Libra 2 freezing even after SD replacement and reimage

[ReadingTheLight]

Hi everyone,

First, sorry if this sounds structured. English is not my main language, so I tried to keep it clear.

I’m posting an update to explain what I did and to ask for guidance, because at this point I’m honestly a bit lost.

Background

My Kobo Libra 2 is a little over two years old.
It started showing instability that many users describe:

- freezing while reading
- random reboots
- eventual boot-loop behavior

Factory resets and clean setups did not solve it, so I began researching the internal microSD failure discussed here, on Reddit, and in technical blogs.

What I did (step by step)

1. I opened the device and removed the original internal microSD.
It looked corrupted. My Mac could not read it properly, so I had to use a Windows PC just to create an image.

2. I created an image of the original card following the usual guides.
Some posts mention using isopropyl alcohol to soften the waterproof coating and avoid damaging an SD reader.
In my case, alcohol didn’t really change anything — removal was mostly mechanical using a pin.

3. I bought a new Samsung microSD, restored my original image to it, and expanded the Kobo partition from 32 GB to 64 GB.

4. Because I worried my own image might already be corrupted, I repeated everything using clean motherboard-matching images (37NB-E70K1M+6E0) kindly shared by DNSB and Waldy.
Thank you both again for helping the community.

5. I flashed the clean image, inserted the card with the battery drained, and powered on.

What happened next

The device suddenly behaved like new.
Normal boot, no freezing.
This also happened the very first time I tried the process with my own image.

But after only a few minutes of normal use,
the freezing returned exactly like before.

Where I’m confused

I don’t really know how to interpret this.

- The original SD seemed corrupted.
- The SD was replaced with a brand-new one.
- Clean images were tested.
- The device improves briefly… then returns to freezing.

I’m not sure what that pattern usually means.

Questions for anyone with more experience

- After replacing and re-imaging the SD, is there anything else I should normally check?
- If freezing comes back quickly even with a new SD, what components would you suspect next?
- Would trying additional images realistically change anything?
- Are there simple diagnostics that could confirm whether this is storage, RAM, or motherboard related?

I really appreciate all the time, images, and patience people here have already shared.
This is my first attempt at something like this, so I may be missing something obvious.

Any guidance would be very welcome.

Thank you all.

[Waldy]

Try using the device for a while with the charger connected.
If the problem goes away, the battery is most likely the culprit.
(Avoid using fast / smart chargers. 5 volt 1 - 2 amp chargers are best.)

[ReadingTheLight]

Quick update after trying what you suggested.

I used the device for a while with the charger connected. I was able to read a few pages, but it still restarted on its own. After reboot, I can usually see the menu and my books. Sometimes it responds and lets me open a book, other times it freezes there and restarts again.

I am also still seeing the weird behavior when connected to the PC. After a few minutes it disconnects from the computer even though the screen still shows the connected screen. Shortly after that it either freezes or I have to force restart it.

Battery life itself seems normal and lasts a long time, which is why I am confused. The device can download and store books fine. The only real issue is the random restarts and occasional freezes, and when it crashes it rolls back to the previous saved page instead of the last page I read.

So using it while plugged in did not really change the behavior. Not sure where that leaves me, but figured I would report back.

[Waldy]

Does this happen with all books or just one in particular?
I'd also try a different mSD card just in case. The chances are slim, but still.
Otherwise, you'll need to find a device with a broken screen and replace the motherboard. Again, be prepared for the possibility that the donor device might have a faulty motherboard.

[Apollyon202]

First, I would remove all the books, then put them back one by one to check if a corrupted book file is causing the problem.