Kindle Paperwhite 2 can't enter USB Drive mode until reboot

[Outrager]

Update #3: I think I might have isolated the cause. I uninstalled VMWare Workstation (which installed some virtual USB drivers and stuff so they your USB devices would work across Windows and your VMs) and so far that seems to have fixed the problem.
I'll have to see if updating to the latest version still causes the Kindle problems, but I don't need VMWare much these days so I'll try that at a later date.

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Update #2: So the weird USB Drive Mode problem is still happening. I don't have the FitBit Zip's USB syncing dongle plugged in today either so I guess it's not that.

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Update #1: So it seems the USB dongle that I use for my FitBit Zip to sync with my PC is conflicting with the Kindle somehow and causing the problem below.
This is the second time this dumb dongle has caused a problem with a USB device.

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I was wondering if anyone else had this problem.

I plug my PW2 into my Windows 7 PC and it goes into USB Drive Mode.
I eject it so that it can continue indexing my eBooks.

Now if I unplug the USB cable and plug it back in it will either go to the USB Drive Mode (where it shows a picture of the MicroUSB cable and says to eject it) for 1 second then goes to my homepage OR it just stays on the homepage and starts charging.

If I want it to get back into USB Drive Mode I need to either reboot the PW2 or my PC.

Has this happened to anyone else? Did you guys ever find a solution to this? This is the 2nd PW2 I've tried that had this happen.

Also, is it normal behavior to NOT sleep the PW2 when you're charging it? Even after 10+ minutes it doesn't go into sleep mode and the light stays on. I'm charging it using my PC.

[el.jeffe58]

Not sure about part II to your question, but I was having a similar problem as you describe in part I and called Kindle support. They acted as though either my drivers in my relatively new MacBook Air needed updating, or it is a cable issue, or punt. I returned it to Best Buy and got a new one that I have not yet tested. I plug it in, it goes into USB mode with the pic of the drive mode, cable and cable end on the cover. If I eject and then pull the cord out, then re-plug it in, the PW2 seems to not want to go back into a recognized drive mode again. Kindle support will get enough calls on this and update something. When we plug in we need the PW2 to go into a drive mode not just charge mode, if I have my nomenclature correct. Glad you posted.

[Outrager]

Originally Posted by el.jeffe58

Not sure about part II to your question, but I was having a similar problem as you describe in part I and called Kindle support. They acted as though either my drivers in my relatively new MacBook Air needed updating, or it is a cable issue, or punt. I returned it to Best Buy and got a new one that I have not yet tested. I plug it in, it goes into USB mode with the pic of the drive mode, cable and cable end on the cover. If I eject and then pull the cord out, then re-plug it in, the PW2 seems to not want to go back into a recognized drive mode again. Kindle support will get enough calls on this and update something. When we plug in we need the PW2 to go into a drive mode not just charge mode, if I have my nomenclature correct. Glad you posted.

I spoke to Kindle customer support today and he said he gave the case to the Kindle developers to look at and they will call me directly in a few days.

The customer support rep also said he put a reminder on his system to check on it every day until they do which was really nice.

Unfortunately I won't know if it's the Kindle or my computer because they aren't yet going to send me a replacement. So I guess now I'll have to wait for the Kindle devs to give me a call.

The weird thing is my Kindle Keyboard never had this problem, but I recently sold it to get the PW2 so I don't have it anymore to try it again.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by Outrager

Update #2: So the weird USB Drive Mode problem is still happening. I don't have the FitBit Zip's USB syncing dongle plugged in today either so I guess it's not that.

---

Update #1: So it seems the USB dongle that I use for my FitBit Zip to sync with my PC is conflicting with the Kindle somehow and causing the problem below.
This is the second time this dumb dongle has caused a problem with a USB device.

---

I was wondering if anyone else had this problem.

I plug my PW2 into my Windows 7 PC and it goes into USB Drive Mode.
I eject it so that it can continue indexing my eBooks.

Now if I unplug the USB cable and plug it back in it will either go to the USB Drive Mode (where it shows a picture of the MicroUSB cable and says to eject it) for 1 second then goes to my homepage OR it just stays on the homepage and starts charging.

If I want it to get back into USB Drive Mode I need to either reboot the PW2 or my PC.

