Kindle Hung after downgrade

[knc1]

The software downgrade and jailbreak procedure for the PW-2, PW-3, KT-2 and KV is giving some people trouble.

Not often, perhaps about 0.5% .. 1.0% of the downgrade attempts.
People don't bother to report success (only failure) so we have to guess at that number.

The developers here have not been able to duplicate the problem.
And what we can't work on ourselves, we can't fix.

We need specific information from the people who have experienced this problem.
Even if they where able to recover from it themselves.

The next post has a questionnaire.
Click the 'quote' button.
If not in the 'Advanced Editor', select 'Go Advanced' (editor). You can drag the lower right corner of the edit box to make it larger.
Remove the quote start and quote end tags.
Then edit in your responses to the form and press 'submit'.

Please, please

[knc1]

First six characters of serial number:
Firmware version before you started this procedure:

Feature related:
Was this Kindle registered with Amazon? yes, no
Was this an ad supported (Special Offers) Kindle? yes, no
Was a passcode set? yes, no

Special sub-steps:
Did you clear the passcode before the downgrade? yes, no
Did you do the 'Reset (to factory results)' sub-step? yes, no

Internal data related:
Using the Kindle's Cloud Account or local or both? cloud, local, both
Where you using collections? no, or guess at number
Where you using bookmarks? yes, no
Where you using annotations? yes, no
Native language in use:

Kindle Hung:
What is the filename of factory initial update that was used?
Which mirror did you get it from?

Approximately how long did the downgrade process run? (best guess)
What was showing on the screen when it 'hung'?

When the USB cable was connected, Kindle to PC, could you see the storage on the Kindle? yes, no
What sort of response did your PC make when you plugged in the Kindle?
Did using a USB-2 vs a USB-3 port on the PC make a difference? yes, no
Was this same cable and same port working normally before the downgrade? yes, no

Normally, a Kindle is re-booted without any USB cable connected.
Leave the USB cable connected, Kindle-to-PC, re-boot Kindle (hold power button 40 seconds or more, ignore any pop-up panels seen).
What was the result? Same as above or Different (describe please).


What OS and OS version in use on your PC:
USB-2 or USB-3 ports, or both?

Recovery:
If your PC could 'see' the Kindle storage (even briefly) try putting a file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
(all caps, no extension, no contents)
into the top level of visible USB storage.
Then use the power button to re-boot the Kindle
If that didn't fix it, or the search bar command for the jb does not work -
re-install the factory initial firmware package again (to fix things the flag file function broke).
describe the result here:


Does the 'hung' Kindle boot far enough to show the main screen, can you access the search bar? yes, no

[bloodien0se]

First six characters of serial number: G090G1
Firmware version before you started this procedure: 5.7.4 i believe

Feature related:
Was this Kindle registered with Amazon? yes
Was this an ad supported (Special Offers) Kindle? yes
Was a passcode set? no

Special sub-steps:
Did you clear the passcode before the downgrade? yes
Did you do the 'Reset (to factory results)' sub-step? yes

Internal data related:
Using the Kindle's Cloud Account or local or both? cloud
Where you using collections? no
Where you using bookmarks? no
Where you using annotations? no
Native language in use: English (US)

Kindle Hung:
What is the filename of factory initial update that was used? update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin
Which mirror did you get it from? http://initial.gunshi.org

Approximately how long did the downgrade process run? Over an hour
What was showing on the screen when it 'hung'? First it was looping on a messed up screen only taking up the upper left corner of the screen for over an hour. and I could see the drive, so I tried the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE fix.


When the USB cable was connected, Kindle to PC, could you see the storage on the Kindle? yes, once
What sort of response did your PC make when you plugged in the Kindle? At first I was able to access the drive but no longer, no, after restarting, drive shows up in brief flashes but never accessible.

Did using a USB-2 vs a USB-3 port on the PC make a difference? no
Was this same cable and same port working normally before the downgrade? yes

Normally, a Kindle is re-booted without any USB cable connected.
Leave the USB cable connected, Kindle-to-PC, re-boot Kindle (hold power button 40 seconds or more, ignore any pop-up panels seen).
What was the result? Same as above or Different (describe please). Same if I attempt to reboot with or without USB connected as far as I can tell.


What OS and OS version in use on your PC: Windows 10
USB-2 or USB-3 ports, or both? Tried both

Recovery:
If your PC could 'see' the Kindle storage (even briefly) try putting a file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
(all caps, no extension, no contents)
into the top level of visible USB storage.
Then use the power button to re-boot the Kindle
describe the result here: It stopped looping after a while and landed on an Needs Repair error.
http://i.imgur.com/XphbMbE.jpg
If I hold the power button down, after about 5 seconds it reboots, still only showing a portion of the screen and shows this http://i.imgur.com/3uHDI67.jpg and briefly a progress bar before eventually landing on the Needs Repair screen again.


