Resetting kindle does nothing

[Edding]

Hello,

I have a Kindle (7th Generation) in version 5.12.1.

I have tried to reset it but it does nothing, it comes back with all my passwords, books, etc. I've tried with the "Reset" option from settings and also holding the button for 40 seconds. Nothing works, all info comes back intact.

I have tried to manually update it by copying the update_kindle_5.12.2.bin file in the root folder, but the "Update Your Kindle" option is greyed out.

I don't know what else to do to come back to it's factory state.

Just for the sake of information, in the root folder I see the following files, maybe they're the cause of my problem. Could calibre be breaking my kindle?

<DIR> documents
<DIR> .active_content_sandbox
<DIR> fonts
update.bin.tmp.partial
driveinfo.calibre
metadata.calibre

Thanks for the help.

[pdurrant]

You need to find the Reset to Factory Defaults option. That will erase all your documents and settings.

From the Amazon web site:
1. From Home, select Menu, and then select Settings.
2. Select the Menu again, and then select Reset to Factory Defaults.

[Edding]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

You need to find the Reset to Factory Defaults option. That will erase all your documents and settings.

From the Amazon web site:
1. From Home, select Menu, and then select Settings.
2. Select the Menu again, and then select Reset to Factory Defaults.

As I said in my post I have already done that, many times, and also holding the button for 40s. It does restart with both solutions, but nothing is erased.

[jhowell]

Kindle content reverting to a previous state is often a sign of a hardware failure of the flash memory.

[Barbara1955]

[really bad idea deleted, just in case]

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by Edding

<DIR> documents
<DIR> .active_content_sandbox
<DIR> fonts
update.bin.tmp.partial
driveinfo.calibre
metadata.calibre

AFAIK, Kindles won't update if an update.bin.tmp.partial file is present. (Some Kindle users actually keep an update.bin.tmp.partial file in the root folder to prevent firmware updates.)
Delete update.bin.tmp.partial before copying update_kindle_5.12.2.bin to the root folder. If the firmware update option is still greyed out, you've most likely downloaded the wrong .bin file.

If the update fails again and the regular reset method still doesn't work, you could also try the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE method. (Make sure to delete all files in the root folder, before you try this method.)

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by Barbara1955

[snip]

Don't, under any circumstances, do this.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

AFAIK, Kindles won't update if an update.bin.tmp.partial file is present. (Some Kindle users actually keep an update.bin.tmp.partial file in the root folder to prevent firmware updates.)
Delete update.bin.tmp.partial before copying update_kindle_5.12.2.bin to the root folder. If the firmware update option is still greyed out, you've most likely downloaded the wrong .bin file.

If the update fails again and the regular reset method still doesn't work, you could also try the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE method. (Make sure to delete all files in the root folder, before you try this method.)

Before firmware versions 5.11.x a directory (folder) named update.bin.tmp.partial would block OTA updates, but did nothing to prevent manual updates. An ordinary file named update.bin.tmp.partial never affected OTA updates, it is probably part amazon's method to resume interrupted OTA downloads.

Beginning with some 5.11.x or 5.12.x, depending on device model, the update.bin.tmp.partial directory no longer blocks OTA updates.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by Barbara1955

snip

Do NOT do this!

[BookCat]

Seems to me that the OP was mistaking the procedure for a soft reset for that of a factory reset. He/She may not realise that soft resets don't delete documents. The OP just needs to do a standard factory reset. (I've never done one and have no idea how it's done.)

Maybe follow the directions in pdurrant's post #2.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Edding

As I said in my post I have already done that, many times, and also holding the button for 40s. It does restart with both solutions, but nothing is erased.

Just to be absolutely sure, you're done the Factory Reset procedure?

(Note that holding the button for 40 seconds just does a reset, not a factory reset.)

In that case, I'd suspect a hardware failure.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

If the update fails again and the regular reset method still doesn't work, you could also try the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE method. (Make sure to delete all files in the root folder, before you try this method.)

I'll second this suggestion. Doitsu knows what they're talking about.

[binaryhermit]

I think that Amazon uploads wifi passwords to the cloud, and obviously books bought from amazon and documents sent to the cloud are there too.
I'm wondering if you're just seeing what Amazon's restoring when you log back into your kindle.

[stumped]

all this fuss
if its needs to be wiped then do factory reset from menus, also deregister it on your amaon web page.
then to prove it is wiped, connect it via USB to PC ( do not re-register it or log in) and confirm with file explorer that there are no books or docs on the drive.

if that fails, try a hammer

ps from memory , de-registering it at amazon in order to sell it does not remove side loaded books, i.e. its possible to sell a kindle with some books on it.

but factory reset does remove ALL local content, leaves it looking like it did when it left the factory - hence the name

reading his, and the previosu posts, does suggest that flash memory has failed and is not delete-able. so accept that and move on, or take a hammer to it
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/cus...deId=201734230
the option for newer models is now called reset ( not reset to factory)

[Barbara1955]

I done that SEVERAL times on my Kindles & Kobos IT Works! Like taking back to Factory. Only ebooks get removed.