Downgrade from 5.14.1?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yes, and to keep it in the airplane mode. Which also means not registering it.

I am going to have to disagree here. Not registering is a rather bad idea. Just register and keep it in airplane mode. You're stuck with the new UI so you may as well update it when a new firmware is available.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I am going to have to disagree here. Not registering is a rather bad idea. Just register and keep it in airplane mode. You're stuck with the new UI so you may as well update it when a new firmware is available.

The problem with this is that the Kindle will immediately download and install the latest update when connected to wifi even once.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The problem with this is that the Kindle will immediately download and install the latest update when connected to wifi even once.

Not always. Kindles can be very finicky when it comes to downloading firmware. The last time I tried to get my Kindle to download the firmware, it didn't do it. I gave up after a week of trying and manually installed.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Not always. Kindles can be very finicky when it comes to downloading firmware. The last time I tried to get my Kindle to download the firmware, it didn't do it. I gave up after a week of trying and manually installed.

Yeah, but you can't predict it. And if your sole purpose of buying the device was to get an older firmware, then that's too much risk to take. If the Kindle updated, your money would go down the drain.

[haertig]

I keep my Kindle in airplane mode. When I very first got it, I allowed it to connect to the Amazon mothership briefly, to update to the newest firmware available at that time. And also to register it. Being registered I can see it in My Devices on Amazon's website, and "Download for USB Transfer" eBooks to it, which then go through Calibre and get de-DRM'ed, then sideloaded.

Immediately after this initial firmware update and registration, I turning on airplane mode and have left it on. A few years back I was thinking that in order to protect myself in case I accidentally turned off airplane mode, I would go in and delete the WiFi login/password from the Kindle. So it wouldn't know where to connect if all of a sudden it found itself with WiFi turned on. You could also possibly leave airplane mode accidentally with some flavor of system reset I suppose (I don't know that for sure, but it's potentially possible).

But Amazon is sneaky. In order to get to the network configuration, you have to FIRST turn on WiFi! If WiFi is turned off, you cannot get to your network configuration (all the options are grayed out). Very sneaky Amazon, very sneaky!

So instead of nuking the potential network connection from the Kindle end, I nuked it from my router. One thing you CAN see on the Kindle - without having to turn on WiFi - is it's MAC address. So I simply blacklisted that MAC address in my router. So if the Kindle ever accidentally gets switched out of Airplane Mode and tries to connect to my WiFi - my router won't give it the time of day, even though the Kindle may know the login/password. The problem here is that if I ever factory reset my router, or even just replace it with a new one, I have to remember to blacklist the MAC address again.

Yeah, if you don't want these things to automatically update themselves, you have to go out of your way to prevent that. Amazon wants the default to be auto-update so they can maintain control of your device, and they will do whatever is necessary to make it a hassle for you to deactivate that.

I just thought - I should just take the Kindle far from my house, thus far from my WiFi, and take it out of airplane mode and kill the remembered login credentials for my network (which it couldn't access anyway, from a far distance away). I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier. Sheesh - I must be brain damaged to have not thought of that until now. Oh well. This will work for me, but wouldn't work for others who have cellular connectivity available in their Kindles (I don't). You folks with this network feature would just have to never accidentally leave airplane mode since you don't have a cellular login/password that you could kill.

[Sirtel]

I couldn't be bothered to do all this. Yes, I keep my Oasis in the airplane mode, but that's it. I'm not going to fiddle with the router or take the Kindle into the woods. If it somehow connects and updates, so be it. I'll live.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by haertig

But Amazon is sneaky. In order to get to the network configuration, you have to FIRST turn on WiFi! If WiFi is turned off, you cannot get to your network configuration (all the options are grayed out). Very sneaky Amazon, very sneaky!

Change the password on the Router!

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Get a Kobo. You can manage collections automatically with Calibre. Also you can downgrade if you happen not to like an update.

I'm suggesting this because you said you sideload everything anyway.

Exactly right! Most of my reading is through Kindle Unlimited, so I use a Kindle, if not for that, I'd stick to my Kobo 100%

[Barty]

Originally Posted by haertig

But Amazon is sneaky. In order to get to the network configuration, you have to FIRST turn on WiFi! If WiFi is turned off, you cannot get to your network configuration (all the options are grayed out). Very sneaky Amazon, very sneaky!


.

Actually I don't think you need to connect to wifi at all. When you get to the set up your network screen, go ahead and click continue. On the next screen where it shows you list of available wifi network, click the close button. This will bypass that step. I think it'll ask you are you sure you want to continue, you're not connected etc say yes. Of course your device is not registered and you'll not have access to the store and your Kindle won't sync and you'll lose certain features.

