Troubleshooting Kindle (10th Generation) won’t update and Amazon have been useless...

[DJDarren]

I don’t know whether anyone here can offer any insight into the problem I’m having here, but I’m at my wits end.

My basic Kindle (2019, 10th gen) is stuck on 5.12.4 and is refusing to update. I just keep getting an “Update was unsuccessful. UPDATE ERROR 4” page, before it restarts back on 5.12.4. I’ve unregistered it; didn’t work. I’ve factory reset it; didn’t work.

So I went to Amazon’s customer service, who were useless. They insisted on guiding me through the manual update process a further six times (I’d already tried it four times by this point) before pushing it on to the technical support team. I got an email from them this morning with instructions on how to manually update...

However, they also included instructions on how to send diagnostic files. All I had to do was reply to that email and attach them.

The email bounced back. That account isn’t set up for incoming mail...



So I’m at my wit’s end with this fucking thing. In a moment of desperation, I tried jailbreaking it yesterday, but I’ve not got a great head for things of that nature, and besides, I don’t think there’s anything I need to be able to do that the regular Kindle software doesn’t already offer.

Does anyone have any cast iron ways of nuking the firmware that’s currently holding my Kindle hostage?

[CathyA]

Here are some really basic questions. I'm sure you went through them with Amazon, but if you could tell us the answers it might help figure out what's going on.

1. Has it ever updated itself via wi-fi or download before, or is 5.12.4 the software it came with?

2. Are you sure you have a basic Kindle and not a Paperwhite? Go to device info and look at the serial number. Does it start with either G0910L or G0910WH? If not, look up your actual model here: https://www.androidauthority.com/whi...-have-1073996/

3. Did you download the right software? This is the link for the basic Kindle update: https://www.amazon.com/update_Kindle_10th_Gen. The file name is update_kindle_10th_5.13.5.bin. If you have anything else, you may have grabbed the Oasis or Paperwhite software by mistake.

4. Why do you want to upgrade? Is there some other problem you're trying to solve?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by CathyA

2. Are you sure you have a basic Kindle and not a Paperwhite? Go to device info and look at the serial number. Does it start with either G0910L or G0910WH? If not, look up your actual model here: https://www.androidauthority.com/whi...-have-1073996/

The best kindle model identification site is

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Serial_Numbers

[DJDarren]

It’s a basic Kindle, 100%.

I believe it came with 5.12.4. It’s actually a replacement for the original one that I’ve only had for seven months or so. I don’t think it’s successfully managed an update in that time, but I may be wrong. My memory isn’t great.

I posted this while on to Amazon support, who eventually caved and offered me a full refund. It’s weird, but I’m not massively happy with doing that. The original Kindle was a Christmas present from my wife that I use for at least an hour every day. I really do like these things, but given that this is the second one to go tits up in the 18 months since I first got one, I don’t think I trust a third to not do the same after eight months. And with Amazon’s attitude to them seemingly that they’re disposable, I guess I need to take the refund and see what else is out there.

[DJDarren]

As for wanting to upgrade: I’ve got no great reason for wanting to (besides the lock screen cover art that seems to be on its way), but knowing that there *is* an update, and that the Kindle won’t install it doesn’t sit well with me. It makes it a faulty unit, even if it still manages to do the thing I have it for; reading books. I mean, if my phone refused to perform a software update, I’d be on the phone to Apple, so my Kindle is no different.

I know this probably isn’t a great reason to get so irate about it, but that’s just how my brain works, and I can’t shake it off.

[tomsem]

The Basic Kindle also comes as a Kindle Kids Edition. I don’t see it listed on the Software Update pages now, but in the past a note there would say there that you could not update it manually and that it updates only over WiFi.

I wonder if Amazon replaced your original Kindle with a KKE by mistake. That might explain why it doesn’t update manually.

I don’t know how you would know whether it was a KKE (presumably serial number could do that), or if there is in fact no restriction on manual update for KKE now due to some change they’ve made.

And it would not surprise me if the average Customer Support person was unaware of the distinction (if there still is one).

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by tomsem

The Basic Kindle also comes as a Kindle Kids Edition.

I wonder if Amazon replaced your original Kindle with a KKE by mistake. That might explain why it doesn’t update manually.

I don’t know how you would know whether it was a KKE (presumably serial number could do that), or if there is in fact no restriction on manual update for KKE now due to some change they’ve made.

According to https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_Serial_Numbers
G090VB Kindle Basic 3 (2019) Kids Edition

That is, KKE seraial numbers begin G090VB

[DJDarren]

This could be the case, although it was a black cased model. Does the KKE come in black?

Either way, Amazon eventually agreed to give me a full refund, so I’m going to put the money towards a Kobo instead. Thanks for all of your ideas, folks