Reset and recharge - Read this first

[RavenT69]

I have been charging it with the AC adaptor.... When I charge it with the USB, I mean the one that comes with it, hooking it up to my laptop. It seems to charge fine with I use the USB, but not when I use the AC adaptor. With either choice, there is no light coming on. The spot where the light is just stays black.

[mickylonster]

Good morning, , 4 weeks ago I posted on this forum re: my prs505 won`t turn off , Patricia gave me really good advice , re charging , so I bought a psp charger and used this to charge my book , still would`nt turn off, so I charged it daily to be able to continue reading , firstly I would switch the slide switch on the top and an amber light would come on and the on screen message saying the reader was starting up , then I plugged in the psp charger and it charged ok , However this morning, there is an on screen message saying NO BATTERY and the amber light is not turning on , I have plugged in the wall charger and the red light is on but the battery indicator hasn`t changed, its blank, it has now been on charge 2 hours and the screen remains the same , with the NO BATTERY indicated ??? help and further advice would be most welcome . Thanking you all in advance .Mickylonster.

[dreams]

Just saw your post, sorry.

Have you checked to make sure that the mp3 player is off. If it is on pause it will continue to drain the battery.

OK, I just went to my menu to check this and the *1?%$# just drained part of my battery very quickly as I tried to play around with what may cause a quick drain..

ARGGGG!! Make sure you don't have slide show on with the pictures nor have music playing or on pause as it will quickly drain the battery.

Now, I am off to delete the couple of music files I left on my Reader so that I don't have this problem again....

[Beatlebacker]

Hi all,
A couple of pointers for all you UK guys looking to 'upgrade' your firmware ... THERE IS NO UPGRADE for the UK Reader at this time! If you try to download the US version (1.1.00.18040) it will be classed as tampering and might render your warranty invalid costing you for the necessary repair. The correct and current version firmware for the UK is 1.2.00.18050. Hacking into the software / firmware files if you have no savvy is just asking for trouble.
Secondly, for people experiencing the inability to shut down using the slide switch, if the recharge option doesn't cure it you don't need to go hard resetting the device and losing your files. Connect to your PC via USB and set up a new folder on your desktop and copy ALL your files over. Now format your device, disconnect the device and check to see if it shuts down -- if it does, start re-installing the folders one by one - disconnect the USB in between file transfers and check to see if the device still turns off. Keep going until you come across a folder that causes the problem. If you don't find a dodgy folder you've cured the fault - you somehow managed to corrupt the software! If you do find one however (it'll be the last folder you installed prior to the Reader not shutting down!), remove it and start to open the sub-folders of that folder one by one and copy these across one at a time until you find the responsible one. It might take some time but you will find the dodgy file(s).
Hope this helps?

[Beatlebacker]

Sorry - hiccup using the system!

[Patricia]

Just to mention it, don't use a usb+mains. It doesn't work and often drains the reader.

This thread includes advice and links:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56170

[brianded]

for the advice Patricia, it worked for me

Originally Posted by Patricia

A few people have been a bit confused about doing a soft or hard reset on their readers when they freeze, or otherwise misbehave. As a consequence, they have been plunging paperclips and other pointed objects into every orifice or aperture that the Reader possesses. This does not lead to happy results.

Here are a couple of hints:

Re-charging
1. If your Reader freezes, the first thing to try is a long recharge. This is also the thing to try if the battery meter seems to drain too quickly. (It sometimes takes several charge cycles before the battery bars display accurately. And I have found that several short recharges often lead to inaccurate battery displays. A long mains recharge puts this right.)

Recharging via a mains charger is essential if a PRS500 has become completely drained or frozen, and is often more reliable with the PRS505.
If you have a PRS500 it came with a mains charger. The PRS505 doesn't. But, in both cases, a Sony PSP charger works too (borrow one from a teenager). Plug it in, connect to the reader and check that the little red charging light comes on. Then leave it for several hours, preferably overnight.
In many cases this has solved the problem entirely.

Reset
2. If your Reader is still frozen then you will have to try a soft reset. If that doesn't work then try a hard reset. These both involve prodding a straightened paperclip (or similar) into the hole on the back of the Reader. Remove the cover. Turn the Reader over. There is a very small hole. It is labelled 'reset' in very tiny letters. Do not stick the paperclip anywhere else. And before trying a reset, read the instructions.

