# Kindle locks up during sleep mode...



## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Hello,

I just received a new graphite, WiFi/3G, Kindle 3 for a gift and so far I'm enjoying it very much. I am experiencing a "lock up" issue and was wondering if you guys could help me out. I have searched the boards for an answer but most, if not all of the "lock up" issues that are reported happen when the unit is in operation whereas my specific issue ONLY occurs when I try to wake the unit up from sleep mode.

Here's the pattern:
The unit is fine and all features work as advertised. I try to leave the WiFi off in hopes it will increase battery life. When I'm finished reading for that particular session I place the unit in sleep mode by quickly sliding the power switch. The unit enters sleep mode. Awhile later I'll slide the power switch to wake the unit up and nothing happens; the unit is frozen. I'll then reset the unit by holding the power switch in the "on" position for a number of seconds which always seems to work. The unit then reboots itself and all is well; at least until it locks up again.

I've had the unit since Friday, 9/17/10 and so far, the unit has locked up on me four times. The pattern I've outlined above has been the scenario in every lock up I've experienced. I did install the 3.0.2 Beta upgrade on Tuesday, 9/21/10 in hopes it would alleviate the issue but this morning, Wednesday, 9/22/10 it locked up again. My current battery indicator is approximately at 40% and I've been trying to keep WiFi off.

I've read online that a low battery could cause the problem I'm experiencing but I have a hard time believing that at 40% the battery is considered low. Am I misunderstanding this or should I plan on keeping my Kindle at or near 100% at all times?

I'm wondering if the Kindle is trying to connect to Amazon's servers and is crashing because the WiFi/3G is turned off?

I'm wondering if the WiFi is the issue because it seems like the Kindle is constantly searching for a WiFi connection. On my iPhone I can turn off WiFi searching but I do not see an option to do this on the Kindle. Is the WiFi off when I physically turn it off? How about the 3G, is that completely disabled when I turn off the WiFi?

Thank is advance and please give me a clue.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't know the answer, but it's happened to me once as well.

Have you upgraded to the current 3.0.2 software? That may help.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Okay, the first question we always ask in these cases is:  Is the kindle trying to index a bunch of books?  If so, that might be causing the freeze.  

To check, do a search for a nonsense word, and the kindle should show you any unindexed books.


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## larryb52 (Nov 18, 2009)

pidgeon92 said:


> I don't know the answer, but it's happened to me once as well.
> 
> Have you upgraded to the current 3.0.2 software? That may help.


3.0.1 is the offical released tested software...not trying to step on toes but 3.0.2 is still in test mode...


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

I did install the 3.0.2 Beta software in the hopes it would solve the problem. This issue did occur three times with the approved 3.0.1 software and once with the 3.0.2 beta software.

I currently only have two titles on my Kindle which were purchased through the Amazon, Kindle store:

"The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian" by Robert E. Howard
"Tooth And Nail" by Craig DiLouie

I do not believe the unit is indexing because when I perform the outlined "search" test with a string of random characters I get the "no results found" message. It's my understanding that if the unit was indexing it would return a list of items that it did not search.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

When you put the unit to sleep is it in the middle of a book or is it on the Home page?


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Annalog said:


> When you put the unit to sleep is it in the middle of a book or is it on the Home page?


It varies but I believe most of the time I slide the switch the book is still active; i.e., not on the "home" screen. Am I operating the unit improperly by putting it to sleep while a book is active?


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I think it should be fine to put it to sleep while a book is active. However the K2 does not save some book information such as page location and notes until it leaves the book. I was wondering if it made a difference in your situation. When I was having problems with a K2 that required rebooting the K2 I hated losing my notes so I got into the habit of going to the Home page.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Annalog said:


> I think it should be fine to put it to sleep while a book is active. However the K2 does not save some book information such as page location and notes until it leaves the book. I was wondering if it made a difference in your situation. When I was having problems with a K2 that required rebooting the K2 I hated losing my notes so I got into the habit of going to the Home page.


