Odd startup behavior from a new K3

[bfollowell]

Mrs. Clause gave me a new K3 for Christmas. Thanks Sweetheart! I gave her one a few months ago for her birthday so we're a 2K3 family now and we love them.

I've run into what I think is a problem with mine though and I'm not certain what may be causing it. I've noticed that, many times, but certainly not all, the book I'm reading doesn't return to my last read position when I bring my K3 back out of sleep mode. It typically returns to the same spot every time but that spot is one I stopped reading at many reading sessions ago. It got so frequent that I started creating bookmarks before I put my K3 into sleep mode so that I could easily return my last read position.

Bookmarks are acting strangely as well. Once I start reading again, I delete my previous bookmark and create a new one when I'm ready to stop reading for a while. When I bring my K3 back out of sleep mode again, the old bookmark is still there and that's where my book returns. I look at my marks and my new mark is there but the old one that I deleted in my last session is back and that's where my reading starts. After the first time I wondered if I'd maybe just thought I'd deleted my older bookmark so I started paying extra special attention. I know I'm deleting them now and this is happening almost every single time I start up my K3.

All of this "forgetfulness" is really starting to annoy me.

Also, since I started using it Christmas Day, my K3 has rebooted twice when I tried to start it up.

Has anyone else ever noticed any similar behavior? Is this K3 newbie behavior and maybe I'm just not doing something right? It seems really strange.

Also, I might mention that my wife and I both have the Amazon non-lighted leather covers. I've heard rumors of this cover causing some problems but I haven't read up on them yet. I do know that my wife has had hers in the cover for a couple of months and hasn't noticed any problems whatsoever. I'm just curious if my problems could be related.

Anyway, I love my K3 but these bookmark/startup issues are really starting to sour me. I would appreciate any assistance anyone may be able to provide.

Thanks in advance and I wish everyone a very happy and fruitful new year.

- Byron Followell

[FF2]

Take the kindle out of the NON-lighted cover and see if it works. Try for a day or two. Call Amazon's KINDLE customer service. Not just Amazon CS but Kindle cs. They will replace the cover with lighted one or refund money.

[WS64]

Sounds like a corrupt file system to me.
Try to chkdsk your Kindle when in USB mode.

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by WS64

Sounds like a corrupt file system to me.
Try to chkdsk your Kindle when in USB mode.

Thanks for the advice. No dice though. I ran a thorough scan and it found no problems whatsoever.

I'm going to leave my K3 out of it's case for a few days and monitor it. If I go two or three days without any issues, I'll put it back in it's case and monitor that way for a bit. Thanks guys.

If anyone else has any suggestions, please let me know.

- Byron

[kindlekitten]

if you continue to have those problems outside of the case, then it is certainly a defective unit. doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Kindle support is over the top so you should have absolutely no problems getting it replaced if needed. also they ARE replacing those covers without any hassle so you should go ahead and do that now

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

if you continue to have those problems outside of the case, then it is certainly a defective unit. doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Kindle support is over the top so you should have absolutely no problems getting it replaced if needed. also they ARE replacing those covers without any hassle so you should go ahead and do that now

Thanks for the advice. I'll see how it does over the next several days. As far as returning the cover, I've heard everything from they're offering a full refund and they exchanged mine for the lighted version for no extra money, down to the more recent, they're only offering a $25 credit.

If they're only offering a $25 credit now, that seems sort of a rip off for something that's defective and was just purchased a couple of weeks before Christmas. Still, I guess I'll contact Amazon and let them tell me that before I stress out too much over what I've read in someone else's post.

After reading through all the unlit cover posts, I'm really not certain what I should do. I'm thinking I should return mine and my wife's regardless of whether or not we're having any issues yet or not. Still, these issues and posts go back long enough that it makes me wonder, if they're replacing them all, what the heck are they doing still selling them in the first place. You can go look on Amazon.com and still see them available for purchase. It seems sort of stupid to me.

Thanks guys.

- Byron

[desertblues]

It certainly is strange behaviour from your Kindle.
Did you try to reboot your Kindle or synchronize it with Amazon? Sometimes that helps.

