Bricked Kindle PW2 only shown as SE Blank MEGREZ

[maxxh11]

Hello everybody,

I'm new here and I hope I'm not breaking any rule - I'm very sorry if thats the case! My Kindle PW2 (Serial Nr 9017) froze on the Screensaver 2 weeks ago and I haven't been able to revive it since then. I have read a lot in this forum but I'm a little overwhelmed by the huge amount of information. I would be really thankful if someone could point me in the right direction on how to proceed with unbricking or if its even possible...

Current status

• Frozen at Screensaver
• 40s Long press results in flashing Power LED after a few seconds but nothing else.
• Reports to Mac via USB as SE Blank MEGREZ
• No Disk can be mounted using Mac
• When charging: only yellow LED. Never green

Actions taken

• I let it charge for several Days -> nothing happened
• Use different Charger+Cable Combinations
• I ordered a USB Serial Converter that will hopefully arrive soon.
• I tried to read as much as possible in this forum

How should I proceed from here? Is there anything else left that I can try before soldering in the serial connection? And what instructions are the most up to date to follow for debricking via serial?

Thank you so much! Any help is appreciated..

[knc1]

Did you try the sticky thread with: "Where do I start?" in its title?
Have you tried a new battery?

Hint:
All of the firmware series 5.x devices use the same directions, only the filenames differ (in obvious ways).

# 13 2 31 and you would not believe how tired of this I am getting.

[theol0403]

I had the same problem after messing with the ro partition of the kindle. I had to do a serial debrick. I mostly used the serial jailbreaking instructions, and once I had userstore access I just dropped an update file, rebooted, and it fixed.
Here is a summary:

1. Remove Battery
2. Conect serial wires
3. Connect Battery
4. spam enter button in serial terminal to activate serial debug
5. type in bootm 0xE41000 to launch diags
6. if you have the rescue pack you already have ssh
7. I didnt so I mounted the userstore, made a backup and dropped an update file
8. I rebooted and it updated
9. then I was stuck in diags and I couldn't exit and didn't have ssh so I copied geekmasters data.tar.gz https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=169645
10. and his sample runme to the userstore
11. after 2 reboots to se if the runme worked(one to install the data and one to run the runme), I removed the runme.done and replaced the contents of the runme with "idme -d --bootmode main; reboot"
12. then It rebooted and was unbricked =)

Hope this helps

[knc1]

@maxxh11: The above post is the "Cliff's Notes" version, but should do just fine.
(Note: You can substitute the selections on the diags menu for some of those steps. And some firmware versions will give you the diags menu both on-screen and over the serial port.)

More info. in the sticky thread: "Jailbreak Index" - look for the serial port debricking posts for details.

Anything written in the last five years should do the job (of course, you have to use files for your specific device).

[maxxh11]

thank you both for your quick replies!
Yes i tried following the sticky thread - but couldn't figure out if my case is now a "only serial unbricking" case or if there would be still a chance to do it simply over the usb connector. I guess i will get the soldering iron as soon as my usb serial converter arrives ;-)

[theol0403]

Did you actually jailbreak your kindle? And if you did did you install the rescue pack?
I dont think the data.tar.gz will work without the jailbreak, something about the userstore being mounted as NO_EXEC. If you didnt install it there is something you could try.

Also, if you had the rescue pack, there may be a period of time where the usb will show up, which you can use a script to drop a ENABLE_DAIGS file.

Good luck

[knc1]

Originally Posted by maxxh11

thank you both for your quick replies!
Yes i tried following the sticky thread - but couldn't figure out if my case is now a "only serial unbricking" case or if there would be still a chance to do it simply over the usb connector. I guess i will get the soldering iron as soon as my usb serial converter arrives ;-)

If it is really, really bad . . .
Find and follow the one with 'Fastboot' in its title (advanced search will find it for you).
Which is about the only way you can use the USB cable if the system does not export user storage for you when you connect the USB cable.

Now if you had RP (Rescue Pack) installed....

Do not forget to check the battery before going to a lot of work.
Check it either with a voltmeter (4.2 volts, fully charged) or by substitution of a known good battery.

You might save yourself a lot of grief if you do that first.

Also, the serial de-bricking thread has links to posts about making the serial port connection without hot soldering.

[maxxh11]

I measured the battery today. Its at 3.99 Volts after a night at the USB Charger.
Is this to low?

Sadly I didn't jailbreak it, so no RP installed. Its a completely vanilla Kindle but it has been on Airplane Mode for the last 2 yrs.

I've got a Adjustable Power Supply - should I hook the kindle up with 4.2 V at the battery terminals and see if it responds ? (I guess this won't work because of the missing middle pin labeled 'THM'? Maybe the temperature sensor?)

[knc1]

No adjustable power supply - unless it is one that can accept a charge (not likely).

IIRC, a PW-2 requires that the battery pack ID itself correctly.

Get it a new battery and try that before proceeding with anything else.

[maxxh11]

Alright... new battery is on its way.

[maxxh11]

Just to give you an update.. I replaced the battery today and after a few hours of charging I tried to turn it on...and... nothing
Same behavior as before. I now wait for the serial converter to be delivered.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by maxxh11

Just to give you an update.. I replaced the battery today and after a few hours of charging I tried to turn it on...and... nothing
Same behavior as before. I now wait for the serial converter to be delivered.

Sorry that the easy fix did not work.
But it will not do any harm to have a new battery in it, the original was getting rather old.

Look for the links in the serial de-bricking thread to ways that do not require making soldered connections to those very tiny and delectate pin-pads.
Soldering to them takes a lot of skill.

[maxxh11]

I couldn't get it to work.. even with the usb2serial converter. I soldered some tiny wires to those serial pads but I don't get any data over the serial port. Maybe I will try to hook it up to an oscilloscope next week and see if there is anything, but for know I'm out of time (and luck).

[knc1]

Originally Posted by maxxh11

I couldn't get it to work.. even with the usb2serial converter. I soldered some tiny wires to those serial pads but I don't get any data over the serial port. Maybe I will try to hook it up to an oscilloscope next week and see if there is anything, but for know I'm out of time (and luck).

The common cause: Tx and Rx inter-changed, swap them, then you will see data.

[maxxh11]

Originally Posted by knc1

The common cause: Tx and Rx inter-changed, swap them, then you will see data.

Thanks for the suggestion but I did a lot of trouble shooting, swapping the TX and RX was one of the things i already tried.