Amazon Kindle

tashii · 07-23-2025, 06:50 PM

Is there a way to fix a kindle that is stuck on it's locked screen? reinstall OS?

Frogm4n · 07-24-2025, 10:23 AM

The screen stays showing what it was last showing without power. There's a chance the battery is dead or failed and it's just not powering on.

aha · 07-29-2025, 10:17 AM

Did you try pressing the power button for long enough that it powers down completely? It used to be something like 10 seconds, check for your model.

Edit: strike the "powers down completely". Replace with "reboots". May peace reign upon the world.

j.p.s · 07-29-2025, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aha

Did you try pressing the power button for long enough that it powers down completely? It used to be something like 10 seconds, check for your model.

It has never been possible to power kindles down completely with the power button.

Quoth · 07-29-2025, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aha

Did you try pressing the power button for long enough that it powers down completely? It used to be something like 10 seconds, check for your model.

It only blanks the screen. It doesn't actually power off.

Leave it charging for at least a day. If it doesn't reboot with the long power button presses (do it 3 x) then it likely needs a new battery.

aha · 08-01-2025, 10:53 AM

Nope, that's incorrect

Well, more or less. I just double-checked now on a K3 and a DX.

Holding down the power slider until the screen goes blank does indeed just put it to sleep, not turn it off.

But holding it longer makes it <strike>power down completely</strike> go into an unresponsive state and then, after a few seconds, reboot (complete with tree and index loading). I'm not sure what minimum amount of time you need to hold it down for, but I counted to 20.

Just thought to check the DX user manual, and it says (p. 23) "If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use, try resetting the device by disconnecting your Kindle from any power source or USB port, and then sliding and holding the power switch for 15 seconds before releasing." (I assume they were distinguishing between "reset" and "factory reset".)

Not sure about all other models, but the user guide for the Colorsoft says "If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use and you need to restart it, press and hold the Power button for 9 seconds until the Power dialog box displays and then tap Restart. If the Power dialog box does not display, press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds or until the LED light stops blinking."

ETA link to user guide

Quoth · 08-01-2025, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aha

But holding it longer makes it power down completely and then, after a few seconds, reboot (complete with tree and index loading). I'm not sure what minimum amount of time you need to hold it down for, but I counted to 20.

That's moot, because even if it really powered down completely (which it may not be), it's rebooting.

It does power off when the battery (cell) gets too low a voltage, but that's not useful except to stop damage to the cell.

aha · 08-01-2025, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

That's moot, because even if it really powered down completely (which it may not be), it's rebooting.

It does power off when the battery (cell) gets too low a voltage, but that's not useful except to stop damage to the cell.

I'm not sure what you mean. The thread was about what to do when your kindle is unresponsive. This is one thing to attempt.

I suggested doing this; was told that holding down the power button only turned off the screen; that's not true; hopefully it's helpful in this particular situation. Rebooting is a quick and basic troubleshooting step.

j.p.s · 08-01-2025, 11:41 AM

You've provided no evidence that it powers off rather than reboot without power off.

aha · 08-01-2025, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

You've provided no evidence that it powers off rather than reboot without power off.

Sure, okay. I am happy to grant that the state of unresponsiveness it maintains after seeming to power down and before before it enters the reboot process is not fully identical to a state of complete power off, as with any computer reboot versus powerdown.

Can we both grant that maybe it is nonetheless a valid troubleshooting step? Possibly more helpful than what any of the other comments in this thread have offered?

(I'm as big a fan of pedantry as anyone, but it has its place, you know? To hopefully reduce the gravity of the crime of idiomatic rather than technical phrasing, I've added a note to the offending comments.)

j.p.s · 08-01-2025, 06:10 PM

The unhelpful myth that it is possible to power down a kindle without jailbreak keeps popping up. It is particularly harmful for the use case of sticking a kindle in a drawer for a few weeks or months without the battery draining completely. (However modern kindles can hibernate, which is effective a power down with state saved.)

I think kindles are unresponsive during "Restart" (shutdown followed by boot). Both shutdown and boot are very slow. Not all computers power off all electronics after a shutdown, hence the terms "warm boot" and "cold boot".

07-23-2025, 06:50 PM	#1
tashii Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2025 Device: Kindle	Amazon Kindle Is there a way to fix a kindle that is stuck on it's locked screen? reinstall OS?

07-29-2025, 10:17 AM	#3
aha Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 1116 Join Date: Feb 2025 Device: k3, dxg	Did you try pressing the power button for long enough that it powers down completely? It used to be something like 10 seconds, check for your model. Edit: strike the "powers down completely". Replace with "reboots". May peace reign upon the world. Last edited by aha; 08-01-2025 at 12:32 PM.

08-01-2025, 10:53 AM	#6
aha Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 1116 Join Date: Feb 2025 Device: k3, dxg	Nope, that's incorrect Well, more or less. I just double-checked now on a K3 and a DX. Holding down the power slider until the screen goes blank does indeed just put it to sleep, not turn it off. But holding it longer makes it <strike>power down completely</strike> go into an unresponsive state and then, after a few seconds, reboot (complete with tree and index loading). I'm not sure what minimum amount of time you need to hold it down for, but I counted to 20. Just thought to check the DX user manual, and it says (p. 23) "If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use, try resetting the device by disconnecting your Kindle from any power source or USB port, and then sliding and holding the power switch for 15 seconds before releasing." (I assume they were distinguishing between "reset" and "factory reset".) Not sure about all other models, but the user guide for the Colorsoft says "If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use and you need to restart it, press and hold the Power button for 9 seconds until the Power dialog box displays and then tap Restart. If the Power dialog box does not display, press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds or until the LED light stops blinking." ETA link to user guide Last edited by aha; 08-01-2025 at 12:42 PM.

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07-24-2025, 10:23 AM	#2
Frogm4n Evangelist Posts: 462 Karma: 3579113 Join Date: Jul 2023 Device: Scribe 2022, OA2, PRS-350	The screen stays showing what it was last showing without power. There's a chance the battery is dead or failed and it's just not powering on.

08-01-2025, 11:41 AM	#9
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,798 Karma: 103362673 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	You've provided no evidence that it powers off rather than reboot without power off.

08-01-2025, 06:10 PM	#11
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,798 Karma: 103362673 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	The unhelpful myth that it is possible to power down a kindle without jailbreak keeps popping up. It is particularly harmful for the use case of sticking a kindle in a drawer for a few weeks or months without the battery draining completely. (However modern kindles can hibernate, which is effective a power down with state saved.) I think kindles are unresponsive during "Restart" (shutdown followed by boot). Both shutdown and boot are very slow. Not all computers power off all electronics after a shutdown, hence the terms "warm boot" and "cold boot".