Has this happened to anyone else? Did you guys ever find a solution to this? This is the 2nd PW2 I've tried that had this happen.

Also, is it normal behavior to NOT sleep the PW2 when you're charging it? Even after 10+ minutes it doesn't go into sleep mode and the light stays on. I'm charging it using my PC.

I stopped using FitBit for the exact same reason, it was conflicting with ANY Hardrive or USB Stick I had plugged in the other USB Slot just next to it. When one of my Stick (64GB), with important data on it, got ruined, I pulled the Fitbit out for good and have had no problems ever since with any of my 3 USB Slots.

[HarryT]

1. Try a different MicroUSB cable.
2. Try plugging it in to a different USB port on your PC.

[Outrager]

Originally Posted by aceflor

I stopped using FitBit for the exact same reason, it was conflicting with ANY Hardrive or USB Stick I had plugged in the other USB Slot just next to it. When one of my Stick (64GB), with important data on it, got ruined, I pulled the Fitbit out for good and have had no problems ever since with any of my 3 USB Slots.

I found a combination where the FitBit adapter doesn't conflict with anything anymore. I also tried starting my computer without it plugged in and the Kindle still has this problem.

Originally Posted by HarryT

1. Try a different MicroUSB cable.
2. Try plugging it in to a different USB port on your PC.

I tried 3 different cables and 4 different USB ports, but still have the problem.

[induna]

OK, here's what I see happening. If I connect my PW2 to my MAC when the PW2 is awake, it will go into USB drive mode the first time, but my MAC will not mount the drive on subsequent connections as long as the PW2 is awake. However, if I connect the PW2 to the MAC when the Kindle is asleep, it will go into USB drive mode every time and the MAC will mount it.

Can anyone else reproduce this?

[shalym]

I have a fitbit adapter plugged into my PC, and I'm not having this problem. My Paperwhite always goes into USB drive mode, and if I eject it through the software but leave it plugged into the USB port, it will go to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity.

I would echo Harry's suggestion of trying a different cable, or a different port, or both.

Shari

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by shalym

I have a fitbit adapter plugged into my PC, and I'm not having this problem. My Paperwhite always goes into USB drive mode, and if I eject it through the software but leave it plugged into the USB port, it will go to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Having received my PW2 today I can confirm that mine is behaving the same as this.

[jersysman]

Could it be just the difference between a MAC and a PC? It seems the ones that have the problems have MACs and the other is a PC. Not sure what Harry has.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Could it be just the difference between a MAC and a PC? It seems the ones that have the problems have MACs and the other is a PC. Not sure what Harry has.

I have a PC.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Could it be just the difference between a MAC and a PC? It seems the ones that have the problems have MACs and the other is a PC. Not sure what Harry has.

The OP says they connected their PW2 to a Win 7 PC so...

I'm on Win 8 and and have no problems with the PW2 always going back to USB drive mode when I connect the cable and it also goes to sleep as per usual when charging.

Edit: it could well be though that there's also something affecting those with MACs.

[Outrager]

I think I ruled out the FitBit adapter.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Having received my PW2 today I can confirm that mine is behaving the same as this.

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode and seeing if it's the same behavior? I tried it once and it didn't have the problem in Safe Mode, but it could have been a one time thing. I'll have to try it again another time to make sure. Even if that's the case I tried booting normally into Windows 7 and using task manager to end process pretty much everything, but that didn't help. I really hope it's not something that would require a fresh install of Windows to fix because I won't go through that right now.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Outrager

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode and seeing if it's the same behavior? I tried it once and it didn't have the problem in Safe Mode, but it could have been a one time thing. I'll have to try it again another time to make sure. Even if that's the case I tried booting normally into Windows 7 and using task manager to end process pretty much everything, but that didn't help. I really hope it's not something that would require a fresh install of Windows to fix because I won't go through that right now.

Sorry, you misunderstand me. I meant that mine has the same behaviour as the person who said that their PW2 is behaving correctly, not the same as you're experiencing. Sorry for the confusion.

[Outrager]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, you misunderstand me. I meant that mine has the same behaviour as the person who said that their PW2 is behaving correctly, not the same as you're experiencing. Sorry for the confusion.

Oh okay.