Paperwhite 5.3.1 stuck on boot loop

ponso · 03-08-2013, 01:27 PM

I finally did it. I got the paperwhite 5.3.1 stuck in boot loop. Upon booting of Mr Bezos reading under the tree and the progress circle, the PW restarts again and does the same thing. I tried using MfgTool but the PW doesn't stay On long enough to get the computer to read the usb. The thing just keeps booting and booting. In the meantime it's a very good window prop. Any direction is appreciated.

twobob · 03-08-2013, 01:32 PM

serial cable?

ixtab · 03-08-2013, 01:47 PM

Serial cable. MfgTool is of no use for the Paperwhite.

ponso · 03-08-2013, 02:03 PM

sounds good to me!

ponso · 03-13-2013, 02:48 AM

[Please bare with me because I am new at this but I do enjoy learning and breaking things.] From what I’ve researched I need to make a USB cable using (http://daisukeblog.com/?p=1711). My question is after this; how would I connect to the Kindle using a PC to mess with kindle boot or even get a prompt? The thing keeps booting itself although it seems to be Off and stuck on the Tree photo but I’m sure will act up again once I put power through it.

hawhill · 03-13-2013, 05:54 AM

#1: You should probably watch carefully not to discharge the battery completely. Put it on a charger and try to switch it completely off by long-holding the power key. Since it is off now - as it seems, maybe the battery is already discharged - leave it like this for now.

#2: The link you sent is for a Kindle Touch, not a Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle Touch also has USB downloader mode available which allows fixing, while the KPW doesn't.

You need:
- soldering skills for accessing the serial port connectors on the PCB and solder some wires to them. Thin, very, very thin wires.
- a 1.8volts (!!!) UART, which you can use via a terminal program. Many possibilities here, but yes, in the link you've sent, the author uses a USB-UART adapter for this.

Connect the UART adapter to the soldered cables, et voila: access to uboot, and maybe a boot prompt (I doubt it, since it is constantly rebooting).

ponso · 03-15-2013, 06:14 PM

where can I find said 1.8v UART? saw in a post, will this work? (http://www.ebay.com/itm/251034207176)
It looks like a regular USB cable, can I take apart a few I own and meter to see if it's 1.8?

hawhill · 03-17-2013, 08:36 AM

That's something different alltogether. Errm, you do in fact have no idea what a UART is, right? I really suggest to do a bit recherche. You _may_ find some (old!) cell phone USB cables that are in fact USB-UART adapters, but they most likely will _not_ have micro USB connectors but proprietary cell phone connectors. And I don't think they ever went as low as 1.8volts. 5v or 3.3v is much more typical. You need to search a bit for usb-to-1.8v-uart adapters, I guess. Not many of them. It's probably easier and cheaper to modify a 3.3volt one (with input level tolerance to go down to 1.8v, it's just a voltage divider - i.e. two resistors).

I guess you need to do a lot of reading if this doesn't ring a bell already. And soldering on such fine structures will be a tough job if you never did before.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Troubleshooting Kindle Paperwhite stuck on boot	Clytie	Amazon Kindle	29	03-24-2013 12:28 PM
Paperwhite stuck on the boot screen	yurikag	Kindle Developer's Corner	20	02-02-2013 11:29 AM
PRS-350 Unbricking from boot loop?	Analogus	Sony Reader	19	06-16-2011 03:35 PM
Kindle 3 Boot loop	jlove	Kindle Developer's Corner	13	05-17-2011 05:23 AM
PRS-650 Boot loop after large changes	Soul_Est	Sony Reader	5	11-29-2010 12:12 PM

03-08-2013, 01:27 PM	#1
ponso Member Posts: 15 Karma: 31058 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: k5 pw	Paperwhite 5.3.1 stuck on boot loop I finally did it. I got the paperwhite 5.3.1 stuck in boot loop. Upon booting of Mr Bezos reading under the tree and the progress circle, the PW restarts again and does the same thing. I tried using MfgTool but the PW doesn't stay On long enough to get the computer to read the usb. The thing just keeps booting and booting. In the meantime it's a very good window prop. Any direction is appreciated.

03-08-2013, 01:32 PM	#2
twobob ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°){ʇlnɐɟ ƃǝs}Týr Posts: 6,586 Karma: 6299991 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: uti gratia usura (Yao ying da ying; Mo ying da yieng) Device: PW-WIFI\|K5-3G+WIFI\| K4\|K3-3G\|DXG\|K2\| Rooted Nook Touch	serial cable?

03-08-2013, 01:47 PM	#3
ixtab (offline) Posts: 2,907 Karma: 6736094 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: K3, K4, K5, KPW, KPW2	Serial cable. MfgTool is of no use for the Paperwhite.

03-08-2013, 02:03 PM	#4
ponso Member Posts: 15 Karma: 31058 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: k5 pw	sounds good to me!

03-13-2013, 02:48 AM	#5
ponso Member Posts: 15 Karma: 31058 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: k5 pw	[Please bare with me because I am new at this but I do enjoy learning and breaking things.] From what I’ve researched I need to make a USB cable using (http://daisukeblog.com/?p=1711). My question is after this; how would I connect to the Kindle using a PC to mess with kindle boot or even get a prompt? The thing keeps booting itself although it seems to be Off and stuck on the Tree photo but I’m sure will act up again once I put power through it.

03-13-2013, 05:54 AM	#6
hawhill Wizard Posts: 1,379 Karma: 2155307 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Goettingen, Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Mini	#1: You should probably watch carefully not to discharge the battery completely. Put it on a charger and try to switch it completely off by long-holding the power key. Since it is off now - as it seems, maybe the battery is already discharged - leave it like this for now. #2: The link you sent is for a Kindle Touch, not a Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle Touch also has USB downloader mode available which allows fixing, while the KPW doesn't. You need: - soldering skills for accessing the serial port connectors on the PCB and solder some wires to them. Thin, very, very thin wires. - a 1.8volts (!!!) UART, which you can use via a terminal program. Many possibilities here, but yes, in the link you've sent, the author uses a USB-UART adapter for this. Connect the UART adapter to the soldered cables, et voila: access to uboot, and maybe a boot prompt (I doubt it, since it is constantly rebooting).

03-15-2013, 06:14 PM	#7
ponso Member Posts: 15 Karma: 31058 Join Date: Mar 2013 Device: k5 pw	where can I find said 1.8v UART? saw in a post, will this work? (http://www.ebay.com/itm/251034207176) It looks like a regular USB cable, can I take apart a few I own and meter to see if it's 1.8?

03-17-2013, 08:36 AM	#8
hawhill Wizard Posts: 1,379 Karma: 2155307 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Goettingen, Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Mini	That's something different alltogether. Errm, you do in fact have no idea what a UART is, right? I really suggest to do a bit recherche. You _may_ find some (old!) cell phone USB cables that are in fact USB-UART adapters, but they most likely will _not_ have micro USB connectors but proprietary cell phone connectors. And I don't think they ever went as low as 1.8volts. 5v or 3.3v is much more typical. You need to search a bit for usb-to-1.8v-uart adapters, I guess. Not many of them. It's probably easier and cheaper to modify a 3.3volt one (with input level tolerance to go down to 1.8v, it's just a voltage divider - i.e. two resistors). I guess you need to do a lot of reading if this doesn't ring a bell already. And soldering on such fine structures will be a tough job if you never did before.

Advert

Advert