# Access kindle memory if device broken



## csglorio (Jun 30, 2012)

Hi,
my kindle 3 (keyboard version) is broken, I contacted the support and they can send me an other one if I return the broken one.
But: I have personal documents on the device they I need to download.
Is there a way to access the memory of the kindle if the device isn't responding?
(I see only the screen-saver, soft reset, hard reset, battery removing isn't working and I cannot connect the device via USB to my PC either. If I connect the cable I see a yellow light, but it never turns green.)

Thank you for all ideas
Csaba


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Sorry to hear about your Kindle, Csaba!

Did you send the documents to your Kindle via email?  If so, you may be able to retrieve them from your Amazon account through Manage Your Kindle.  Go to Manage Your Kindle and look on the left for Personal Documents.

Regardless of the color of the light, when you connect the Kindle to the PC, does it show up as one of the devices on your PC?

Betsy


----------



## csglorio (Jun 30, 2012)

Thanks for your response.
Unfortunately I sent the documents via usb from a laptop, that I don't have anymore. A mistake, I know... 
If I connect the kindle to my PC I see "unknown device" an I cannot access it.
Can I maybe dismantle it and connect the memory directly?


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I was going to make the same suggestions as Betsy.  If your computer can't see the kindle as a 'drive' I don't know of any way to access anything on the thing.  But you might ask the question at Mobile Read forums. . .there are folks over there who do a lot more with the nitty gritty of both the software and the hardware of the kindle devices. . . .coders too, who may be able to help.  Sorry for your trouble. . .good luck!


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

csglorio said:


> Thanks for your response.
> Unfortunately I sent the documents via usb from a laptop, that I don't have anymore. A mistake, I know...
> If I connect the kindle to my PC I see "unknown device" an I cannot access it.
> Can I maybe dismantle it and connect the memory directly?


Have you tried another cable or another computer? You can't connect the memory directly. It's theoretically possible, but would take specialized equipment and someone very skilled at doing this to accomplish. The CIA could probably do it.

It's too late now, but I can't stress enough that you should not ever keep only one copy of anything that you will miss. Backup, backup, backup. Because at some point, you _will _have a hardware failure of some sort.

Sorry for your problems. I lost important info back in the early eighties on my first computer and learned this lesson.

In the future, you can do a quick-and-dirty backup by connecting the Kindle to a computer and copying (drag-and-drop) the Documents folder from the Kindle to the computer.

Mike


----------



## csglorio (Jun 30, 2012)

Dear Ann and Mike,

thanks for your response.
I've tried everything, another cable, computer, nothing works, so I give up. I think contacting a professional data-saver would be to much, it isn't worth it.

Thanks for the reminder of doing backups, yes, I know it now... I'm using Google's cloud-drive to backup my files so hopefully this was the last time I had this problems.
Csaba



Ann in Arlington said:


> I was going to make the same suggestions as Betsy. If your computer can't see the kindle as a 'drive' I don't know of any way to access anything on the thing. But you might ask the question at Mobile Read forums. . .there are folks over there who do a lot more with the nitty gritty of both the software and the hardware of the kindle devices. . . .coders too, who may be able to help. Sorry for your trouble. . .good luck!





jmiked said:


> Have you tried another cable or another computer? You can't connect the memory directly. It's theoretically possible, but would take specialized equipment and someone very skilled at doing this to accomplish. The CIA could probably do it.
> 
> It's too late now, but I can't stress enough that you should not ever keep only one copy of anything that you will miss. Backup, backup, backup. Because at some point, you _will _have a hardware failure of some sort.
> 
> ...


----------