Hmmm.... sounds viable. I will start closing the book before putting the unit to sleep and see if that makes a difference.

Thanks.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The device should happily sleep and wake whether in a book or at the home page. . . .if it is consistently not waking up when you slide the switch just for a second or two, you should contact Kindle Customer Service and explain things to them. . . . .


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> The device should happily sleep and wake whether in a book or at the home page. . . .if it is consistently not waking up when you slide the switch just for a second or two, you should contact Kindle Customer Service and explain things to them. . . . .


I would not say the device locks up consistently but I have experienced the issue four times since Friday, 9/17/2010. Over that time frame I've probably put the device to sleep fifty times or so and I've only experienced the issue four times. With your experience would you consider that consistent?

To clarify, I experienced the issue 3 times with software 3.0.1 and 1 time with software 3.0.2.

Thanks.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I have had 3 Kindles over the last 2 and a half years.  None of them, a K1, a DX, and a K3, have ever behaved that way.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

I just got off the phone with Kindle Support. The technician that answered my call spent a fair amount of time with me and offered up an explanation and solution.

He told me that in order to properly wake up the Kindle 3 the user must slide and hold the power switch for two seconds before releasing. Sliding and releasing the power switch in less time will result in buggy results. He also said that if the user slides the power switch and nothing happens then the user must wait 15 seconds before trying again.

I don't know but I'll give it a try.


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## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

That's good info. to know. Thanks for letting us know.
About the wifi/3G - turn off means both turns off & turn on means both turn on. There is no 1 without the other.


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## Prazzie (Oct 25, 2009)

MaloCS said:


> Am I operating the unit improperly by putting it to sleep while a book is active?


I just want to say that this sentence really tickles me. 

Sorry about the issues you're having with the Kindle.


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## CAR (Aug 1, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> I just got off the phone with Kindle Support. The technician that answered my call spent a fair amount of time with me and offered up an explanation and solution.
> 
> He told me that in order to properly wake up the Kindle 3 the user must slide and hold the power switch for two seconds before releasing. Sliding and releasing the power switch in less time will result in buggy results. He also said that if the user slides the power switch and nothing happens then the user must wait 15 seconds before trying again.
> 
> I don't know but I'll give it a try.


Very good info, let us know how it works for you.


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## BruceS (Feb 7, 2009)

I don't have to do either of these to get my K3 to operate properly.

I just slide the switch until the green switch comes on to start it. It might take 2 seconds, but I don't think so.

If you hold the switch for 15 seconds, it should cause the K3 to perform a complete reboot.


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## tlrowley (Oct 29, 2008)

Was it always on the same book?  I wonder if it's a Topaz problem?


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

BruceS said:


> I don't have to do either of these to get my K3 to operate properly.
> 
> I just slide the switch until the green switch comes on to start it. It might take 2 seconds, but I don't think so.
> 
> If you hold the switch for 15 seconds, it should cause the K3 to perform a complete reboot.


You don't hold the switch for 15 seconds but WAIT 15 seconds between tries. The technician told me that impatience when sliding the power switch can lead to lock ups.

I don't know if I believe this but I have been making a conscious effort to count out two seconds before releasing the power switch. So far, after approximately 5 sleep/wake cycles I haven't experienced the lock up issue. I'll keep doing the two second hold/release and report back at regular intervals.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

tlrowley said:


> Was it always on the same book? I wonder if it's a Topaz problem?


