Troubleshooting Enter key broken - possible to "replace" functionality using other key

[Hanthehun]

My Kindle 3 fell in the water while I was in the bathtub. After that it (obviously) began developing some bugs when displaying stuff and would occasionally not respond to key presses.

After subjecting it to a treatment of intensive blow-drying for the last few days, it's almost back to a perfect working condition. There's just one little problem: the "Enter" key (the one in the middle of the 5-way - NOT the one with the return symbol on it) isn't working anymore. So I can't execute some of the most vital commands (like opening a book).

Since all other keys are working, I was wondering if there was some way to reprogramm the keys, to set another key (for example "A") as "Enter"? Of course I'm open to any and all alternative creative solutions you might have ...

[CRussel]

Contact Kindle Support. Seriously. There are innumerable reports here from folks who have had very positive experiences with them and have found that they go above and beyond to solve the problem.

[Hanthehun]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Contact Kindle Support. Seriously. There are innumerable reports here from folks who have had very positive experiences with them and have found that they go above and beyond to solve the problem.

Yes, thank you for this suggestion. Was actually the first thing I did - I can say that they were extremely helpful and a new Kindle is on the way.

Still, I'd like to salvage the old one if I could ...

[Hanthehun]

1. Jailbreak ur Kindle ( http://yifan.lu/p/kindle-jailbreak )
2. Install Launchpad ( https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97636 )
3. Edit "launchpad.ini" in newly created directory "launchpad" on kindle like so:

To send a "Five-way press" keystroke (which was what I required) I added a line that reads:

Z = #'k3_FW_Press'

(this is for Kindle 3, for other versions and other keystrokes look in "keydefs.ini.default" in the same directory)

4. Restart ur kindle
5. Hail the creators/coders of the Jailbreak and the Launchpad proggies!

Now everytime I press Shift followed by z, my kindle believes I pressed the Enter button!

[Squidgy1066]

Hi

I have exactly the same problem (even down to dropping it in the bath) and I am overjoyed that there is a solution to the enter button not working.

My only question is how did you manage to install launchpad without the enter key working?

My Kindle was jailbroken before the accident, and I have copied over the launchpad install file, but I cannot for the life of me work out how to install it as I cannot press enter to get from settings to install update.

Please put me out of my misery and tell me the blindingly obvious thing I am missing.

Thanks in advance.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by Hanthehun

Yes, thank you for this suggestion. Was actually the first thing I did - I can say that they were extremely helpful and a new Kindle is on the way.

Still, I'd like to salvage the old one if I could ...

But, if they are sending you a new one, they will presumably want you to return the old one?

At least, that's what happened with me.

Mike

[Hanthehun]

Originally Posted by Mike L

But, if they are sending you a new one, they will presumably want you to return the old one?

At least, that's what happened with me.

Mike

My Kindle was bought from Amazon.com (not Amazon.de) but sent as a present to Germany where I live. Apparently, there's some kind of no international posting policy - thus I didn't have to return it ... I had offered to return it, so they could see I wasn't BSing about the symptons and the state it was in, but they declined.

[Hanthehun]

Originally Posted by Squidgy1066

Hi

I have exactly the same problem (even down to dropping it in the bath) and I am overjoyed that there is a solution to the enter button not working.

My only question is how did you manage to install launchpad without the enter key working?

My Kindle was jailbroken before the accident, and I have copied over the launchpad install file, but I cannot for the life of me work out how to install it as I cannot press enter to get from settings to install update.

Please put me out of my misery and tell me the blindingly obvious thing I am missing.

Thanks in advance.

With my Kindle, I could still get the key to work intermittently by massaging (don't be gentle - rather give it all you got) the button. Don't just press the middle of it, but go round in circles along the outer edge ... I know this sounds kinky but it got the job done on mine. For each press I had to fiddle around for about 30-40 seconds - so don't be discouraged if it doesn't work right away.

I've forgotten what the exact steps to launching launchpad were. But if the above doesn't work on yours, I'm sure you can launch launchpad =) by editing something in init.d or creating a cronjob. Just try pressing really hard and if it doesn't get the job done, post again and I'll try to sort you out ...

[thomass]

There is a way to switch functions of two buttons with a custom kernel hack: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...stom+kernel%5D

unfortunately a new hack file is necessary for each combination.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by Hanthehun

My Kindle was bought from Amazon.com (not Amazon.de) but sent as a present to Germany where I live. Apparently, there's some kind of no international posting policy - thus I didn't have to return it ...

That's interesting.

I bought my original Kindle in the US, but when I needed to replace it, I contacted Amazon in the UK. They could see that it was registered to my account at Amazon.com, but they didn't raise that as an issue.

They sent me a new one, and asked me to send the old one back (to Amazon.co.uk), but they didn't seem too anxious about it. It was only after I pressed them that they said it would be a good idea if I included a note of my account details in the package so that they would know it was from me.

Looks like we've both had good service from them.

Mike

[Squidgy1066]

@HuntheHun

Thank you so much for your offer of help, I have spent the last two evenings trying every possible pressure, motion and duration that I could think of. I can say with confidence that the key is dead, so frustrating that it is the only key not working, I could live with a dead 'Q' or 'Z'. I believe it is known as sods law.
Any other ideas / advice you can give are most gratefully recieved.

@Thomass

Thank you also, having read the link most of it is going over my head on how to apply this to my situation. But I am happy to learn, so if you have any links to good tutorials I will start my lessons.

[thomass]

Originally Posted by Squidgy1066

if you have any links to good tutorials I will start my lessons.

How about this one: Request a package from seaniko7. He may prepare for you, too.