If you have a jail breakable firmware, you can do the jail break at this point. Then install the "add on" that prevents software update. Then you can connect to your wifi and register and use it normally.

[SusanReads]

My new PW5 has the old firmware and UI and so far it's not updating. I can't even do it manually, because there's an error when downloading the firmware from the Amazon website.

So right now I'm 'stuck' with the old firmware.

[redbeardx90]

Just use the firmware "FW 5.10.1.3 Factory" in this thread.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=335590

Additionally, when I loaded it on my Kindle, I held the power button down to reset it before disconnecting from the USB. That may not be necessary, just what I did when it worked.

[katadelos]

Originally Posted by Siavahda

No way to downgrade it EVER, or not right now? I found a lot of links about jailbreaking/downgrading earlier versions of the firmware, so will it eventually be true for this version as well, do you think?

For sure - it seems like you want to downgrade for the purposes of changing the UI style back to the old version right? If so, just sit tight and keep your device in Aeroplane Mode before the next update comes out. 5.14.1 and 5.14.1.1 contain the old UI and you'll be able to revert back by changing a config file when a jailbreak is eventually released.

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Ever.

[AlanHK]

Originally Posted by haertig

I just thought - I should just take the Kindle far from my house, thus far from my WiFi, and take it out of airplane mode and kill the remembered login credentials for my network

Or turn off your router while you delete the passwords on the Kindle.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I am going to have to disagree here. Not registering is a rather bad idea. Just register and keep it in airplane mode. You're stuck with the new UI so you may as well update it when a new firmware is available.

Why is not registering a bad idea if you side-load your books anyhow? As for "being stuck" I don't think the OP is planning on keeping the updated Kindle anyhow, and is now looking for a used one with the older firmware.

I can understand why. If I had known how not to register the used Nook Glowlight 3 I (luckily) found that still had firmware with the right size font, I wouldn't have registered it either. As it is, I registered, then immediately told it to forget the WiFi password so it can't (somehow) automatically update. I won't be connecting that eReader to the Internet.

[dabookdragon]

Which is why mine updated in Airplane mode. I hate the update and am seriously thinking of chucking this Kindle for a Kobo. I bought it and it should be my choice whether to updat it or not.

Originally Posted by haertig

I keep my Kindle in airplane mode. When I very first got it, I allowed it to connect to the Amazon mothership briefly, to update to the newest firmware available at that time. And also to register it. Being registered I can see it in My Devices on Amazon's website, and "Download for USB Transfer" eBooks to it, which then go through Calibre and get de-DRM'ed, then sideloaded.

Immediately after this initial firmware update and registration, I turning on airplane mode and have left it on. A few years back I was thinking that in order to protect myself in case I accidentally turned off airplane mode, I would go in and delete the WiFi login/password from the Kindle. So it wouldn't know where to connect if all of a sudden it found itself with WiFi turned on. You could also possibly leave airplane mode accidentally with some flavor of system reset I suppose (I don't know that for sure, but it's potentially possible).

But Amazon is sneaky. In order to get to the network configuration, you have to FIRST turn on WiFi! If WiFi is turned off, you cannot get to your network configuration (all the options are grayed out). Very sneaky Amazon, very sneaky!

So instead of nuking the potential network connection from the Kindle end, I nuked it from my router. One thing you CAN see on the Kindle - without having to turn on WiFi - is it's MAC address. So I simply blacklisted that MAC address in my router. So if the Kindle ever accidentally gets switched out of Airplane Mode and tries to connect to my WiFi - my router won't give it the time of day, even though the Kindle may know the login/password. The problem here is that if I ever factory reset my router, or even just replace it with a new one, I have to remember to blacklist the MAC address again.

Yeah, if you don't want these things to automatically update themselves, you have to go out of your way to prevent that. Amazon wants the default to be auto-update so they can maintain control of your device, and they will do whatever is necessary to make it a hassle for you to deactivate that.

I just thought - I should just take the Kindle far from my house, thus far from my WiFi, and take it out of airplane mode and kill the remembered login credentials for my network (which it couldn't access anyway, from a far distance away). I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier. Sheesh - I must be brain damaged to have not thought of that until now. Oh well. This will work for me, but wouldn't work for others who have cellular connectivity available in their Kindles (I don't). You folks with this network feature would just have to never accidentally leave airplane mode since you don't have a cellular login/password that you could kill.