Paperwhite 5th generation firmware stuck

[imaddicted2u]

I found a thread on this forum which seemed non-destructive to try.
It entails creating and dropping an empty file named DO_FACTORY_RESTORE in the root of the paperwhite through the USB port. Then safely eject the device from the PC and then restart by holding the power button.
I tried this and it did go through a long process, restarted a few times, but the firmware version is still at 5.4.4.2. I thought the factory restore would reset the firmware back to whatever the factory original firmware was. Does anyone have any experience with this? Should the firmware have reverted to factory original or is it just the same as a reset done from the menu?
I noticed that just before the registration screen pops up the device shows "connecting to Amazon" but when credentials are entered (even the wrong ones) it responds with "Unable to Connect". After the factory restore it was stuck on the "Register your Kindle" page but a power button restart brought up the normal home screen and if I try to register is still fails but there are buttons to back out of it so books can still be loaded by USB
Next, in case it was an account problem, I tried registering by creating a new account on the Kindle. I went through all the steps but instead of registering, the device reverted back to the "register your kindle" page...however...the account was actually created on Amazon so the device is connecting to Amazon. Trying to register with the new account credentials gave the same result as the original account.
I also tried the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE while plugged in with the same result.
Also tried putting the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE file in the root and disconnecting/reconnecting the battery hoping there would be a difference but there was not.
Does anyone have any more options that I might have missed? I think I've exhausted all the possibilities short of connecting by serial to try and determine why the firmware isn't changing. Which I'll try to figure out next.

[stumped]

sometimes the sheer persistence/obstinacy devoted to these archeological wonders amazes me.
if your time is only worth $1 per hour you've still probably invested 3 x what its actually worth, already.

It's an ancient device, get over it, give it a decent burial.

Then buy something modern. your eyes will thank you. Readers have improved A LOT since 2012

but to play the game anyway... if it keeps trying to update, even when it is offline, then there is an executable updater program somewhere on the device, set to run at start. find it, delete it. Allow it to live happily ever after at 5.4.4.2.
Job done.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by imaddicted2u

I found a thread on this forum which seemed non-destructive to try.
It entails creating and dropping an empty file named DO_FACTORY_RESTORE in the root of the paperwhite through the USB port. Then safely eject the device from the PC and then restart by holding the power button.
I tried this and it did go through a long process, restarted a few times, but the firmware version is still at 5.4.4.2. I thought the factory restore would reset the firmware back to whatever the factory original firmware was. Does anyone have any experience with this? Should the firmware have reverted to factory original or is it just the same as a reset done from the menu?

No copy of the original firmware is kept on the device.

In amazon kindle land, "factory reset" and "factory restore" mean wiping of all user data and reversion of all configuration settings to default.

Maybe the emmc is going bad but is not far enough gone for that to be clear.

[Junket]

Originally Posted by imaddicted2u

I found a thread on this forum which seemed non-destructive to try.
It entails creating and dropping an empty file named DO_FACTORY_RESTORE in the root of the paperwhite through the USB port. Then safely eject the device from the PC and then restart by holding the power button.
I tried this and it did go through a long process, restarted a few times, but the firmware version is still at 5.4.4.2. I thought the factory restore would reset the firmware back to whatever the factory original firmware was

You didn't reference the thread you are talking about, so no help there.

Minor elaboration to what j.p.s. already explained, the presence of this file effects a wipe of the user partition and settings, the visible USB storage in the /mnt/usr/ directory tree. This could be useful if there was problems or corruption in that directory tree and might be expected to fix some "your Kindle needs repair" messages.

None of which is what you assumed it would do. It won't restore, reset, wipe or otherwise molest the main or diag partitions.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Junket

You didn't reference the thread you are talking about, so no help there.

Minor elaboration to what j.p.s. already explained, the presence of this file effects a wipe of the user partition and settings, the visible USB storage in the /mnt/usr/ directory tree. This could be useful if there was problems or corruption in that directory tree and might be expected to fix some "your Kindle needs repair" messages.

None of which is what you assumed it would do. It won't restore, reset, wipe or otherwise molest the main or diag partitions.

