Kindle Firmware Update Gone Horribly Bad! - [SOLVED]

[Dr. Drib]

Like, as in 'BAD!'

My Kindle Voyage attempted to update last night, while I was in bed, to the current firmware version.

INFORMATION:

1) The Voyage is fully charged.
2) I use a MacBook Pro (mid-2010), running OS-X Yosemite (10.10.5)
3) I use calibre (2.85.1)
4) I was in the process of downloading three ebooks when the update suddenly started.
5) I can connect the Voyage to my computer and see the 'Documents' file located there.
6) Loading up calibre, the program recognizes the unit and my ebooks loaded onto the device appear. [C]alibre appears to be fully functional.


VOYAGE BEHAVIOR

1) Cannot get to the 'Home' screen.
2) Holding the 'Start' button down 20-30 seconds results in the man (or woman) sitting under the tree. A startup occurs and with the moving 'slide' showing progress. At about 1/2 inch before completion, the screen goes to white. After approx. 15 seconds, another screen occurs on top of the white, with these words:

Application Error

The selected application could not be started.
Please try again.

CLOSE

Touching 'CLOSE' results in a white screen.
3) The screen remains white. I can turn off the unit, and the art images appear and the screen light turns off.
4) Turning the unit back on, the screen is forever white. (Repeating this process does nothing except to repeat #3 and #4.)
5) Holding the start button for 20-30 seconds and releasing results in this message:

Power

Please select from the following options:

CANCEL RESTART SCREEN OFF


6) Pressing CANCEL results in a white screen.
7) Pressing RESTART gets me back into the loop described above.
8) Pressing SCREEN OFF merely turns off the screen. (No artwork appears.) Turning the screen back on results in a white screen and no message.

-----------------------


I could - if I wanted - load the update bin file onto the unit, but I have no way (to my knowledge) of activating the update, since I have no home screen.

Does anyone have any suggestions, please?

--- THANKS.

[knc1]

Do not look in /documents for the problem.
Look at the top of visible USB storage (alongside of /documents).

Can you see any files there with the name pattern: update_*.bin ?
Remove them.
Try again.

If still broke and this IS NOT a jail broken device - -
Put the following flag-filename in the top of visible USB storage (alongside /documents):
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
All caps, no extension, no contents.
Choose 'Restart' from the pop-up panel.

If the device is jail broken - then the directions are different, do not use the above directions on a jail broken device. (take two aspirins and ask the Kindle developer's corner in the morning.)

[Dr. Drib]

The device has never been jail broken, by the way.

I see only 3 visible items in the window:

1) documents
2) driveinfo.calibre
3) metadata.calibre

Perhaps there's some file that's hidden?

-----

A clarification, please: Did you mean I should put the (now) downloaded update bin file in the Kindle main window as well as the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
flag filename?

A very newbie question: How do I create a 'flag filename'?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

The device has never been jail broken, by the way.

I see only 3 visible items in the window:

1) documents
2) driveinfo.calibre
3) metadata.calibre

Perhaps there's some file that's hidden?

-----

A clarification, please: Did you mean I should put the (now) downloaded update bin file in the Kindle main window as well as the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
flag filename?

A very newbie question: How do I create a 'flag filename'?

Don,
Just type in what knc1 said. That is the flag filename.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

= = = =
A clarification, please: Did you mean I should put the (now) downloaded update bin file in the Kindle main window as well as the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
flag filename?

A very newbie question: How do I create a 'flag filename'?

Step 1:

Can you see any files there with the name pattern: update_*.bin ?
Remove them.
Try again. <<-- Meaning try restarting it again and see if the problem is gone. (Sorry for not being clearer)

Did that fix it?
Then stop.
If it is no longer broken at this point, then it does not need any more fixing.

Did that not fix it?
Then continue:
Step 2:

If still broke and this IS NOT a jail broken device - -
Put the following flag-filename in the top of visible USB storage (alongside /documents):
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
All caps, no extension, no contents.
Choose 'Restart' from the pop-up panel.

Just create an empty file with that name, all capitals, no file extension.

Turn off "hide well known extensions" if it is on so you can see if your system added an extension (like a text editor adding .txt but not letting you see it).

There should not be any hidden files on the Kindle -
Not unless some third party program that you use creates them.

[Dr. Drib]

No bin file exists.

OK, I created a file with Word and with no content and saved it. I then removed the file extension (although it still has 'DOCX' on the icon file).

Before I proceed (I think I'll do this tomorrow, by the way), will the created DO_FACTORY_RESTORE file wipe out my 500+ ebooks on the device?

If so, then I will first need to use calibre to mark the books using Virtual Library, so that - if things work out correctly - I can then slowly reload the books back onto the device.

