Touch screen capability suddenly lost

JoeH · 03-07-2010, 03:58 PM

After nearly three months of trouble-free operation, my PRS-600 suddenly lost its touch screen capability, totally disabling the reader. Everything else worked, including full access by USB and the Sony Library, and any screen options that are displayable by simply pressing the options key. Neither a soft reset nor other frozen screen remedies described in this forum worked, althoough I don't have my mains charger with me. The screen never really froze. I even saved all my reader documents on Sony's Library and then did a hard reset, but was stopped at the touch screen calibration routine. The screen doesn't acknowledge tapping at any location.

I'm away from home on travel which limits options, but it seems the only option now left is to claim warranty repair when I get home, before the 90 day warranty expires. Bummer. I was depeeding on the treader during this trip. I hate to lose what until this afternnon had been an outstanding reader.

Has anyone else run into this problem? The PRS-600 hasdbeen providing outstanding service until this occured.

SCION · 03-07-2010, 06:44 PM

Perhaps you can pick up a PSP charger of any brand. Then try to get a full charge with a wall outlet and then reset the device.

Rumpelteazer · 03-07-2010, 06:52 PM

Check if there are any crumbs or something else stuck between the "rim" and the screen. I once had my Ipaq become unresponsive and it turned out to be a stuck crumb pressing on the touchscreen, after removing it it worked fine again.

SCION · 03-07-2010, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Check if there are any crumbs or something else stuck between the "rim" and the screen. I once had my Ipaq become unresponsive and it turned out to be a stuck crumb pressing on the touchscreen, after removing it it worked fine again.

This is something to file away in memory!

JoeH · 03-08-2010, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rumpelteazer

Check if there are any crumbs or something else stuck between the "rim" and the screen.....

Bless you! Hadn't thought of that! I opened the hotel sewing kit, took out a needle, and cleaned out the space between the screen and rim. There was a crumb there. Turned it back on and the touch screen worked! Thank you!

Now I have to correct the operator induced errors caused by hard resetting the device. I backed up the books onto the Sony Library, collections and all, before I reset it, but foolishly left autosync on. Now the libary shuts down after loading a tenth of the books and I cannot shut off autosyncing. I'm sure there are workarounds and given a few hours I can probably find one.

And I'm kicking myself for not bringing the mains charger from home. Am stuck in meeting so buying one may not be practical...

I wished I checked for crumbs before hard resetting. No one to blame but myself.

Thank you. This forum, and the people who contribute to it, are incredible.

Mike_73 · 03-09-2010, 01:27 AM

I have to remember this. I am also annoyed by the rim not closing the gap to the display.

Very good hint!!!

Rumpelteazer · 03-09-2010, 03:43 AM

Good to hear you got it working again. Like Mike I'm annoyed by the gap. I regularly clean all the gaps, also the ones around buttons by blowing compressed air between them.

Mike_73 · 03-09-2010, 06:36 AM

Usually I get annoyed if I clean the display. Everytime I do this, I move some dust particles around and some of them get close to the gap. So I stop cleaning once I get close to the gap and try to touch up the particles with my damp micro fibre cloth.

whiteorca · 05-15-2010, 10:31 AM

Just had the same problem with my PRS-600... Thanks for Rumpleteazer for sharing the tip... nevertheless, I have an added complication: A crumb, somehow, managed to get itself embedded between the read screen and the touch screen, right on the reading area. Prior to total touchscreen failure, I noticed an "insensitive" area close to the aforementioned crumb. Does anyone knows a way to remove the sandwiched offending crumb short of taking apart the unit?

thanks

Mike_73 · 05-15-2010, 11:30 AM

I wouldn't know how to get it out there except for shaking the device

But at least the 600 looks easier to disassemble than the 505 where the housing is a single aluminum profile. The 600 looks as if you can remove the backplate.

The service manual says "case upper assy (including touch screen)", so I assume disassembling the unit from the backplate will bring you to the point where you'll get to the space between eInk and touch layer. I think you'll have to be extremely careful though if you open the device so that you don't get dust and additional crumbs into the unit by trying to get rid of the one crumb you allready have.

JoeH · 05-21-2010, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteorca

... Does anyone knows a way to remove the sandwiched offending crumb short of taking apart the unit?

thanks

When it happened to me, I was in a hotel room far away from home and tools. I did have a sewing kit though, and carefully pushed a sewing needle between the frame and touch sensitive screen and cleaned out the crumb by pushing the needle sideways under the frame. It was easier accomplished than I expected and had no difficulty avoiding scratching the screen.

nygil123 · 05-31-2010, 11:48 AM

Hi guys...Im new to this forum...I use PRS 600 & I have the same problem mentioned above...My touch screen doesnt respond everything else seems to work without a problem...I did not actually understand the space between the rim & the screen...How should i clean it???? Please help

Mike_73 · 05-31-2010, 12:04 PM

If you look under an angle on the display (i.e. from the buttons upward to the top), then you can see a little space between the surface of the display and the aluminum frame surrounding the display. This is where crumbs (i.e. by moving dust underneath the aluminum while cleaning) can get in. Those cause the touch layer to "think" that the display gets pressed. So it's not reacting anymore because it's going first come first serve.

