unbrick a Kindle Keyboard w frozen screen, works as USB storage

marianov · 09-30-2020, 07:52 AM

I've done everything I found on the web except attaching to the serial console to try to unbrick a 2011 Kindle Keyboard (wifi) which stopped working.
The system seems to run ok, but the screen is fixed on a book's page and has been on that page for years now. I disconnected the battery, done the reset thing on the circuit board, done all the resets available with the power button, etc.
Symptoms are: Computer can connect, save files, etc. Calibre recognizes it, can also modify it's contents. When charged the green light comes up. Disconnect it from charger and it goes off. Slide the power on and it goes green then turns off. No change on the screen, same book same page. Connect it back to the computer and I see all the contentc.

I even saved one of the jailbreak files on it and it seems to have worked as now I have a "linkjail" folder.

Is there anything else I can try? Is it possible that the screen is just broken even tough it looks fine?

Any advise appreciated.

SuperYee · 10-07-2020, 06:55 PM

Hmm. It maybe a hardware issue with the screen. Could you post a picture of the screen?

randomodbuild · 12-26-2024, 09:26 PM

Having the same issue here. Any way I can diagnose this as a broken screen?

Scoob · 12-26-2024, 10:30 PM

It might be a dead battery. This post was about something similar.https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=365117

randomodbuild · 12-27-2024, 02:48 AM

It was indeed a dead battery. Not wanting to spend any money on this kindle (I already got it for free on facebook marketplace), I tried to disassemble the battery and charge the lipo without the bms (from the bare terminals using an RC charger). This seemed to fail, indicating a failed lipo.

So, I took a good cell I had on hand, which happened to be an LG MJ1 18650, and charged it up. Then, I soldered it to the bms battery terminals, and reinstalled the bms in the original plastic battery frame. This was then installed in the kindle.

I plugged in the kindle and had it charge via usb, and sure enough, after a few hours the green light turned on, and the kindle worked perfectly! The current setup is quite crude. The back does not fit on (the wires and the 18650 cell are hanging out!) but it does work. Now debating if I should buy a proper battery replacement since I have determined the rest of the device works, or if I should modify/build a new back cover and have it run off of this 18650 cell (which should offer about twice the original runtime).

Frogm4n · 12-27-2024, 10:39 AM

Modifying the case to house a large cylindrical cell is a lot of work just to skip buying a $15 battery.

09-30-2020, 07:52 AM	#1
marianov Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2020 Device: Kindle	unbrick a Kindle Keyboard w frozen screen, works as USB storage I've done everything I found on the web except attaching to the serial console to try to unbrick a 2011 Kindle Keyboard (wifi) which stopped working. The system seems to run ok, but the screen is fixed on a book's page and has been on that page for years now. I disconnected the battery, done the reset thing on the circuit board, done all the resets available with the power button, etc. Symptoms are: Computer can connect, save files, etc. Calibre recognizes it, can also modify it's contents. When charged the green light comes up. Disconnect it from charger and it goes off. Slide the power on and it goes green then turns off. No change on the screen, same book same page. Connect it back to the computer and I see all the contentc. I even saved one of the jailbreak files on it and it seems to have worked as now I have a "linkjail" folder. Is there anything else I can try? Is it possible that the screen is just broken even tough it looks fine? Any advise appreciated.

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10-07-2020, 06:55 PM	#2
SuperYee Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2020 Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (9th), Onyx Boox Poke 2 Color	Hmm. It maybe a hardware issue with the screen. Could you post a picture of the screen?

12-26-2024, 09:26 PM	#3
randomodbuild Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2024 Device: Kindle 4	Having the same issue here. Any way I can diagnose this as a broken screen?

12-26-2024, 10:30 PM	#4
Scoob Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 100 Join Date: Sep 2024 Location: USA Device: Voyage, K3, NST, Glow+ 2019, Glow 4, Sony Ereaders	It might be a dead battery. This post was about something similar.https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=365117

12-27-2024, 02:48 AM	#5
randomodbuild Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2024 Device: Kindle 4	It was indeed a dead battery. Not wanting to spend any money on this kindle (I already got it for free on facebook marketplace), I tried to disassemble the battery and charge the lipo without the bms (from the bare terminals using an RC charger). This seemed to fail, indicating a failed lipo. So, I took a good cell I had on hand, which happened to be an LG MJ1 18650, and charged it up. Then, I soldered it to the bms battery terminals, and reinstalled the bms in the original plastic battery frame. This was then installed in the kindle. I plugged in the kindle and had it charge via usb, and sure enough, after a few hours the green light turned on, and the kindle worked perfectly! The current setup is quite crude. The back does not fit on (the wires and the 18650 cell are hanging out!) but it does work. Now debating if I should buy a proper battery replacement since I have determined the rest of the device works, or if I should modify/build a new back cover and have it run off of this 18650 cell (which should offer about twice the original runtime).

12-27-2024, 10:39 AM	#6
Frogm4n Evangelist Posts: 448 Karma: 3456809 Join Date: Jul 2023 Device: Scribe 2022, OA2, PRS-350	Modifying the case to house a large cylindrical cell is a lot of work just to skip buying a $15 battery.

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