After that, if things are OK, I'll update the Kindle with the current downloaded firmware and see how things go. This is the first time I've ever had any kind of problem with updating a Kindle.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and do this tomorrow morning.

THANK YOU!

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

No bin file exists.

OK, I created a file with Word and with no content and saved it. I then removed the file extension (although it still has 'DOCX' on the icon file).

Before I proceed (I think I'll do this tomorrow, by the way), will the created DO_FACTORY_RESTORE file wipe out my 500+ ebooks on the device?

If so, then I will first need to use calibre to mark the books using Virtual Library, so that - if things work out correctly - I can then slowly reload the books back onto the device.

After that, if things are OK, I'll update the Kindle with the current downloaded firmware and see how things go. This is the first time I've ever had any kind of problem with updating a Kindle.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and do this tomorrow morning.

THANK YOU!

Quick answer yes on the books.
Everything you ever did it on it will be wiped clean.

[coplate]

I'm going to put this here, in case you want to try this which will keep your books.

If you can get to the usb drive when its connected, I think this should work.

You can get the same update file form amazon and put it on the usb drive.

Eject the usb drive, and unplug cord ( this will trigger a scan for update files, and rename it to a special name. )

Plug the usb cord back in.

Check for a file named update-#####-AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDD.bin

Do not unplug the USB cord yet, you don't want to lose that update-fancy-name.bin!

If it is there, hold the power button down until the device restarts on its own.

It should install that update package, as if you had just got it.

Worst case, I think you are back in the same situation you are in now. Best case, it should be fixed without wiping your device.

I just tested on my device, and it worked as expected, I was on 5.8.1, and it re-installed 5.8.1.

[knc1]

See above. ^^
(no comments from Cinisajoy on that marking please.)

It is worth trying, there are two (2) copies of the installer on the Kindles, and the above uses the other copy not the one that failed to complete the install.

[Dr. Drib]

I copied the newest update file to the Kindle, but the file was not renamed.

This is the name:

update-3202090019-e5d5db24-4c68-4fc1-85f1-d87fbfd08ac3.bin


--- I'll leave it connected to my computer, until I hear what I should do, or should try to do.

OR if I should delete the update file and try the earlier (other) method.


THANKS!

[Dr. Drib]

Well, impatient me. I couldn't wait.

I deleted the .bin file (with the name from above and then copied that RESTORE file (properly named, of course).

I clicked RESTART and I now await the results.

--- More in a few moments. Right now I have the person under the tree, no light, and nothing happening. I have a full charge, so I'll leave it for a few moments.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Well, impatient me. I couldn't wait.

I deleted the .bin file (with the name from above and then copied that RESTORE file (properly named, of course).

I clicked RESTART and I now await the results.

--- More in a few moments. Right now I have the person under the tree, no light, and nothing happening. I have a full charge, so I'll leave it for a few moments.

That is all correct.
Connect it to a wall charger and let it sit just like that.
It may take a few days to a few weeks to finish its internal repairs. (*)

Most likely this is file system errors, and those are extremely slow to fix on solid state storage used by the Kindles.

(*) You could buy a new one from Amazon and be using it before this one finishes fixing itself.

[Dr. Drib]

It restarted and asked what language I want.

I chose my language and await the results of the moving bar.

-------

I now have the 'Get Started' screen.

I'm now going to delete my account on this unit and then continue the process of again registering this device. (CORRECTION: Wiping the device apparently wiped out the account for this device. In other words, this Kindle Voyage was NOT showing in my account, after doing the Restore.)

The unit is now registered and operational.

I am now in the process of updating to the current firmware.

More in a moment.

---------------

The slider bar is moving...about one-half way complete.

The suspense is...shall we say....thrilling?

UPDATE SUCCESSFUL!

The Kindle is starting up.

The sliding bar again....all is normal so far.

----------

SUCCESS!

My thanks to

knc1 (This is the solution that worked)

and to coplate (for additional suggestions)

[Cinisajoy]

Aren't they the greatest?
Oh Don,
I hate to rain on your parade, but you still have the hardest part to do.
Putting all the books you want back on it.
See you in three days.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Aren't they the greatest?
Oh Don,
I hate to rain on your parade, but you still have the hardest part to do.
Putting all the books you want back on it.
See you in three days.

Ah, but I have them in calibre's Virtual Library, under the tag 'kindleVoyageTrouble', and easily at my beck-and-call.

I've already added six to the Kindle and also pruned away 10, so that only leaves slightly over 500 to add!

I'm now on my way to have a cappuccino, and with my Kindle firmly tucked under one arm and a smile on my face.

IT'S IN A CASE, TOO!