505 corrupted - can't talk to Library - help!

abbrown · 09-07-2008, 01:39 PM

I've got a bizarre problem with my PRS-505. A while ago it stopped communicating with the Sony eBook Library over USB -- it will reliably lock up the Library software when I connect it. It hangs up before the Reader even shows up on left-hand navigator, even though the Reader's 3 "drives" show up fine in Windows. At first I didn't worry about this because I could use an SD card to transfer content, but it got annoying so I recently tried to fix it.

Thinking it was some corruption on my PC (WinXP), I tried installing eBook Reader on a different computer, but the same thing happened. I then fully reset the 505 -- formatted internal memory and did a hard reset. Still didn't work. A friend just got a brand new computer so I reformatted/hard reset again and installed eBook Library on his PC and tried to hook it up - still causes eBook Library to hang hard before the device even shows up.

I called Sony and went through the diagnostic drill, and they said it was a hardware problem. So I sent my 505 away and got back a new one (this one had the new firmware on it). Plugged it in to my PC (the one where it used to cause eBook Lib to lock up) -- it showed up in eBook Library once but locked hard the instant I tried to do anything with it. It's now behaving exactly like the old one...won't even show up in eBook Library, even on a new, clean PC with a fresh install of eBook Library.

I'm at a loss of what to do next. I've tried everything I've found here -- fully uninstalling eBook Reader (including the hidden files), uninstalling the drivers, removing all traces of everything with "prs-505" and "sony" from the registry, even re-flashed the firmware on the new 505, all with no luck. I suppose I can send it back to Sony again, but how can I be sure this won't just happen again? I guess there must be something on my main PC that "infects" the reader and resets/reflashes don't clear it.

My biggest frustration is that I can't even read any of the books I've bought from the eBook store, even though I have them on SD card, because the hard reset wiped out the authorization on the Reader.

Does anyone have any ideas what else I can try? Or any way to restore the DRM authorization without eBook Library?

(And for the techies, I tried one other thing...ran a Windows Process Monitor trace on eBook Library, and it seems to lock up while doing IOCTLs on the device...I'm guessing there's some corrupt state there, which is why the USB drive aspect works but eBook Lib doesn't)

Any help much appreciated...thanks!

pilotbob · 09-07-2008, 03:26 PM

Did you ever install calibre by any chance?

BOb

abbrown · 09-07-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Did you ever install calibre by any chance?

Not before today, but I just tried it out...it can access the reader just fine and transfer books back and forth, but it doesn't help for the ~100 or so DRM'd books I have from the Sony eBook store. If only I could get the reader authorized to my account again (which seems to require eBook Library), I'd be good to go with Calibre moving forward.

pilotbob · 09-07-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abbrown

Not before today, but I just tried it out...it can access the reader just fine and transfer books back and forth, but it doesn't help for the ~100 or so DRM'd books I have from the Sony eBook store. If only I could get the reader authorized to my account again (which seems to require eBook Library), I'd be good to go with Calibre moving forward.

I was just asking because the calibre driver if installed could possibly conflict with eBook Library. Have you tried to uninstall eBook Library and the reinstall it. What changed when it stoped working. Had you installed anything new to your system? Does the whole system hang, or just eBook Library stops responding.

BOb

abbrown · 09-07-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I was just asking because the calibre driver if installed could possibly conflict with eBook Library. Have you tried to uninstall eBook Library and the reinstall it. What changed when it stoped working. Had you installed anything new to your system? Does the whole system hang, or just eBook Library stops responding.

Ah, I see. I hadn't installed Calibre before today so that's not it.

Unfortunately I've tried uninstalling and reinstalled eBook library many times - and it even doesn't work on a fresh install on a new PC.

Basically when I plug in the reader, if Library is open it simply freezes (the window says Not Responding and it doesn't repaint) though everything else in Windows works fine. If I plug the reader in before starting Library, the Library window never comes up (though I can see it running in Task Manager).

I can't recall exactly when it stopped working, unfortunately. It was always a bit flaky from the start when I got the reader back in December -- maybe 10% of the time it wouldn't see the reader, but it always worked the 2nd time. Probably about March or so it just stopped working entirely. I don't *think* I installed anything new -- this machine is pretty stable, I just use it for browsing and email -- but I can't be sure. The fact that the problem now occurs on 3 different PCs though makes me think there's something screwed up in the reader that a hard reset doesn't undo.

JSWolf · 09-07-2008, 06:37 PM

I've found the new version of eBook Library to be more stable and responsive then the original version. Do you have the most recent version of eBook Library?

abbrown · 09-07-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've found the new version of eBook Library to be more stable and responsive then the original version. Do you have the most recent version of eBook Library?