I had not thought of it in terms of which partitions are affected, and that it a good point.

I think stuff in /var/local are also affected, but it seems that has its own separate partition, so main partition not affected, but more than only /mnt/us

[Junket]

Yes of course. It would have been better to have said /mnt/usr/ & /var/local/ rather than "user partition & settings". ixtab had an early thread on the subject.

[imaddicted2u]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

No copy of the original firmware is kept on the device.

In amazon kindle land, "factory reset" and "factory restore" mean wiping of all user data and reversion of all configuration settings to default.

Maybe the emmc is going bad but is not far enough gone for that to be clear.

This is the post I referred to.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=16
Because of this statement, "you should be running the factory original firmware now -"
I had presumed the normal device behavior was to revert to a factory image kept on the EMMC after DO_FACTORY_RESTORE and that a factory reset from the menu cleared the user related partitions keeping the current firmware update.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Thanks also to everyone that responded.

[ilovejedd]

It doesn't seem as if there are any ill effects on older Kindle models/firmware but just as a precaution:

DO_FACTORY_RESTORE was what ended up completely bricking one of my PW3s after I tried downgrading to factory 5.8.9.0.1. I think it failed at reformatting /mnt/us (user store). After that, I no longer had USB mass storage access (and I didn't wanna mess with opening the device for serial).

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=116

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=275975

In my case, I probably should have just installed customer 5.8.11 when I saw the corrupted the display.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Junket

Yes of course. It would have been better to have said /mnt/usr/ & /var/local/ rather than "user partition & settings". ixtab had an early thread on the subject.

Thanks for the clarification. I seem to have trouble assimilating that "& settings" is exclusive rather than inclusive in this context.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by imaddicted2u

This is the post I referred to.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=16
Because of this statement, "you should be running the factory original firmware now -"
I had presumed the normal device behavior was to revert to a factory image kept on the EMMC after DO_FACTORY_RESTORE and that a factory reset from the menu cleared the user related partitions keeping the current firmware update.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Thanks also to everyone that responded.

I can see why you and many others would read it that way. I guess the culture here is to be not quite explicit enough to be crystal clear.

[Junket]

Factory original firmware or just simply factory firmware in this forum has a specific meaning for Kindles. It is the original fw used at the factory. A lot of commands, etc are disabled before the device ships and ends up in customer hands.

A customer opening the box on a brand new Kindle has a Kindle with a customer version fw, rather than factory fw.

[NiLuJe]

... unless it slipped through the cracks, and failed to switch to shipping mode ;p.

(Okay, that hasn't happened in *a while*, but I seem to remember a non-zero number of K4s shipping that way).

That was yet another useless archeological tidbit ;p.

[Junket]

Curds & whey all the time is wonderful. But it's the tidbits, exceptions and tangents that are memorable.

[imaddicted2u]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I can see why you and many others would read it that way. I guess the culture here is to be not quite explicit enough to be crystal clear.

I've written firmware images to the EMMC in lots of android based devices through the USB port...things are different in "amazon kindle land"

I'm guessing that Amazon must have stopped accepting the registering of the device because of the outdated firmware. One day it was registered and showed up in the account, next day it wasn't there and now can't be registered. Otherwise it still works as it has for the past few years, stuck at 5.4.4.2.
que sera sera

[knc1]

Originally Posted by imaddicted2u

I've written firmware images to the EMMC in lots of android based devices through the USB port...things are different in "amazon kindle land"

I'm guessing that Amazon must have stopped accepting the registering of the device because of the outdated firmware. One day it was registered and showed up in the account, next day it wasn't there and now can't be registered. Otherwise it still works as it has for the past few years, stuck at 5.4.4.2.
que sera sera

Amazon and the rest of the world switched to using the TLS protocol (only) during 2016.
There was an update for all Kindles back then, but you must have missed it. Maybe your Kindle was sitting in the closet back then.


Note:
Amazon updated the firmware for TLS support BUT did not update the firmware version number.
So download the 5.4.4.2 firmware version NOW on the Amazon server, and install it over the "old" version of 5.4.4.2
Things should be back to "normal" after that.