I was thinking the content may be somewhat responsible for the lock ups but I haven't truly tested the theory. So far, I've only downloaded/installed four books from the Amazon Kindle store. Two of the books have been removed and archived while the other two remain loaded on the device. One of the books that is loaded has been there since day 1 so that may be the culprit. I guess I'll have to remove that title from the unit before I can deduce if it was the problem.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

***UPDATE***

Well, I don't think it's the "2 second" method outlined earlier in this thread. I just received my sixth lock up during sleep mode. Since the Amazon Kindle tech suggested I try holding the power switch for two seconds before releasing it I have been consciously counting out one, one thousand, two, one thousand before releasing the power switch. From last night until this afternoon, approximately 6 sleep cycles, the unit has awoken properly. Then, about 30 minutes ago I take my afternoon break, slide the switch, hold for 2 seconds, release and... NOTHING. The unit is frozen. I reboot the device and all is well.

This leads me to believe that there could be one of four things wrong with the device:
1) The switch is bad which I don't think is the case since it works to reset the device when it locks up. If the switch was bad I wouldn't be able to do anything with it at all.

2) The wireless technology is not functioning properly in "sleep mode" which may explain why my battery level seems to discharge much faster then my wife's Kindle2. It could also explain how a process "loop" could happen that would cause the unit to lock up. I'm thinking the unit might be receiving the WhisperNet signal but can't process it because the device is asleep. The reason I think this may be a viable answer is because just before the unit locked up I purchased a book from Amazon's PC web site. I grab the Kindle to wake it up and download the book and it locks up on me.

3) The operating system or hardware drivers have some bugs. I'm currently running 3.0.2 because I thought it would solve my first experiences of the sleep mode lock ups which occurred in 3.0.1.

or...

4) The one title that's been on my Kindle since day 1 is corrupt. All other titles have been removed and archived.

Regardless, Kindle Tech Support will be receiving another call from me later this evening.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

***UPDATE***

I just read about syncing books between devices and decided I would try turning that feature off through my Amazon account. I have a Kindle3 as well as an iPhone so the syncing feature was enabled. This MAY be the culprit. I'll report back.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

I have a K2; I've noticed if I am in a hurry or I just "flick" the slider switch, the kindle is slower to wake up.  If I do it more deliberately, it wakes up faster.  It might be that yours locks up where mine just slows down. 

Thanks for the info.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**Update**

I just got the seventh lock up. This is freaking ridiculous. Now I'm pissed off. This unit is a piece of junk. Are they still selling the Kindle 2?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

My K3 is fine. Yours just may be a dud, it happens. Just call and tell them you want a replacement.


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## glarnold (Sep 23, 2010)

Just for your info...  I got my kindle (finally) on a Friday, and had more than fifty lock ups over the next two days.  Was disgusted.  Even updated to the beta software.  Emailed support.  On Monday I called, 4:00, and was told a replacement would be shipped immediately and would arrive the next day, and to send in the old one. It arrived by noon the next day, and is operating flawlessly.  No need to hold for two seconds.  Or take any other precautions.  I love it.  And I love their support. They included a pre-paid label to return the old one in the box.  Actually, it was a link that I connected to, to print out a label to use.

I love my new kindle and especially their customer service.

BTW, you can turn off the wifi.  Simply disconnect from your wifi connection.  If you do turn off wifi, both are turned off. So far, I've not tried turning on the wifi with the new unit.  Actually, the other is fast enough that I see no need for the wifi.

Just my 2 cents worth.

G L Arnold


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

I plan on returning the kindle because of this issue. I'm a web developer by day and one thing that gets under my skin is shoddy craftsmanship. I love the kindle for what it is. I loved using my wife's kindle2. I just can't deal with these software/hardware issues. The darn thing just needs to work.

I'm writing this from a brand new 32gb iPad. I know this thing works.


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## Wannabe (Nov 6, 2008)

MaloCS- First off, I love your posts. They are very detailed and specific. Second, are you just going to return the Kindle and not have them send another? That's what it sounds like you are saying. If so, please give the K3 another chance. When functioning properly, it truly is an amazing and wonderful machine.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Wannabe said:


> MaloCS- First off, I love your posts. They are very detailed and specific. Second, are you just going to return the Kindle and not have them send another? That's what it sounds like you are saying. If so, please give the K3 another chance. When functioning properly, it truly is an amazing and wonderful machine.