Help | About says version 2.2.00.18100...I think that's the latest?

pilotbob · 09-07-2008, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abbrown

Basically when I plug in the reader, if Library is open it simply freezes (the window says Not Responding and it doesn't repaint) though everything else in Windows works fine. If I plug the reader in before starting Library, the Library window never comes up (though I can see it running in Task Manager).

I'm guessing it is trying to read the reader's file system so it can display it but it is having trouble doing it. Do you have a memory card in the reader? If so, try removing it and see if that makes a difference.

You say it mounts to the file system without a problem. If you browse the device can you see all files on it? If so, can you run a checkdisk on it using explorer.

BOb

abbrown · 09-09-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I'm guessing it is trying to read the reader's file system so it can display it but it is having trouble doing it.

So I tried a few more things (without success). First I ran chkdsk on the internal memory "drive" -- no errors. Then I tried formatting internal memory from the Reader -- library still hangs. Next I used Windows explorer to delete everything on the internal memory drive -- Library still hangs -- and then even tried formatting the drive as a new FAT file system from explorer -- still hangs. I don't have a memory card inserted.

At this point I can't see how it could be related to the file system given I've wiped it clean practically every way possible...argh!

Is there some other "hidden" place where the reader keeps settings that could be causing Library to hang?

pilotbob · 09-09-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abbrown

Is there some other "hidden" place where the reader keeps settings that could be causing Library to hang?

Don't know. Does calibre see the device?

BOb

abbrown · 09-09-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Don't know. Does calibre see the device?

Yes, Calibre works fine. It's so strange.

If only I hadn't wiped the DRM authorization for eBook Store, I could just use Calibre to manage the device...

09-07-2008, 01:39 PM	#1
abbrown Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: PRS-505	505 corrupted - can't talk to Library - help! I've got a bizarre problem with my PRS-505. A while ago it stopped communicating with the Sony eBook Library over USB -- it will reliably lock up the Library software when I connect it. It hangs up before the Reader even shows up on left-hand navigator, even though the Reader's 3 "drives" show up fine in Windows. At first I didn't worry about this because I could use an SD card to transfer content, but it got annoying so I recently tried to fix it. Thinking it was some corruption on my PC (WinXP), I tried installing eBook Reader on a different computer, but the same thing happened. I then fully reset the 505 -- formatted internal memory and did a hard reset. Still didn't work. A friend just got a brand new computer so I reformatted/hard reset again and installed eBook Library on his PC and tried to hook it up - still causes eBook Library to hang hard before the device even shows up. I called Sony and went through the diagnostic drill, and they said it was a hardware problem. So I sent my 505 away and got back a new one (this one had the new firmware on it). Plugged it in to my PC (the one where it used to cause eBook Lib to lock up) -- it showed up in eBook Library once but locked hard the instant I tried to do anything with it. It's now behaving exactly like the old one...won't even show up in eBook Library, even on a new, clean PC with a fresh install of eBook Library. I'm at a loss of what to do next. I've tried everything I've found here -- fully uninstalling eBook Reader (including the hidden files), uninstalling the drivers, removing all traces of everything with "prs-505" and "sony" from the registry, even re-flashed the firmware on the new 505, all with no luck. I suppose I can send it back to Sony again, but how can I be sure this won't just happen again? I guess there must be something on my main PC that "infects" the reader and resets/reflashes don't clear it. My biggest frustration is that I can't even read any of the books I've bought from the eBook store, even though I have them on SD card, because the hard reset wiped out the authorization on the Reader. Does anyone have any ideas what else I can try? Or any way to restore the DRM authorization without eBook Library? (And for the techies, I tried one other thing...ran a Windows Process Monitor trace on eBook Library, and it seems to lock up while doing IOCTLs on the device...I'm guessing there's some corrupt state there, which is why the USB drive aspect works but eBook Lib doesn't) Any help much appreciated...thanks!

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Free - Freaks Talk Back: Tabloid Talk Shows and Sexual Nonconformity	nboshart	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	1	06-05-2010 10:27 AM
Reader Library says .doc is corrupted	kronium	Sony Reader	4	01-21-2010 08:24 PM
Library corrupted	rozie123	Sony Reader	1	05-26-2009 07:02 AM
505 for library ebooks & disfunctional sony library	BookishMom	Sony Reader	11	05-20-2009 12:43 AM
What We Talk About When We Talk About Reading	Dr. Drib	Reading Recommendations	1	05-17-2009 07:37 PM

09-07-2008, 03:26 PM	#2
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Did you ever install calibre by any chance? BOb

09-07-2008, 06:37 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,274 Karma: 145488788 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've found the new version of eBook Library to be more stable and responsive then the original version. Do you have the most recent version of eBook Library?

Advert

Advert