YAFC: Yet Another Frozen CyBook

NightWhistler · 07-12-2009, 05:20 PM

I also sent this to support@bookeen.com, but was hoping that someone here might have the magic solution:

I own a CyBook Gen 3, which is a few weeks old. While reading a book
today, it froze and I have not been able to get it working again.

The symptoms:

Screen frozen, not responding to power or reset button.
If I press the power button, the green led comes on, stays lit for approximately 30 seconds, then goes off again. No change on the
screen.
When plugged into USB, the red led lights up.
The computer does not 'see' the CyBook at all when plugged into USB.

What I have tried:

combinations of power and reset button.
I plugged the Cybook into my computer and let it charge until the
battery led turned green.
I disconnected and re-connected the battery.

My CyBook is a 512Mb model, and if I remember correctly, the firmware
version is 1.2 Build 834.

I was reading a html file at the time of the crash, using the Gentium Book Basic font.

I really loved my CyBook so far, so I'm pretty bummed about it breaking like this... hope there's a way to revive it.

gerraldo · 07-13-2009, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWhistler

I
I own a CyBook Gen 3, which is a few weeks old. While reading a book
today, it froze and I have not been able to get it working again.

My CyBook is a 512Mb model, and if I remember correctly, the firmware
version is 1.2 Build 834.

I was reading a html file at the time of the crash, using the Gentium Book Basic font.

Have you already looked HERE ? There you can find THE guide about troubleshooting.

BTW: I have exactly the same model as you and after some problems at first I'd had no freezes just following some simple rules you can find in this thread: KLICK (#5)

If you can't revive your CyBook with the guides instructions, it'd be helpful if you can post a picture of your screen. Members here have seen a lot of display problems, maybe someone knows!?

Godzil · 07-13-2009, 05:49 AM

If the screen does not change, it could be due to a broken screen. Only a photo of your screen could tell us.

The non responding Cybook when started with USB, looks like a software problem, but this sort of problem should not happen without doing nasty things with your cybook, you normaly can't brick it by just reading books...

Are you sure you didn't do things nasty that you don't want to say in public ?

Ortep · 07-13-2009, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWhistler

[*]I disconnected and re-connected the battery.

This may sound like a stupid question, but after you tried al those things did you try to switch it on? Because the screen stays the same even if you take out the battery.

T_Frain_K · 07-13-2009, 06:22 AM

This is how you might be able to tell if the screen broke or the entire thing:
* Press reset -> Cybook is completely powered off
* Switch it on -> it should start (wheter you see it or not when the screen is damaged.)
* Plug it in -> When connecting to USB is now possible, it should have started normally.

NightWhistler · 07-13-2009, 10:09 AM

Thanks for the quick replies guys... let me clarify some of the stuff you asked.

I can't post a screen pic right now (I'm at work), but I'll post one tonight. My screen looks pretty weird though, since after I took the battery out it looked like it was going to start with the usual 'snow' effect, then it just halted. So my screen now shows the text of the book, partially obscured by black 'snow'.

I'm a geek, so I did a lot of digging through these forums and the troubleshooting guides... posting here and mailing Bookeen was a last desperate effort. One of the reasons I also posted here was because I saw that Bookeen's track record for answering mail wasn't great...

Quote:

The non responding Cybook when started with USB, looks like a software problem, but this sort of problem should not happen without doing nasty things with your cybook, you normaly can't brick it by just reading books...

Are you sure you didn't do things nasty that you don't want to say in public ?

Plugging it in doesn't produce any output in dmesg (I run Ubuntu), so it doesn't even register as an USB mass storage device. This makes me think it's not just a broken screen. And I wasn't reading any porn if that's what you mean

More seriously: I didn't attempt any hacks or anything of the kind. I just loaded it with some Mobipocket books (converted through Calibre), some PDF files, some html, and installed the Gentium Book Basic font.

Quote:

This may sound like a stupid question, but after you tried al those things did you try to switch it on? Because the screen stays the same even if you take out the battery.

First rule of tech-support: never rule anything out

But yes, I did try to turn it on. I actually repeated the whole procedure twice, after charging it fully. No response at all after the first time (the 'snow' effect).