Believe me, I know the Kindle is an amazing device. I love the heck out of my wife's K2. I was very excited about the K3 and looking forward to it for quite awhile. In fact I installed the Kindle app on my iPhone in preparation for the K3. The iPhone Kindle app, other then being too small, worked flawlessly. No hassles, no lock ups, no problems. It did what it was supposed to do and it did it with flying colors.

In my opinion, I gave the K3 plenty of opportunities to work itself out. I don't believe in chasing my tail with computers and electronics. The device either works or it doesn't. I don't have time to figure this stuff out.

I hope that you guys will still welcome me into the book sections of the web site. I love the conversations, reviews and suggestions.

To summarize, I have fixed my Kindle issue. Unfortunately, the fix was to return it and get an iPad.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Lots of people read books on other devices, some have more than one e reader, others use the Kindle app.
You are very much welcome even if you decide for now not to keep your K3. 

Sorry that you had all these issues. Happy reading on whatever device


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> <snipped>
> 
> To summarize, I have fixed my Kindle issue. Unfortunately, the fix was to return it and get an iPad.


The iPad has lots of advantages in terms of flexibility. It may be in my family's future down the line, once I'm done boycotting Apple over DRM issues. _I can carry a grudge for a long time._ 

I am sure you'll be welcomed here, anyway.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Well, I decided to keep the Kindle as well as the iPad. I know... My wife thought I was crazy as well.  

After a serious reading session on the iPad it was apparent that the backlit screen just causes way too much eye strain. I don't know if it's related but I had a killer migraine on Friday, the day after spending a few hours reading.

The reason I thought the iPad would be a viable solution is I have the Kindle app for my iPhone which works flawlessly without any eye strain what so ever. This may be due to the fact that the iPhone screen is just too small and doesn't generate enough light to cause my eyes to start hurting. When I was reading on the iPad I swear I could see the background slightly pulsating which really started to distract me from the words on the page. I don't know if this was all in my mind but it sure seemed like it was happening.

Regardless of the iPad's limitations for marathon style reading sessions it just has so much to offer in most other Internet related tasks. From browsing the web to checking email to watching movies to listening to music the iPad is heads and tails above the Kindle. I also see the iPad as a better solution for reading eMagazines and graphic novels.

As a result, I decided that the best course of action was to keep my Kindle as a dedicated reading device and the iPad for everything else. My pocket book took a hit but I think I'll be happier in the long run.


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## Cloysterpete (Aug 21, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> Regardless of the iPad's limitations for marathon style reading sessions it just has so much to offer in most other Internet related tasks. From browsing the web to checking email to watching movies to listening to music the iPad is heads and tails above the Kindle. I also see the iPad as a better solution for reading eMagazines and graphic novels.
> 
> As a result, I decided that the best course of action was to keep my Kindle as a dedicated reading device and the iPad for everything else. My pocket book took a hit but I think I'll be happier in the long run.


Well dur!!!, Kindle doesn't even try to compete in those areas because it's not a media player...........so today I ordered an ipad because they are just so fun to use. I can't be arsed waiting for my pc to boot up when all I wanna do is check my emails, plus I have gazillion comic scans I can use on it. I thought about waiting for the next gen but the rumours about it (7" screen, facetime, cameras etc) are of no benefit to me.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Cloysterpete said:


> Well dur!!!, Kindle doesn't even try to compete in those areas because it's not a media player...........so today I ordered an ipad because they are just so fun to use. I can't be arsed waiting for my pc to boot up when all I wanna do is check my emails, plus I have gazillion comic scans I can use on it. I thought about waiting for the next gen but the rumours about it (7" screen, facetime, cameras etc) are of no benefit to me.