Reset Instructions
can be found on the wiki:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Sony_Portable_Reader

Or you may consult the manual (which should appear in your ebook/Connect library).

I hope this helps.

[Patricia]

I'm glad that it worked, Brianded. And welcome to the forum!

[Deornorth]

I have read about ereaders that don't charge and those that don't switch on...

Mine is similar- but not the same as others!

I did recharge mine via PC USB connection and got the battery full. I even managed to upload a couple of books.

However- I found that disconnecting the 505 from the PC I could not switch it on- it froze.

Plugging back into USB gives the red light- until charged.

However- there is no sign of the reader on the pc.

Also- the soft reset button doesn't appear to work. Nothing happens- even after holding on for a minute.

So- it can charge but not switch on.

I bought the reader in June and have only read half a book on it- so, understndably I am very annoyed that I can't switch it on!

Does anyone have a suggestion as to a) how to get it working, b) why the reset does not work and c) how to get the PC to see the 505 when connected?

Thanks,

Deornorth

[dreams]

Welcome to MR, Deornorth! I'm sorry that your first post is a problem.

One thing that I have noticed on all the problems with charge.... Give the 505 a good full (usually about 4 hours before light goes off) charge using a mains/wall charger.

You can use the Sony AC charger or an even better/ cheaper choice is to use a very inexpensive Sony PSP charger. It will have the yellow round end to plug into the 505.

At lot of times this first step seems to clear up problems.

Good Luck and let us know if it works.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by Deornorth

So- it can charge but not switch on.

Are you remembering to try the power slide after the reset button? Does the LED light up at all when the slide is slid? From memory, it should show yellow for a few seconds while the Reader's starting up before going off again.

[OakdaleMike]

My PRS-505 displays the main menu and none of the buttons or controls function, except the power switch. I reset using the button on the back and then the power switch and get a "Starting up..." message, but never see a yellow or orange light on the charge indicator. It's red when charging and off otherwise.

I've not been able to get a hard reset either. Holding down the bookmark button and the Vol + together just does the normal soft reset. After startup, I'm still just stuck at the main menu.

The Reader software sees the device and I can add and delete books, so the device is still alive, but useless.

Any advice for me?

[grooks]

Below are the instructions for hard resetting the Sony 505. Also, what are you using to charge your 505?

Hard Reset (PRS-505)
WARNING: A HARD RESET WILL ERASE ALL CONTENT ON THE READER.

1. Ensure the Reader is powered off by checking that the indicator next to the power button is not illuminated.

2. On the back of the Reader, using a pin or paper clip, press the RESET button.

3. Turn on the Reader.

4. While the screen displays Starting up... , simultaneously press and hold down the Mark button and the VOL + button until the Reset All screen is displayed.

NOTE: If Starting up... does not display on the screen, charge the Reader's battery for several hours before
attempting the reset process again.

5. Press the 5 button to reset the Reader.

[OakdaleMike]

Originally Posted by grooks

Below are the instructions for hard resetting the Sony 505. Also, what are you using to charge your 505?

Thanks for replying. I've been following those instructions to the letter, but never get the "Reset All" screen. I've charged overnight with the charger that originally came with my PRS-500 -- it's a 2 amp charger. It's fully charged now, but I've tried the reset with the red light on (it comes on for a while when first plugged in even though the Reader is fully charged) and off. It makes no difference. I never see a yellow light.

[OakdaleMike]

Originally Posted by OakdaleMike

Thanks for replying. I've been following those instructions to the letter, but never get the "Reset All" screen. I've charged overnight with the charger that originally came with my PRS-500 -- it's a 2 amp charger. It's fully charged now, but I've tried the reset with the red light on (it comes on for a while when first plugged in even though the Reader is fully charged) and off. It makes no difference. I never see a yellow light.

Just to follow up, my problem was hardware - after trying everything I could find, to no avail, I followed the disassembly instructions at http://www.flickr.com/photos/2172951...7603454047408/ and at the point where one pulls the first ZIF cable, the connector lifted off in my hand. It clearly had been improperly soldered to the board. I don't have the tools to fix such a thing, so I now have a totally dead Reader. Nuts.

And I can't get it back together because the flopping-about ribbon cable snags on the way in. Aargh.

Mike