Does the 'hung' Kindle boot far enough to show the main screen, can you access the search bar? no


I hope you guys can help. from what I can tell I did everything according to the guide.

[geekmaster]

That image looks like it is the wrong resolution, as if for a different model kindle with a higher resolution display. It also looks somewhat like a physically broken eink display (as if dropped or bumped), but that might be a side effect of a firmware issue.

Did the display work correctly before you began the downgrade procedure?

Please keep your kindle plugged into a charger until we return in the morning (it is bedtime here). We can probably help you, but we may have more questions to help guide us to a solution. Thanks for your patience.

[knc1]

Sure sounds like you did everything by the (ever changing) book.

I do have that exact model of Kindle, when I wake up tomorrow (when I can think clearly)...

You should take down that image that shows your device's serial number (or obscure the serial number).


Meanwhile, thanks for the report.

[knc1]

@Geekmaster:
Not only do I have that exact model Kindle -
I have the Kindle that the factory loaded with that update_*.bin file.
AND
It does have a working serial port now.

Do you think we should disable that PW3 factory image until we find out what is wrong?

Oops - I didn't ask if they ran the md5sum test in the form.

[geekmaster]

The worst case solution may be opening the kindle and using the serial jailbreak procedure. However, we hope to find a software-only solution to fix this problem (with your assistance). Thanks.

[bloodien0se]

Replaced the image, thank you.

Screen worked perfectly before the downgrade. It's very new but I have another so don't worry about it too much at the moment, I know the risk I was taking.

I certainly used the update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin, and I MD5 hash checked it, I know because the image and the MD5 file are still in my downloads folder and I clicked no other firmware links.

Everything is on and will remain on the charger. Thank you gents.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by knc1

@Geekmaster:
Not only do I have that exact model Kindle -
I have the Kindle that the factory loaded with that update_*.bin file.
AND
It does have a working serial port now.

Do you think we should disable that PW3 factory image until we find out what is wrong?

Oops - I didn't ask if they ran the md5sum test in the form.

I have 182 downloads of the PW3 image, plus whatever you have. How many PW3s have had reported problems? What percentage error rate deserves a temporary takedown? And yes, lets get him to test his md5sum. Perhaps he has a corrupted firmware file. If he has corrupted factory firmware, see if he can get into diags and fix it from there. I am too tired to think straight. We can continue this in the morning. Just throwing some ideas out there for you to persue when you awake.

If his md5sum is WRONG, see if you can get a copy from him and duplciate his problem on your end, then figure out how to fix it. As I said, it MIGHT require a serial port solution, but hopefully not (i.e. a diags flag file).

[knc1]

I don't get per/file stats -
But in general, about 1/2 of what you see.
So, 270 ... 300 PW3 downloads, and I think 5 problems, ~ 2%

That is a bit higher than I like, but if we turn the PW-3 files off, we get no more information.
And this is a non-typical PW-3 hang (going to YKNR screen from a DO_FACTORY_RESTORE - that function is supposed to clear the counter, not trip it).

Why don't we leave them up, at least over-night, say another 12 hours.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by bloodien0se

Replaced the image, thank you.

Screen worked perfectly before the downgrade. It's very new but I have another so don't worry about it too much at the moment, I know the risk I was taking.

I certainly used the update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin, and I MD5 hash checked it, I know because the image and the MD5 file are still in my downloads folder and I clicked no other firmware links.

Everything is on and will remain on the charger. Thank you gents.

Ahh. Good. We had overlapping edit sessions, so out of sync posts. Ignore some of my posted thoughts that no longer apply. But worth keeping for future problems (if any). We have a very low download count for the MD5 files, compared to the firmware images. Good to know yours is not corrupt, but that leaves more questions unanswered, which we have yet to formulate. It may take a few back-and-forths to solve this. But sleep first. Good night.

EDIT: Though if you can figure out what I was suggesting to knc1, see if you can get into diags mode with an "ENABLE_DIAGS" file. Meanwhile, study the serial port method and figure out how to attach the wires, or practice your soldering skills, just in case needed.

[geekmaster]

Originally Posted by bloodien0se

Replaced the image, thank you.

Screen worked perfectly before the downgrade. It's very new but I have another so don't worry about it too much at the moment, I know the risk I was taking.

I certainly used the update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin, and I MD5 hash checked it, I know because the image and the MD5 file are still in my downloads folder and I clicked no other firmware links.

Everything is on and will remain on the charger. Thank you gents.

Meanwhile, I gave you a buttload (126 gallons) of karma to cheer you up. Cheers!