I don't understand your sarcasm because the Kindle has gone from a dedicated reader to a device that tries to browse the web, check email, listen to music and play games. These are all activities that the Kindle has tried to break into for the last year or so. Personally, I would love to see the Kindle get back to it's dedicated reader roots and leave all of the other stuff to mobile devices.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**Update**

After deciding to keep my Kindle 3 I contacted Amazon customer support on Friday, September 24, 2010 to request a new unit. The young lady that answered the call was very helpful and put in an order for a brand new device to be delivered on Saturday, September 25, 2010. I was a bit skeptical because "overnight" in the shipping world usually means the next business day but she assured me the Kindle would be delivered on Saturday sometime in the morning. I hung up the receiver with apprehension and looked forward to a new unit on Monday.

Needless to say, on Saturday morning, I was pleasantly surprised when the door bell rang and the UPS man was standing there with the brand new device. I have to admit, in today's day and age of shipping nightmares I was very surprised that what the Amazon agent promised was actually followed through with. I give big kudos to Amazon and their customer support staff for not only handling the issue with my Kindle but following through with their promises.

As far as the replacement unit is concerned I HAVE NOT experienced any lock up issues what so ever. With the previous unit I was averaging just under two lock ups a day before I stopped keeping track. I have to admit, I was very pessimistic about the reliability of the device and so far, I'm very pleased with the stability of the new unit. I also must say that I'm really happy I decided to stick with the Kindle because in my opinion it blows away the competition in pure reading enjoyment.

I'll update the performance of the Kindle 3 in a few days. Stay tuned.


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## Greystorm (Sep 14, 2010)

Both my wife's and my kindle 3 have been sitting on "Please wait a moment while your Kindle starts up" screens after coming back to them from sleep mode. The only way to get them working again has been a hard reboot. It's only happened once on each device so far. My guess is software bugs but your story has me a bit worried!


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

September 29, 2010 -- 4.5 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. So far, this replacement device is operating how I would expect it to.


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> **UPDATE**
> 
> September 29, 2010 -- 4.5 Days after replacement
> 
> Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. So far, this replacement device is operating how I would expect it to.


I appreciate the update.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

October 1, 2010 -- 6.5 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. So far, this Kindle is operating how it was advertised. I also noticed that my battery life is longer. With the last device I would have a full charge and one day later it would be just above the half way mark. Right now with no serious monitoring it appears that my new device has not only solved my lock up issues but solved the poor battery performance I was experiencing. I wonder if the two were related? Hmmm.

I will start keeping better track of my batter life and report back with better findings on that.


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## deckard7 (Oct 2, 2010)

Hello everybody,

I'm having the same issue, I received my K3 wifi on September 10th, since then I have had 4 or 5 lock ups, first ones with 3.0.1 firmware, then I tried with 3.0.2 and for 1 week it was waking up correctly, but yesterday and today 2 more lock ups. Just this morning I wrote to Amazon asking about this issue, to know if it could be solved with a firmware update or K3 had to be replaced, I'm still waiting the answer, but just 10 minutes ago I've found this thread, I'm happy to know that Amazon know about the problem and they provide a new K3, I live in Spain, I hope this won't be a problem. Thanks MaloCS for posting your story here.

I hope I'll receive an answer from Amazon soon.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

October 4, 2010 -- 9.5 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. I'm quickly getting to the point where I will feel comfortable claiming my "Sleep Mode" issues have been solved. If I can get to 2 weeks without any "Sleep Mode" issues I will declare this new unit a success. Time will tell. 

As far as the battery issue is concerned I'm still on the initial charge that was performed on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Right now the battery is showing 33% full. This is 9.5 days on the initial charge when I was only getting approximately 3 days with my old unit. I believe it's safe to say that this new unit has solved the battery life issues I was experiencing.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

MaloCS said:


> As far as the battery issue is concerned I'm still on the initial charge that was performed on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Right now the battery is showing 33% full. This is 9.5 days on the initial charge when I was only getting approximately 3 days with my old unit. I believe it's safe to say that this new unit has solved the battery life issues I was experiencing.


