Last try before declaring PW2 dead ?

[Cmcm8319]

Hi, I had a PW2 that wasn't starting, I tried something to rescue it but now it is not recognized in USB Drive mode.

Is there something I can do except buying a new one, which really pisses me off because it is only 1 year and a half old and that I am pretty sure it was a firmware/software problem ?

Thanks very much.

I quote a previous thread - it was just before I bricked the device.......

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

Hello, I found useful information on the forum but I still have a problem.
I currently own a Kindle Paperwhite, bought in December 2013 (PW2 ?).
The device is recognized in USB Drive Mode on my mac and when I eject it I see briefly the library page but then it freezes on a screen saver and cannot be restarted, unless I plug it in again and see the USB Drive Mode.
I spoke with Amazon they made me do a manual install of the last update (5.6.2.1), it seemed to work (I saw screens saying it was updating, and then it restarted, but it freezed again on a screen saver).
The Amazon support tells me I have to buy a new one which is really annoying as it seems to be a firmware/software problem.
Also, I tried several hard restarts (button pressed more than 40 seconds, it restarts and freezes after that every time) and I charged it to the maximum (the green light is working).
I also deleted all the books in documents and tried the manual install once again.

Is there something else I can try or is it really dead ?

Thank you very much for your help !

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

Hi, I had a PW2 that wasn't starting, I tried something to rescue it but now it is not recognized in USB Drive mode.
- - - -

What specifically did you try?
Since it changed the behavior of the device, it is an important bit of information.

[eschwartz]

According to the other thread, the "[userstore]/DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" file trick.

[Cmcm8319]

Yes, I tried this as a last resort : https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=223067

[knc1]

Sounds like it is time to hook-up to the serial port.
That is the operator's console, which will allow you to work directly with the OS.

[Cmcm8319]

Just to give more information about what is happening.
Before I tried the "trick" DO_FACTORY_RESTORE, The USB Drive mode was working, I could do manual installs (recommended by the Amazon customer service, but didn't fixed the freeze on the screen saver) and when I was ejecting the disk I sometimes saw for a brief second my kindle library and then it freezed again.

Kindle is charging (orange light and green light when fully charged).

After I tried the "trick", it is not recognized in USB Drive mode, light is green when plugged to computer or charger and when I try a hard reset by pressing the start button for a long time it flashes and I see the kindle screen with the tree and after it freezes on screensaver.

Thank you in advance for any advice... If nothing works I will probably buy a new Paperwhite but the problems I had with my device don't make me trust this Kindle system so much.... Is it happening often, to your knowledge ? Are such firmware/software problems preventable ?
I found that the Amazon tech team isn't really giving tools to fix things when they go wrong, and I don't like the fact that a pricey device is considered junk so fast when it is not starting. Thanks !

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

After I tried the "trick", it is not recognized in USB Drive mode, light is green when plugged to computer or charger and when I try a hard reset by pressing the start button for a long time it flashes and I see the kindle screen with the tree and after it freezes on screensaver.

If your Kindle internal storage is no longer automatically mounted, it couldn't hurt to check it with the OSX Disk Utility.
It should be listed as XX GB Kindle Internal Storage Media and have exactly one Volume (Kindle) formatted as MS-DOS (FAT32) with a /Volumes/Kindle mount point.
If it does, select First Aid > Repair Disk to fix potential partition errors.
If it doesn't have a FAT32 Kindle partition, you'll have to either manually create one or format it with a Windows/Linux machine.

(If the Kinde internal storage isn't displayed in OSX Disk Utility try connecting the Kindle with a different cable and/or different machine. If it's displayed but greyed out, you'll have to mount it by right-clicking it and selecting Mount from the menu.)

If you manage to access the Kindle internal storage on a different PC try copying the the latest update bin file from Amazon and restart/reset the computer. (Try this both with the Kindle connected to a PC/Mac and unplugged.)

BTW, did you by any chance install the jailbreak and/or custom screen savers before the update?

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

Just to give more information about what is happening.
Before I tried the "trick" DO_FACTORY_RESTORE, The USB Drive mode was working, I could do manual installs (recommended by the Amazon customer service, but didn't fixed the freeze on the screen saver) and when I was ejecting the disk I sometimes saw for a brief second my kindle library and then it freezed again.

Kindle is charging (orange light and green light when fully charged).

After I tried the "trick", it is not recognized in USB Drive mode, light is green when plugged to computer or charger and when I try a hard reset by pressing the start button for a long time it flashes and I see the kindle screen with the tree and after it freezes on screensaver.

