Troubleshooting Erased books from Kindle after reser are again mysteriously back!

[Magy357]

Hi everyone. I have Kindle Touch for quite a while.
It was version with adverts, which I long time ago jailbreaked to get rid off those adds and put my own screensaver pictures. Mostly I upload books via Calibre.
Pls don't ask, how I jailbreak it, it was so long time ago, I really do not remember.

But some books in Kindle start stuck and cause freeze whole kindle. I need reset it and only then I can read other books without issue.

So I decide to wipe out all and load new set of books.

But no matter what I am trying, after reset (either reset device via menu or 40 sec power button hold) I have all books back!
Also no matter if I erase them via Calibre, or via Explorer while Kindle is plugged in USB...
I also checked all hidden folders and files, there is nothing, where it could be restored.

There are around 135 books, many of them unreadable/corrupted. They have altogether 150MB and even after highest compression it made 95MB file.

Biggest files are only in "tts" folder and after some search of files names I found those are only "samantha" and "tom", male and female voices for text-to-speech. So I am not dare to delete it, even I do not use this feature, but I guess it would not help for this problem at all anyway.

Any suggestion how to wipe out whole Kindle into really clean state, that after reset all books will not reappear back?

[knc1]

Can you access storage over USB cable?
At the top of visible USB storage, alongside /documents, create the file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
All capitals, no extension, no contents.

Remove USB cable.
Use a long press and hold of the power button to reboot the device.

If it seems to 'hang' while it is rebooting, hook it to a wall charger and just wait.
It will be trying to fix internal filesystem errors and could take days, even a week or two to complete and it must not run out of power during the process.

It the books reappear after that, presume hardware failure of the eMMC device.

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by knc1

Can you access storage over USB cable?
At the top of visible USB storage, alongside /documents, create the file named:
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
All capitals, no extension, no contents.

Remove USB cable.
Use a long press and hold of the power button to reboot the device...etc

Thanks for help.

I did it, but after long press power button, (around 15sec) it made double or triple black/white flash, appear factory "kindle" screen with reader under tree and within minute it restart and all books are there. After plug back to computer and check content, the file "DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" is gone. After second attempt with longer hold (40secs) it happen exactle the same thing. No stuck for hours or days, kindle is back within a minute or so after this reset.

Any idea?

[HarryT]

Can you clarify something, please? Are you seeing the books in the Kindle library, or do you see the actual files there when you connect to your PC with a USB cable and look in the "documents" folder? If you're seeing the files in the folder, then I afraid that, as knc1 said, your flash memory is hosed and you need a new device. Assuming that it's out of warranty, if you phone Kindle Customer Service and explain the situation, they'll almost certainly offer you a discount on a new Kindle.

[Eliy]

Originally Posted by Magy357

Any idea?

Just like knc1 said

Originally Posted by knc1

hardware failure of the eMMC device.

The eMMC device switched in read only mode. This hardware failure usually do not repair...

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Eliy

Just like knc1 said


The eMMC device switched in read only mode. This hardware failure usually do not repair...

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can you clarify something, please? Are you seeing the books in the Kindle library, or do you see the actual files there when you connect to your PC with a USB cable and look in the "documents" folder? If you're seeing the files in the folder, then I afraid that, as knc1 said, your flash memory is hosed and you need a new device. Assuming that it's out of warranty, if you phone Kindle Customer Service and explain the situation, they'll almost certainly offer you a discount on a new Kindle.

Originally Posted by Magy357

Thanks for help.

I did it, but after long press power button, (around 15sec) it made double or triple black/white flash, appear factory "kindle" screen with reader under tree and within minute it restart and all books are there. After plug back to computer and check content, the file "DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" is gone. After second attempt with longer hold (40secs) it happen exactle the same thing. No stuck for hours or days, kindle is back within a minute or so after this reset.

Any idea?

The above posts do apply to your situation.

The device is about 5 years old, it's time has come to be replaced.
Of course, you can still read the books that are on it until it dies completely.

These devices 'age' and a five year run is not at all bad.
Longer than some, shorter than others.

The four Kindle Touch (KT) devices I wrote about last night are all still working, some showing their 'age' more than others in the same pile.

The 'aging' of these electronic devices is very individual.
The closest any one can guess is what was posted above 2 .. 5 years.

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Can you clarify something, please? Are you seeing the books in the Kindle library, or do you see the actual files there when you connect to your PC with a USB cable and look in the "documents" folder? If you're seeing the files in the folder, then I afraid that, as knc1 said, your flash memory is hosed and you need a new device. Assuming that it's out of warranty, if you phone Kindle Customer Service and explain the situation, they'll almost certainly offer you a discount on a new Kindle.

Ok, let's make it more clear. This package of books shall be named as "A" package, which strangely stuck in device.
I can see list of "A" books on reader when I turn on device, moving through that list, select any and read - everything as usually. But within some books is error and when I reach certain page, the device stuck or I get giberrish characters.
Also when reader is plugged into computer, I can see files in documents folder.
I can erase any file, I can add another book, no matter if I do that via direct copy/paste to document folder, or via calibre.
There is one exception: in calibre if I go to "Device > Show books in the main memory of the device", select them all and let them erase, the list of books went completely empty in calibre, but after look into Kindle via Windows Explorer, some books still stay there. But then I can erase them manually via Explorer.