Quote:

This is how you might be able to tell if the screen broke or the entire thing:

* Press reset -> Cybook is completely powered off
* Switch it on -> it should start (wheter you see it or not when the screen is damaged.)
* Plug it in -> When connecting to USB is now possible, it should have started normally.

Power buttons turns on the green led, which now stays lit.
Reset sometimes turns the green led off, but not always.

It never shows up as an USB device: it's not that the filesystem can't be mounted, it doesn't even produce the normal message that a mass-storage device has been connected (in Linux dmesg).

If there's something I've left out, please ask. I'll see if I can post a picture for you tonight.

Jellby · 07-13-2009, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWhistler

It never shows up as an USB device: it's not that the filesystem can't be mounted, it doesn't even produce the normal message that a mass-storage device has been connected (in Linux dmesg).

I think that's the normal behaviour when the Cybook is turned off, so everything seems to point towards your Cybook failing to properly turn on... I don't see you have many other choices apart from calling Bookeen or trying to re-flash the Cybook again and again hoping it will work some time.

NightWhistler · 07-13-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jellby

I think that's the normal behaviour when the Cybook is turned off, so everything seems to point towards your Cybook failing to properly turn on... I don't see you have many other choices apart from calling Bookeen or trying to re-flash the Cybook again and again hoping it will work some time.

OK, I seem to remember it turning on when plugged into USB, but not 100% sure about that one.

As to flashing it: My firmware is build 834, and the latest build available on the Bookeen site seems to be build 796. I recall reading that that build doesn't properly support the 512Mb devices?

LazyScot · 07-13-2009, 10:45 AM

Do you have an SD card in the Cybook? If so, it might be worth trying without it.

Also, did the Cybook work for a period after you installed the font (and or books)? I'm curious in case that points to a problem.

Godzil · 07-13-2009, 10:51 AM

Good question, do you had a SDCard inside your cybook when it crashed??

NightWhistler · 07-13-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LazyScot

Do you have an SD card in the Cybook? If so, it might be worth trying without it.

Also, did the Cybook work for a period after you installed the font (and or books)? I'm curious in case that points to a problem.

Yes, I had a 1Gb SD-card in the device, though it only contained 1 book. I removed it, to try to exclude as many possible causes as I could. It didn't seem to make a difference though.

Yes, the CyBook worked fine for a couple of weeks using that font. I read 2 complete books with it. I read about fonts causing problems, which is why I included the exact font (Gentium Book Basic) in my original post.

I also read at least 1 big html article before, without any problems. I've had some occasional crashes, but usually the reset button cleared it all up.

I've had one crash before where the reset button didn't help, but the device then reset itself once I plugged it into USB, so I'm willing to chalk that up to a dead battery.

Gaurnim · 07-13-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWhistler

As to flashing it: My firmware is build 834, and the latest build available on the Bookeen site seems to be build 796. I recall reading that that build doesn't properly support the 512Mb devices?

Build 796 works fine on previous 512 MB models. Can't say for the current ones.
But anyway I don't think you should reflash to a previous version.

The best current option for reflash would be receiving the build 834 firmware from Bookeen in order to reflash to the same version.

NightWhistler · 07-13-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaurnim

Build 796 works fine on previous 512 MB models. Can't say for the current ones.
But anyway I don't think you should reflash to a previous version.

I agree, and I'm kind of surprised that Bookeen doesn't offer 834 for download on their site. Does anybody here happen to have the file? Or would that void my warranty?

Gaurnim · 07-13-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NightWhistler

I agree, and I'm kind of surprised that Bookeen doesn't offer 834 for download on their site. Does anybody here happen to have the file? Or would that void my warranty?

I don't think that it would void your warranty, as the same firmware was loaded by Bookeen on your device.

But I can't remember anybody here saying that they had the files to install build 834.

LazyScot · 07-13-2009, 11:31 AM

Sorry, can't help with the firmware for a re-flash -- I'm lucky and not had to do this so far (on the cybook....).