Is this with wifi or 3g on or off?
Thanks, the info will help me loosely gauge mine


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

LauraB said:


> Is this with wifi or 3g on or off?
> Thanks, the info will help me loosely gauge mine


This is with WiFi turned *ON*.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

October 4, 2010 -- 10 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report.

At 10:00 pm, mountain time my Kindle finally gave me a low battery warning and suggested I turn off WiFi to prolong reading times. So, for me and my specific style of reading I got approximately 10 days with WiFi turned ON before the "low battery" warning was given. I am recharging the Kindle as I type this and plan on using it with WiFi turned OFF to determine the battery life. Hopefully it will be at least twice as long if not more.

Stay tuned for more updates.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks for the "testing" and info. It has been really helpful to have real person experiences.


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## Jim_Kirk (Feb 24, 2009)

Just call Kindle support and ask to be sent a new Kindle K3.  

You have documented a problem that should not occur and the notes in your account will reflect all the times you called Amazon.  Get a new one sent to you now so you don't continue getting frustrated.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

Jim_Kirk said:


> Just call Kindle support and ask to be sent a new Kindle K3.
> 
> You have documented a problem that should not occur and the notes in your account will reflect all the times you called Amazon. Get a new one sent to you now so you don't continue getting frustrated.


Jim,

I don't believe you've read the entire thread. If you did I'm sure you would have seen where I did call customer support, not once but twice. The first time was for advice and the second time was for a replacement unit. The updates I've been giving are addressing the replacement device.

Thanks for your input but it's way off base.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

October 10, 2010 -- 16 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. I'm officially declaring this unit to be sleep mode lock up free! Hooray for me. 

I've been using the Kindle with WiFi OFF since October 4, 2010. So far it appears that I'm right about 80% full. If this pattern holds true then I should be able to get about 25 days of use with WiFi turned OFF.


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## unknown2cherubim (Sep 10, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> **UPDATE**
> 
> October 10, 2010 -- 16 Days after replacement
> 
> ...


I'm trying to decide if my battery is draining too fast or not. I'm downloading or email materials several times per week so that might account for it. Looking forward to you seeing how long yours goes.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I'm glad I saw this thread because my K3 is doing this too. So far I haven't documented how often, but I'm going to start doing that. Right now my guess is it locks up maybe 1 time in 3 or 4, and I think but am going to have to pay more attention, it's always showing a screen saver kind of like the boy under the tree thing but not quite. And resetting loses the place in the book I'm reading. So I'm going to document better and call CS I guess. Darn it.


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## rschlack (Oct 15, 2010)

I have the Kindle 1 since it came out and until a few weeks ago I never had this problem.  So without doing any sort of update I started getting lock ups every day.  Sometime 2 or 3 times a day.  I tried dumping all the books and reloading.  I tried to connect it to my mac and run a disk repair on the flash drive.  But nothing has worked.  I now think that either the unit is broken or this is battery related.  I've ordered a new battery from Amazon and I'll update this thread when I know if it worked or not.


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## stereo01 (Oct 14, 2010)

I just returned a Kindle 3 to Best Buy because of the same lock up problem.  The Kindle would go to sleep and I couldn't wake it up.  I had to keep rebooting the unit.  Well, I exchanged it for another brand new one and have the same problem.  I'm downloading the new update to see if it fixes it.  The update did not work on the one I took back.  Everything else works perfectly with the Kindle other than this lock up problem.  Since I have had 2 brand new units with this problem, I think it is inherent in the Kindle.  I called Tech. support but they don't have an answer.  If anyone solves this please let me know by replying in this thread.