Then I load into calible completely different pack of books, let's call it "B" package. Let calible load them into device - no problem. After unplug device, all books from "B" package appear normally, I can see them on reader. However, I cannot read some of them. Not all, just some. Others working perfectly until last page. So once I select to read the one which is unreadable, it load first page and then whole device stuck. I cannot do anything, except reset. And aftere that - all books from previous package "A" are back, no any book from "B".
So except those wrong books it seems everything working normally, until device is reset. Whole "A" group of books are back, anything I load later are gone.

[HarryT]

Definitely sounds as if the flash memory is hosed, I'm afraid.

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Definitely sounds as if the flash memory is hosed, I'm afraid.

For me it sounds more like "planned obsolescence" of device, because I did not used kindle too intensively.

[HarryT]

You've just been unlucky. I've been using Kindles very intensively for many years, and never had a problem. Unfortunately these things do sometimes happen. If you look at this forum, though, you'll see that it's certainly not a common problem.

[knc1]

Originally Posted by Magy357

Ok, let's make it more clear. This package of books shall be named as "A" package, which strangely stuck in device.
I can see list of "A" books on reader when I turn on device, moving through that list, select any and read - everything as usually. But within some books is error and when I reach certain page, the device stuck or I get giberrish characters.
Also when reader is plugged into computer, I can see files in documents folder.
I can erase any file, I can add another book, no matter if I do that via direct copy/paste to document folder, or via calibre.
There is one exception: in calibre if I go to "Device > Show books in the main memory of the device", select them all and let them erase, the list of books went completely empty in calibre, but after look into Kindle via Windows Explorer, some books still stay there. But then I can erase them manually via Explorer.

Then I load into calible completely different pack of books, let's call it "B" package. Let calible load them into device - no problem. After unplug device, all books from "B" package appear normally, I can see them on reader. However, I cannot read some of them. Not all, just some. Others working perfectly until last page. So once I select to read the one which is unreadable, it load first page and then whole device stuck. I cannot do anything, except reset. And aftere that - all books from previous package "A" are back, no any book from "B".
So except those wrong books it seems everything working normally, until device is reset. Whole "A" group of books are back, anything I load later are gone.

Most of what is confusing you is that you are looking at cached items, or items that have been deleted from the cache (only).

The device that provides the actual storage has gone bad.

The Kindle does have storage system repair ability, you will need a wall charger, a known good usb cord and patience.

USB cable, PC to Kindle -
At top of visible USB storage, place the following filename (note: you may have to do this several times, until you happen to hit a working spot in the storage device):
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
No extension, be certain that your PC OS does not add an extension.
All capitals.
No contents.

Disconnect USB cable, re-boot Kindle.
If the filename you added was actually written to the device, and found during the re-boot start-up, the Kindle will enter a file system repair operation.

The Kindle display will look as if the Kindle is frozen showing the boy under the tree.
If it proceeds past that point in only a few minutes, the "DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" file name was not actually written to the device.
Repeat trying to put the name on the device and re-booting, again.

Once it seems to be stuck showing the boy under the tree, put it on a wall charger and wait.
The file system test and repair is very slow, it will take from days to a week or two to complete. Keep it on the charger the entire time.

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You've just been unlucky. I've been using Kindles very intensively for many years, and never had a problem. Unfortunately these things do sometimes happen. If you look at this forum, though, you'll see that it's certainly not a common problem.

Thanks for response and to all for help and effort.


Already order new kindle paperwhite and I hope it will last longer

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by knc1

Most of what is confusing you is that you are looking at cached items, or items that have been deleted from the cache (only).

The device that provides the actual storage has gone bad.

The Kindle does have storage system repair ability, you will need a wall charger, a known good usb cord and patience.

USB cable, PC to Kindle -
At top of visible USB storage, place the following filename (note: you may have to do this several times, until you happen to hit a working spot in the storage device):
DO_FACTORY_RESTORE
No extension, be certain that your PC OS does not add an extension.
All capitals.
No contents.

Disconnect USB cable, re-boot Kindle.
If the filename you added was actually written to the device, and found during the re-boot start-up, the Kindle will enter a file system repair operation.

The Kindle display will look as if the Kindle is frozen showing the boy under the tree.
If it proceeds past that point in only a few minutes, the "DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" file name was not actually written to the device.
Repeat trying to put the name on the device and re-booting, again.

Once it seems to be stuck showing the boy under the tree, put it on a wall charger and wait.
The file system test and repair is very slow, it will take from days to a week or two to complete. Keep it on the charger the entire time.

Hi knc1. I did EXACTLY that few times, only result I got was restart within few minutes. Kindle never stuck for hours neither week.
No worry, I took extra care that file is "DO_FACTORY_RESTORE" and without extension. I even changed view rules for win folders, to see if there is anything hidden.
So I think it's more serious problem and gave up. I already ordered new kindle paperwhite. So if you wish to play with this one, I can send it to you

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Magy357

Thanks for response and to all for help and effort.


Already order new kindle paperwhite and I hope it will last longer

Did you contact Kindle Customer Service and get a discount on it?

[Magy357]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Did you contact Kindle Customer Service and get a discount on it?

purchased for half price almost new device from local adverts website from person I already bought something in past, so I believe it will be ok.