Thank you in advance for any advice... If nothing works I will probably buy a new Paperwhite but the problems I had with my device don't make me trust this Kindle system so much.... Is it happening often, to your knowledge ? Are such firmware/software problems preventable ?
I found that the Amazon tech team isn't really giving tools to fix things when they go wrong, and I don't like the fact that a pricey device is considered junk so fast when it is not starting. Thanks !

Ah, what do you consider a "Freeze" ?
No changes noticed in 2 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 hours, or 2 days?

Try the 2 day version - there are some internal things that can take **DAYS** - keep it on a wall charger the entire time.

I.E: Re-building the formatting of a partition with a flash memory in very poor condition.

Also -
How many books?
When did you last put a book on the device?

This could just be the indexer getting lost on a bad book.

[Cmcm8319]

Thank you very much. I will try all you suggested and let you know !

I did a complete reset of the kindle not long ago so I had maybe 15 books when it started to freeze on a screensaver and not wanted to go on again. I didn't try to let it charge for 2 days, I will try that thanks. As for the time it freezes : I don't know, it is simply unresponsive unless I press the button for more than 20 seconds, but it cannot restart this way anyway.

Then I deleted the books from the documents folder when it was still working in USB Drive mode. Was it a bad idea ?
Also, is there a good chance that it will be mounting if I boot on Linux from my Mac, if it is not mounting with OS X ?

thanks !

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

Thank you very much. I will try all you suggested and let you know !

I did a complete reset of the kindle not long ago so I had maybe 15 books when it started to freeze on a screensaver and not wanted to go on again. I didn't try to let it charge for 2 days, I will try that thanks. As for the time it freezes : I don't know, it is simply unresponsive unless I press the button for more than 20 seconds, but it cannot restart this way anyway.

Then I deleted the books from the documents folder when it was still working in USB Drive mode. Was it a bad idea ?
Also, is there a good chance that it will be mounting if I boot on Linux from my Mac, if it is not mounting with OS X ?

thanks !

The point is not to let it charge for 2 days, it is to let it run for two days (which requires it to be on external power).
Battery run-time is only about 2 hours.
The advertised month or two is because the hardware is shut down nearly all of the time (in normal use).

Just because there is no change on the screen does not mean it is not running.
It could just be busy doing something that doesn't show on the screen, like correcting a bad flash memory.

Does your Mac have any USB-2 connectors?
Try those, rather than any of the USB-3 connectors.

Did you happen to use a different cord and/or Mac port between when you could see external storage and when you could not?
If so, check that cable to be sure it is not a "power only" USB cable.

Deleting book(s) when it is in USB storage mode should be safe.
The system has to be running fairly completely before it shows the USB storage (that is towards the last of things it does when starting up).

Did the books you deleted remain deleted when you looked at it after the next restart?

[Cmcm8319]

Hi knC1 and Doitsu thanks for helping and making me understand better how this thing works.
I didn't change cable between the time it was mounting and the time it wasn't anymore. But I can try with another cable if it can help.
I tried all the USB ports of my two Macs.
Now I tried restarting the kindle by pressing the button a long time, and I plugged in to external power. Still on screensaver after just the flashing screen and the kindle screen with the tree.

Unfortunately, I didn't jailbreak the kindle.

I don't know if the books I deleted in USB mode remain deleted as I wasn't able to see the library, because it froze on screensaver.

I understand what you mean when you say it could be running and I only see the screen saver, it was the impression I had when I could have a glimpse of the library and then bam screen saver again. I tried to very quickly press on a book to see if something else was happening but it didn't work.
(that was before, now I see nothing except the screen saver anyway).

[Cmcm8319]

Hi, I finally manage to try to plug the Kindle PW2 to a Microsoft system (I was busy having a baby ;-)).
It is recognized as Kindle Internal Storage USB Device but when I try to open it it says that there is no disk in the Drive (it appears in "Devices with Removable Storage). So I cannot format it or restore a version of the software.
Any idea what to do now ??

Many thanks !

[knc1]

Did you leave it on a charger the entire time this past week, so that it had a chance to do any of the possibly days long recovery steps?

It seems to be making progress - it evidently is re-formatting the USB user store and the flash storage has a lot of errors for it to work around.
So take it off the PC (which will prevent it from continuing), put it back on the wall charger, keep waiting (days).

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Cmcm8319

Any idea what to do now ??

The "Please insert a disk into drive" Windows error message can have many different causes. If it's being displayed for a regular USB stick, it often means that the USB stick is irreparably broken.

Try connecting the Kindle to your Mac and run the Disk Utility app. (You can select it manually or simply enter Disk Utility in the Finder and search for it.)

Is the Kindle listed as Kindle Internal Storage Media with a MS-DOS formatted Kindle volume?

[Cmcm8319]

It worked thanks !!!! I mean just plugging it to the wall charger and waiting a few days.
The PW2 restarted - factory settings.

Thanks again !!