Hope this helps understanding. If not, I can make a little drawing to explain a little better.

Let me know.

nygil123 · 05-31-2010, 12:27 PM

Thanx ...I got it ...But how do I clean it????? Should I remove the whole thing or what???Or is there any other way to remove the crumbs without opening the reader....

Mike_73 · 05-31-2010, 02:07 PM

Well, to make sure you don't damage your reader, try with a plastic or wooden toothpick. If that's too thick, try with a needle. But whatever you do, you do it at your own risk.

I wish you good look removing your crumb

03-07-2010, 03:58 PM	#1
JoeH Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Colesville, MD USA Device: Sony Portable Reader PRS-500 and PRS-600	Touch screen capability suddenly lost After nearly three months of trouble-free operation, my PRS-600 suddenly lost its touch screen capability, totally disabling the reader. Everything else worked, including full access by USB and the Sony Library, and any screen options that are displayable by simply pressing the options key. Neither a soft reset nor other frozen screen remedies described in this forum worked, althoough I don't have my mains charger with me. The screen never really froze. I even saved all my reader documents on Sony's Library and then did a hard reset, but was stopped at the touch screen calibration routine. The screen doesn't acknowledge tapping at any location. I'm away from home on travel which limits options, but it seems the only option now left is to claim warranty repair when I get home, before the 90 day warranty expires. Bummer. I was depeeding on the treader during this trip. I hate to lose what until this afternnon had been an outstanding reader. Has anyone else run into this problem? The PRS-600 hasdbeen providing outstanding service until this occured.

05-31-2010, 12:27 PM	#14
nygil123 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony PRSS 600	Thanx ...I got it ...But how do I clean it????? Should I remove the whole thing or what???Or is there any other way to remove the crumbs without opening the reader.... Last edited by nygil123; 05-31-2010 at 12:30 PM.

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03-07-2010, 06:44 PM	#2
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Perhaps you can pick up a PSP charger of any brand. Then try to get a full charge with a wall outlet and then reset the device.

03-07-2010, 06:52 PM	#3
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,100 Karma: 24047426 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Check if there are any crumbs or something else stuck between the "rim" and the screen. I once had my Ipaq become unresponsive and it turned out to be a stuck crumb pressing on the touchscreen, after removing it it worked fine again.

03-09-2010, 01:27 AM	#6
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	I have to remember this. I am also annoyed by the rim not closing the gap to the display. Very good hint!!!

03-09-2010, 03:43 AM	#7
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,100 Karma: 24047426 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Good to hear you got it working again. Like Mike I'm annoyed by the gap. I regularly clean all the gaps, also the ones around buttons by blowing compressed air between them.

03-09-2010, 06:36 AM	#8
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Usually I get annoyed if I clean the display. Everytime I do this, I move some dust particles around and some of them get close to the gap. So I stop cleaning once I get close to the gap and try to touch up the particles with my damp micro fibre cloth.

05-15-2010, 10:31 AM	#9
whiteorca Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Sony prs-505	Just had the same problem with my PRS-600... Thanks for Rumpleteazer for sharing the tip... nevertheless, I have an added complication: A crumb, somehow, managed to get itself embedded between the read screen and the touch screen, right on the reading area. Prior to total touchscreen failure, I noticed an "insensitive" area close to the aforementioned crumb. Does anyone knows a way to remove the sandwiched offending crumb short of taking apart the unit? thanks

05-15-2010, 11:30 AM	#10
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	I wouldn't know how to get it out there except for shaking the device But at least the 600 looks easier to disassemble than the 505 where the housing is a single aluminum profile. The 600 looks as if you can remove the backplate. The service manual says "case upper assy (including touch screen)", so I assume disassembling the unit from the backplate will bring you to the point where you'll get to the space between eInk and touch layer. I think you'll have to be extremely careful though if you open the device so that you don't get dust and additional crumbs into the unit by trying to get rid of the one crumb you allready have.

05-31-2010, 11:48 AM	#12
nygil123 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Sony PRSS 600	Hi guys...Im new to this forum...I use PRS 600 & I have the same problem mentioned above...My touch screen doesnt respond everything else seems to work without a problem...I did not actually understand the space between the rim & the screen...How should i clean it???? Please help

05-31-2010, 12:04 PM	#13
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	If you look under an angle on the display (i.e. from the buttons upward to the top), then you can see a little space between the surface of the display and the aluminum frame surrounding the display. This is where crumbs (i.e. by moving dust underneath the aluminum while cleaning) can get in. Those cause the touch layer to "think" that the display gets pressed. So it's not reacting anymore because it's going first come first serve. Hope this helps understanding. If not, I can make a little drawing to explain a little better. Let me know.

05-31-2010, 02:07 PM	#15
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Well, to make sure you don't damage your reader, try with a plastic or wooden toothpick. If that's too thick, try with a needle. But whatever you do, you do it at your own risk. I wish you good look removing your crumb

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