Just to confirm, if you plug your Cybook into your computer, the red light does (sometimes) come on okay to indicate that it is charging. A little later (to make sure that the battery has power) you turn the Cybook on (whilst it is still plugged into the computer) the LED changes colour, but nothing happens to the display, and the computer doesn't show *any* messages from dmesg. The same happens if you use a different USB port. (And you do get the usual sequence of USB mesages as Linux scans and automounts other USB drives?)

To me, that sounds like something is hanging very early on in the boot process on the Cybook, since neither screen nor USB are responding. This could mean something has corrupted part of the system disk, or it could be more serious (i.e. component failure -- but at least you should be under warranty). I'd guess that a reflash is the easiest way to suggest which it is, but I have no idea what the status about warranty is with that.

07-12-2009, 05:20 PM	#1
NightWhistler Developer of PageTurner Posts: 34 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Voorburg, Netherlands Device: Samsung Galaxy S3, Asus Transformer Prime	YAFC: Yet Another Frozen CyBook I also sent this to support@bookeen.com, but was hoping that someone here might have the magic solution: I own a CyBook Gen 3, which is a few weeks old. While reading a book today, it froze and I have not been able to get it working again. The symptoms: Screen frozen, not responding to power or reset button. If I press the power button, the green led comes on, stays lit for approximately 30 seconds, then goes off again. No change on the screen. When plugged into USB, the red led lights up. The computer does not 'see' the CyBook at all when plugged into USB. What I have tried: combinations of power and reset button. I plugged the Cybook into my computer and let it charge until the battery led turned green. I disconnected and re-connected the battery. My CyBook is a 512Mb model, and if I remember correctly, the firmware version is 1.2 Build 834. I was reading a html file at the time of the crash, using the Gentium Book Basic font. I really loved my CyBook so far, so I'm pretty bummed about it breaking like this... hope there's a way to revive it.

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07-13-2009, 05:49 AM	#3
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	If the screen does not change, it could be due to a broken screen. Only a photo of your screen could tell us. The non responding Cybook when started with USB, looks like a software problem, but this sort of problem should not happen without doing nasty things with your cybook, you normaly can't brick it by just reading books... Are you sure you didn't do things nasty that you don't want to say in public ?

07-13-2009, 06:22 AM	#5
T_Frain_K Booyah! Posts: 673 Karma: 1753 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austria Device: Cybook Gen3 // Samsung Galaxy S	This is how you might be able to tell if the screen broke or the entire thing: * Press reset -> Cybook is completely powered off * Switch it on -> it should start (wheter you see it or not when the screen is damaged.) * Plug it in -> When connecting to USB is now possible, it should have started normally.

07-13-2009, 10:45 AM	#9
LazyScot DSil Posts: 3,201 Karma: 6895096 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hants, UK Device: Kindle, Cybook	Do you have an SD card in the Cybook? If so, it might be worth trying without it. Also, did the Cybook work for a period after you installed the font (and or books)? I'm curious in case that points to a problem.

07-13-2009, 10:51 AM	#10
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	Good question, do you had a SDCard inside your cybook when it crashed??

07-13-2009, 11:31 AM	#15
LazyScot DSil Posts: 3,201 Karma: 6895096 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Hants, UK Device: Kindle, Cybook	Sorry, can't help with the firmware for a re-flash -- I'm lucky and not had to do this so far (on the cybook....). Just to confirm, if you plug your Cybook into your computer, the red light does (sometimes) come on okay to indicate that it is charging. A little later (to make sure that the battery has power) you turn the Cybook on (whilst it is still plugged into the computer) the LED changes colour, but nothing happens to the display, and the computer doesn't show any messages from dmesg. The same happens if you use a different USB port. (And you do get the usual sequence of USB mesages as Linux scans and automounts other USB drives?) To me, that sounds like something is hanging very early on in the boot process on the Cybook, since neither screen nor USB are responding. This could mean something has corrupted part of the system disk, or it could be more serious (i.e. component failure -- but at least you should be under warranty). I'd guess that a reflash is the easiest way to suggest which it is, but I have no idea what the status about warranty is with that.

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