for topping up the charge, but if the reader CPU gets stuck the processor can run the battery down pretty quickly regardless of the bars shown. After 12 hours of direct round-port power you should go through the reset sequences to see if it can be reawakened.

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 01:51 PM

It finally was recognized by PC. I deleted one big pdf file, space use dropped to 71%. It got slightly better, was able to shut it down but then will not start, will display half a file and shut itself down. So, I copied all books on it to a different drive, then it started ok. Then I copied just one book on to it now and it is working very fine now. Appears that the processor is really slow and one mustn't fill it to capacity or bookmark too much. Certainly leaves a lot to be desired and not a great personal experience but was a good learning experience.

Never happened before.

elcreative · 02-25-2011, 02:10 PM

Far more likely that one or more of your files caused the problem... I have several eReaders (inc Sonys) which have no problems with quite full internal memory (within 80%) but, like a lot of electronics, they do like some memory to actually work with and it's not a good idea to fill anything to the absolute limit...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvijay

It finally was recognized by PC. I deleted one big pdf file, space use dropped to 71%. It got slightly better, was able to shut it down but then will not start, will display half a file and shut itself down. So, I copied all books on it to a different drive, then it started ok. Then I copied just one book on to it now and it is working very fine now. Appears that the processor is really slow and one mustn't fill it to capacity or bookmark too much. Certainly leaves a lot to be desired and not a great personal experience but was a good learning experience.

Never happened before.

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elcreative

Far more likely that one or more of your files caused the problem... I have several eReaders (inc Sonys) which have no problems with quite full internal memory (within 80%) but, like a lot of electronics, they do like some memory to actually work with and it's not a good idea to fill anything to the absolute limit...

Yes, loading and pushing capacity to limit and making a lot of fast changes was my problem.

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 03:58 PM

Now the battery indicator light has reveresed. It shows red when connected via USB/mounted(I use Linux OS) and shows yellow when charging. Will charge it long as adviced and see if it helps with battery power.

It appears that having excess files that were demanding on the processor also prevented the device from charging properly while draining the remaining battery power.

elcreative · 02-25-2011, 04:06 PM

Yellow light is file access taking place, nothing to do with charging...

rvijay · 02-25-2011, 10:44 PM

Rebooting PC resolved the issue. Everything seems to be fine now.

rvijay · 02-26-2011, 09:53 AM

The issue started yesterday after a large PDF file with several imaged was transferred to the device. So, As a test, I tried another large PDF file today. It took a few minutes to copy and the device was blinking.

Later the device started fast, however, the text was unreadably small, the font change didn't work. So this file was quickly deleted from the device. Guess, it is best to read such files on a PC.

rvijay · 02-26-2011, 10:50 AM

I was adviced to copy the entire ereader files to my PC, did this as adviced. Now added 1/3rd of books it had before to it. It was a bit slow to start back but then it did. Tested and a few books seem to work ok, even those with DRMs. But seem to have lost Bookmarks and MetaTags, this is ok though. Bigger books are taking slightly longer to load. Turned off the device waited 30 seconds and then turned it on again. This time it started quite fast. Will test this again one last time.

rvijay · 08-04-2011, 07:37 AM

I had a similar issue again. eReader was not recognized by PC, tried another USB cable and this worked better.

02-25-2011, 02:06 AM	#1
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	Sony eReader Stopped Working I have a Sony eReader touch edition, that I got around November 2009. I paid approx. 300 bucks for it along with taxes. My ereader stopped working. I don't have the box, receipt, manual stored handy and can't seem to find it. It is still covered with a one year extended warranty via credit card. Initially, the battery will not charge fully about two weeks ago and will charge just about half way thru. The buttons will not work now and it seems frozen. Recharging it didn't help. I can't even turn it off now. It has never been this way before. Moreover, I didn't use it much either. It is almost full though. I am going to try backing up everything on it and then try a factory reset on it. If it still doesn't work, I might go to eReader forums for support. Lastly, if there are no other options, I might just get another eReader. They are a lot cheaper now.

02-25-2011, 03:58 PM	#10
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	Now the battery indicator light has reveresed. It shows red when connected via USB/mounted(I use Linux OS) and shows yellow when charging. Will charge it long as adviced and see if it helps with battery power. It appears that having excess files that were demanding on the processor also prevented the device from charging properly while draining the remaining battery power. Last edited by rvijay; 02-26-2011 at 11:21 AM. Reason: Extra info.

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02-25-2011, 06:49 AM	#2
gardenstate Groupie Posts: 195 Karma: 1069472 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chicago,IL USA suburb Device: Sony PRS-T1 and PRS-950	several users have found that when charging their readers for at least 12 hours when connected to a WALL charger, it can often help revive the unit.

02-25-2011, 07:38 AM	#3
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,467 Karma: 3865860 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Libra2, Tolino Vision 6	Also make sure you check around the edge of the touch screen. If anything gets caught between the screen and the edge it locks up, thinking it's being touched. I learned that through this forum when my !old" PRS-600 did that. In my case it was the screen protector that I had put on it, and a piece of it was caught between the screen and the rim. Worth checking out at least!

02-25-2011, 08:20 AM	#4
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,030 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	One of the reasons I like reading on my Blackberry. My office owns it not me, anything happends to it I simply go to work and ask for a new one and twenty-four hours I have a new one in my hands. Only thing I need to do then is to re-download the reader software.

02-25-2011, 12:27 PM	#5
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	I have a PRS-300, nothing visibly stuck on it. Display just shows home page like in a coma and is staying like this since late last night. Buttons still not working. I am trying to recharge it, red light is on indicating that charging is in progress. PC doesn't even recognize USB drive on the eReader.

02-25-2011, 01:51 PM	#7
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	It finally was recognized by PC. I deleted one big pdf file, space use dropped to 71%. It got slightly better, was able to shut it down but then will not start, will display half a file and shut itself down. So, I copied all books on it to a different drive, then it started ok. Then I copied just one book on to it now and it is working very fine now. Appears that the processor is really slow and one mustn't fill it to capacity or bookmark too much. Certainly leaves a lot to be desired and not a great personal experience but was a good learning experience. Never happened before.

02-25-2011, 04:06 PM	#11
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Yellow light is file access taking place, nothing to do with charging...

02-25-2011, 10:44 PM	#12
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	Rebooting PC resolved the issue. Everything seems to be fine now.

02-26-2011, 09:53 AM	#13
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	The issue started yesterday after a large PDF file with several imaged was transferred to the device. So, As a test, I tried another large PDF file today. It took a few minutes to copy and the device was blinking. Later the device started fast, however, the text was unreadably small, the font change didn't work. So this file was quickly deleted from the device. Guess, it is best to read such files on a PC.

02-26-2011, 10:50 AM	#14
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	I was adviced to copy the entire ereader files to my PC, did this as adviced. Now added 1/3rd of books it had before to it. It was a bit slow to start back but then it did. Tested and a few books seem to work ok, even those with DRMs. But seem to have lost Bookmarks and MetaTags, this is ok though. Bigger books are taking slightly longer to load. Turned off the device waited 30 seconds and then turned it on again. This time it started quite fast. Will test this again one last time.

08-04-2011, 07:37 AM	#15
rvijay Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: PRS300	I had a similar issue again. eReader was not recognized by PC, tried another USB cable and this worked better.

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