[jprince]

First six characters of serial number: G090G1
Firmware version before you started this procedure: 5.8.1

Feature related:
Was this Kindle registered with Amazon? yes
Was this an ad supported (Special Offers) Kindle? yes
Was a passcode set? no

Special sub-steps:
Did you clear the passcode before the downgrade? yes
Did you do the 'Reset (to factory results)' sub-step? yes

Internal data related:
Using the Kindle's Cloud Account or local or both? both
Where you using collections? no
Where you using bookmarks? no
Where you using annotations? no
Native language in use: US English

Kindle Hung:
What is the filename of factory initial update that was used? update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin
Which mirror did you get it from? mediafire
Confirmed the MD5: 07a7f86ad9ad72d3bea4f5de02685400

Approximately how long did the downgrade process run? 10ish minutes?
What was showing on the screen when it 'hung'? It cycled to boot, however, the "active" graphics don't fill the whole screen, rather the upper right. Perhaps as if it doesn't know its dimensions?

When the USB cable was connected, Kindle to PC, could you see the storage on the Kindle? yes, originally, however, after trying DO_FACTORY_RESTORE (and I mean, I did a touch -m /Volumes/Kindle/DO_FACTORY_RESTORE to create the file, it no longer seems to mount. However, the first time after that, it proceeded to ask what language I wanted to use. The graphics were/are still small, but the onscreen hit targets matched as if it were full size. Regardless, hitting Next lead back into boot cycling
What sort of response did your PC make when you plugged in the Kindle? originally, mounted via USB for a short time
Did using a USB-2 vs a USB-3 port on the PC make a difference? no
Was this same cable and same port working normally before the downgrade? yes

Normally, a Kindle is re-booted without any USB cable connected.
Leave the USB cable connected, Kindle-to-PC, re-boot Kindle (hold power button 40 seconds or more, ignore any pop-up panels seen).
What was the result? Same, now. Actually, 40 seconds doesn't seem to change anything. It continues to boot cycle as if you were not holding the power button, although, I'm not sure how that normally behaves. I'd not owned it long enough to have ever rebooted it that way


What OS and OS version in use on your PC: Mac OS X 10.11.5 (15F34)
USB-2 or USB-3 ports, or both? Both

Recovery:
If your PC could 'see' the Kindle storage (even briefly) try putting a file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
(all caps, no extension, no contents)
into the top level of visible USB storage.
Then use the power button to re-boot the Kindle
describe the result here: Described above


Does the 'hung' Kindle boot far enough to show the main screen, can you access the search bar? no

Other info: Actually, after reading other posts in this thread, my experience sounds very much like bloodien0se. The graphics I get pretty much match theirs—filling the upper right of the screen, as if it were using graphics intended for the Kindle PW version with less DPI.

[geekmaster]

Again, plug it into the charge until we can deal with this. I think perhaps we need the full device info (settings menu) recorded before downgrading, so we can find a pattern in this. Do not publish it -- just a PM to knc1 and NiLuJe (who needs to find a pattern in mysterious new serial numbers for kindletool) and me to look at too when I have time (very limited now). Need sleep... zzzzz.

P.S. We are considering taking the PW3 image offline even though it has about a 98% success rate, just to be safe, until we figure this out. Howeve, *I* think we just post a "2% chance of bricking your PW3" warning and let the user decide it he can afford that risk. What do you think?

[Bruffandino]

Here's my report (see my post from the main thread)


First six characters of serial number: G090G1
Firmware version before you started this procedure: 5.8.1

Feature related:
Was this Kindle registered with Amazon? yes
Was this an ad supported (Special Offers) Kindle? yes
Was a passcode set? no

Special sub-steps:
Did you clear the passcode before the downgrade? no (there wasn't any)
Did you do the 'Reset (to factory results)' sub-step? yes

Internal data related:
Using the Kindle's Cloud Account or local or both? both
Where you using collections? no
Where you using bookmarks? yes
Where you using annotations? no
Native language in use: US English

Kindle Hung:
What is the filename of factory initial update that was used? update_PW3_5.6.1.1_initial.bin
Which mirror did you get it from? mediafire
Confirmed the MD5: 07a7f86ad9ad72d3bea4f5de02685400

Approximately how long did the downgrade process run? 10 minutes
What was showing on the screen when it 'hung'? "Need repair" screen, then cycling through update process

When the USB cable was connected, Kindle to PC, could you see the storage on the Kindle? yes
What sort of response did your PC make when you plugged in the Kindle?
It gives me access to the storage, then it disconnects when the "Need repair" screen appears

Did using a USB-2 vs a USB-3 port on the PC make a difference? not checked
Was this same cable and same port working normally before the downgrade? yes

Normally, a Kindle is re-booted without any USB cable connected.
Leave the USB cable connected, Kindle-to-PC, re-boot Kindle (hold power button 40 seconds or more, ignore any pop-up panels seen).
What was the result? Same as above


What OS and OS version in use on your PC:Win 10
USB-2 or USB-3 ports, or both? both

Recovery:
If your PC could 'see' the Kindle storage (even briefly) try putting a file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
(all caps, no extension, no contents)
into the top level of visible USB storage.
Then use the power button to re-boot the Kindle
describe the result here: it fully recovered to firmware 5.6.1.1


Does the 'hung' Kindle boot far enough to show the main screen, can you access the search bar? no