I have another suggestion; just to rule bad indexing out:
Can you check (by random search) if the Kindle is stuck on indexing a book? That makes it unstable and empties the battery as well.
Indexing a book, or several, should not take hours. If you notice the Kindle keeps on indexing (items found by random search should be 0) ----remove the books that you loaded recently and add them one by one (check at each book if it's indexed).
If the problem is a book from Amazon; tell them and they'll reimburse you. If it's your own book--convert it in Calibre (or other) from mobi to mobi. (the format Kindle reads).

Good luck

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by desertblues

It certainly is strange behaviour from your Kindle.
Did you try to reboot your Kindle or synchronize it with Amazon? Sometimes that helps.

Nope. It's already rebooted twice on its own. I haven't rebooted it myself. Also, I don't currently have anything purchased from Amazon on it so, no, other than the initial setup and associating it with my account, I haven't tried synching with Amazon.

Originally Posted by desertblues

I have another suggestion; just to rule bad indexing out:
Can you check (by random search) if the Kindle is stuck on indexing a book? That makes it unstable and empties the battery as well.
Indexing a book, or several, should not take hours. If you notice the Kindle keeps on indexing (items found by random search should be 0) ----remove the books that you loaded recently and add them one by one (check at each book if it's indexed).

I haven't seen any sort of indexing option on my Kindle. Do you mean through Windows when it's connected in USB mode? Or do you mean to just search for some random word I'm certain I should find and see what it returns? I'm not really sure what you're referring to here.

Thanks.

- Byron

[desertblues]

No, it's something happening in the background, in order for the Kindle to be able to search in your books.
You can see wether all books are indexed, with random search (type whatever combination of letters , for example ' tiyhdle' ------that gives you the search-option). Then press ' search' on the right side of the line.
It starts to search--may take a while to do---you can see it by the 'spinning wheel' in the upper left corner, and then it gives you the result----should be 0, if you've not recently loaded a book.

But it's just a thought; it could well be something else. Did you get the latest update?

Otherwise: just call Amazon; twice if need be (though always friendly; their quality differs).

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Did you get the latest update?

OK, I searched for text I knew I would find. It came back with quite a few results within a couple of seconds. I also typed in a random string of characters I was fairly certain it wouldn't find. It came back within a couple of seconds with zero results. Both times were quick enough that I didn't even see the little spinning circle at all.

My Kindle is listed as version 3.0.2. I'm not sure if there's a newer version out yet or not. I definitely haven't tried to update yet thought.

Thanks for the advice.

- Byron

[FF2]

I am not sure what's what on the cover returns but I think they offer a $25 credit ABOVE the original price of the UNlighted case - enough to purchase the lighted case if you want. Call yourself and check with them.

[desertblues]

To search for indexing; always by random search. But you've ruled out that problem.

Well, if a few days without the cover doesn't help, I would call Amazon. And if it helps also call them for a refund for the cover.
Perhaps they will ask to look inside your Kindle (did it with mine), suggest/push the 3.0.3 update, or give you a replacement.

Excuse me for asking the very obvious: you're sure the Kindle is fully charged? Battery-indicator doesn't always tell the truth about it.
Good luck again.

[bfollowell]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Excuse me for asking the very obvious: you're sure the Kindle is fully charged? Battery-indicator doesn't always tell the truth about it.

Don't worry about asking the obvious. That's usually where most people's problems lie and I do the same thing when I'm trying to help someone.

Yes, I charged it for an hour or so after I first opened it then, before going to bed Christmas night, I plugged it in to charge overnight. I haven't charged it again since then so I'm sure it's not fully charged but I'm sure it still has a really good charge.

- Byron

[Demigod79]

It's due to the cover. I had the exact same problem with mine and it only stopped once I took the cover off.

Apparently the metal hooks that hold the Kindle are liable to short out the device if there's static electricity (since they're connected to the Kindle's internal power source). You can test this yourself by putting the cover on the Kindle and rubbing it against your clothing (or anything else that will create static electricity). In short time the Kindle will freeze and restart.

I've since sent the cover back and got a full refund.

[wvcherrybomb]

Originally Posted by bfollowell

they're only offering a $25 credit.

They refund your full purchase price by putting it back on your credit card. And, in addition to that, they give you $25 in Amazon credit. Plus you get to keep the covers.