Kobo FW 4.45.X boot loops on tolino shine 5

lks · Today, 09:46 AM

Hi,

I converted my tolino shine 5 (bw) to the kobo 4.X firmware to install koreader. This worked pretty well and I had no issues. After installing a firmware update yesterday via OTA I ended up in a boot loop with touch input not working. After hard reset I was back to Kobo(?) FW 5.13.241423). I once again enabled dev mode (device was already set to kobo) and went back down to 4.40.23081. This FW version works. Installing upgrade via OTA bricks again, since it installs 4.45.23697. Manually installing 4.45.23697 after yet another manual reset bricks aswell.

At current time I would not OTA update any shine 5 that has been converted to 4.X firmware.

Firmwares I found to be working:
4.40.23081
4.44.23552

Firmwares that boot loop and no touch input:
4.45.23646
4.45.23697

I'd test more, but the manual reset button combination seems to work like 5% of the time so it takes an hour to trigger a reset. Just gonna stay on 4.44.23552 for now. Does anyone know if either 4.45.23640 or 4.45.23684 (or any other 4.45.X FW) work? And is there any upsides to it if I'm just gonna use koreader anyways?

lks · Today, 10:47 AM

4.45.23640 also does not work.

Waldy · Today, 01:01 PM

Hi,
which version of the 5.x firmware appears on the device after a hard reset?

lks · Today, 01:03 PM

That's FW 5.13.241423, already in kobo branding.

I'm just rocking 4.44.23552 with koreader for now and it seems stable enough so far, i unfortunately don't remember which firmware version I ran before this whole ordeal.

Waldy · Today, 01:54 PM

First you needed to downgrade the firmware, preferably to version 5.10.225420, and *only then* perform the downgrade from 5.x to 4.x. Afterward, you won't encounter any issues with any 4.x firmware versions.

lks · Today, 05:03 PM

The conversion firmware from the github? the 5.10.225420 link does not seem to work for me anymore sadly. On the tolino website there's only "kobo12/Jul2025/qt6-recovery-5.10.225420/update.tar" and "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" Does 5.10.226356 work too?

lks · Today, 05:46 PM

Going via "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" seems to have worked, I'm running 4.45.23697 via OTA now. Thanks for the advice, when I read the github I assumed the conversion step was only needed for 4.X -> 5.X. It was not clear to me it is needed the other way around aswell.

What I did was:
1. Reset to 5.13.241423
2. Enabled dev mode (via update.tar)
3. Swapped to kobo mode
4. Grabbed "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" and copied the update.tar + two files next to it in .kobo. This put me on 5.10.226356.
5. Used the DowngradePackages update.tar to go to 4.40.23081.
6. Rebooted e-reader
7. Installed Updates via OTA. Now on 4.45.23697.

Thanks a lot Waldy!

Today, 09:46 AM	#1
lks Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2026 Device: tolino shine 5	Kobo FW 4.45.X boot loops on tolino shine 5 Hi, I converted my tolino shine 5 (bw) to the kobo 4.X firmware to install koreader. This worked pretty well and I had no issues. After installing a firmware update yesterday via OTA I ended up in a boot loop with touch input not working. After hard reset I was back to Kobo(?) FW 5.13.241423). I once again enabled dev mode (device was already set to kobo) and went back down to 4.40.23081. This FW version works. Installing upgrade via OTA bricks again, since it installs 4.45.23697. Manually installing 4.45.23697 after yet another manual reset bricks aswell. At current time I would not OTA update any shine 5 that has been converted to 4.X firmware. Firmwares I found to be working: 4.40.23081 4.44.23552 Firmwares that boot loop and no touch input: 4.45.23646 4.45.23697 I'd test more, but the manual reset button combination seems to work like 5% of the time so it takes an hour to trigger a reset. Just gonna stay on 4.44.23552 for now. Does anyone know if either 4.45.23640 or 4.45.23684 (or any other 4.45.X FW) work? And is there any upsides to it if I'm just gonna use koreader anyways?

Today, 01:54 PM	#5
Waldy Addict Posts: 215 Karma: 3347 Join Date: Jun 2017 Device: Tolino,Kobo,Onyx,Kindle,BN,PB,Likebook...	First you needed to downgrade the firmware, preferably to version 5.10.225420, and only then perform the downgrade from 5.x to 4.x. Afterward, you won't encounter any issues with any 4.x firmware versions. Last edited by Waldy; Today at 04:28 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Buy Kobo Clara HD - Tolino Shine 3 motherboard	dim1	Flea Market	0	10-21-2025 06:53 AM
Kobo Clara HD or Tolino Shine 3	filipides	Which one should I buy?	22	05-26-2021 12:43 PM
Tolino Shine 3 SD Card Image for Kobo	tentakel	Tolino	5	05-17-2020 05:14 AM
New Tolino Shine 3 - a Kobo Clara clone?	taos	Tolino	29	01-16-2020 10:20 PM
Kobo Glo, Tolino Shine oder PW?	jineapple	Andere Lesegeräte	4	02-05-2015 05:56 AM

Today, 10:47 AM	#2
lks Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2026 Device: tolino shine 5	4.45.23640 also does not work.

Today, 01:01 PM	#3
Waldy Addict Posts: 215 Karma: 3347 Join Date: Jun 2017 Device: Tolino,Kobo,Onyx,Kindle,BN,PB,Likebook...	Hi, which version of the 5.x firmware appears on the device after a hard reset?

Today, 01:03 PM	#4
lks Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2026 Device: tolino shine 5	That's FW 5.13.241423, already in kobo branding. I'm just rocking 4.44.23552 with koreader for now and it seems stable enough so far, i unfortunately don't remember which firmware version I ran before this whole ordeal.

Today, 05:03 PM	#6
lks Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2026 Device: tolino shine 5	The conversion firmware from the github? the 5.10.225420 link does not seem to work for me anymore sadly. On the tolino website there's only "kobo12/Jul2025/qt6-recovery-5.10.225420/update.tar" and "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" Does 5.10.226356 work too?

Today, 05:46 PM	#7
lks Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2026 Device: tolino shine 5	Going via "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" seems to have worked, I'm running 4.45.23697 via OTA now. Thanks for the advice, when I read the github I assumed the conversion step was only needed for 4.X -> 5.X. It was not clear to me it is needed the other way around aswell. What I did was: 1. Reset to 5.13.241423 2. Enabled dev mode (via update.tar) 3. Swapped to kobo mode 4. Grabbed "kobo12/Aug2025/qt5-qt6-5.10.226356/KoboRoot.tgz" and copied the update.tar + two files next to it in .kobo. This put me on 5.10.226356. 5. Used the DowngradePackages update.tar to go to 4.40.23081. 6. Rebooted e-reader 7. Installed Updates via OTA. Now on 4.45.23697. Thanks a lot Waldy!

Advert

Advert