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## deckard7 (Oct 2, 2010)

Hello,

as I said on a previous post I contacted with the kindle support 2 weeks ago, on last friday I received an e-mail from the lady who picked up my call when I called them to tell me that currently the technical team is working on a new update to resolve the problem with my kindle 3 , and that once the update is released she will contact me again.

So it seems that it can be solved with a firmware update


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## stereo01 (Oct 14, 2010)

Yesterday I updated my Kindle 3 to the latest firmware.  Since doing that, my Kindle has not locked up in sleep mode.  It's only been a day, but it's never gone that long before without locking up.  The unit would go to sleep mode and then I couldn't get it to 'wake up' without going through the whole reboot process.  I'm hoping the firmware update solved the problem, but I need a few more good days to know for sure.  I still don't trust it.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I just read the entire thread, because my K3 (wi-fi) wouldn't wake up today.  Then I held the slider on  until the green light came on and it restarted.  This is the first time it has happened.  I've had it since September 5th.  I was on a subway platform when I tried to wake it up.  Once I got it going again, I read my book on the train and before I got off I pressed Home and then put it to sleep.  Got to a restaurant and same thing -- wouldn't wake, so I had to restart again.  

Now one of my collections is missing.  The books are there, because I did a search to find one, but I had to open the book from the search results and didn't know which one would put me on the page I stopped on.

I restarted it again when I got home, but the collection is still missing.  Now I have it plugged in to get a complete charge in case this helps.

If this keeps happening, I will call Amazon Kindle customer service.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

My "Reading Now" collection has reappeared.  It wasn't at the top when I found it -- it was on the 2nd page.  Now it is at the top.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

When things get out of order it's usually because the clock lost track of the time. . . . .turn on wireless and do a sync an then restart it and I bet things go back to where they belong.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I read for hours last night and haven't had any further problems with waking up my K3 (yet).  I noticed later on that the clock was quite slow (about 45 min.), so I reset it.


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## Patra (Feb 24, 2009)

I've had my K3 since the Aug. 29th.  It has worked perfectly until yesterday when it wouldn't wake up from sleep mode.  In fact, when I tried to reset it, I had to try several times before the green light would come on and it finally reset.  It lost my place in the book I was reading.  That has happened now four times since yesterday.  The last time I couldn't get it to reset at all.  I called CS and he had me try to reset it again.  Of course, this time it worked.  I've had the K1, K2 and now the K3 and until this little incident, we've never had a problem.  In fact, my family now has 2 K1's, 3 K2's, 2 K3's and 1 KDX and they are all still working fine except for my new K3.  I was really unhappy when I went to dinner and ended up having to read on my iPhone!  It seems strange that it would start acting up after about six weeks. Another thing I found strange is that the keyboard was a little warm to the touch the last time I had to reset it.  Now it is cool.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

October 18, 2010 -- 24 Days after replacement

Still no "Sleep Mode" lock ups to report. In fact, I have sent the old unit back to Amazon.

I've been using the Kindle with WiFi OFF since October 4, 2010. So far it appears that I'm right about 50% full; that's 2 weeks and ONLY 50% battery used. It looks like I am going to get the estimated battery life out of this unit.

Whatever issue was causing my Kindle 3 to lock up during sleep mode appears to have been the cause for my poor battery life in the old unit. The new unit seems to be operating per Amazon's claims. It also seems like some of your folks are experiencing the same issue I was. I would get a replacement sent out as soon as possible.

Good luck.


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## noname (Oct 19, 2010)

My Kindle was charging, and was asleep, and when I turned it on, part of the screen was normal, but most of the screen was stuck on sleep mode, even when I turned it off. Also, I don't know what version I have, but I can't take the battery out or reset it like you guys are talking about. HELP!!!!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

noname said:


> My Kindle was charging, and was asleep, and when I turned it on, part of the screen was normal, but most of the screen was stuck on sleep mode, even when I turned it off. Also, I don't know what version I have, but I can't take the battery out or reset it like you guys are talking about. HELP!!!!


You can do a restart by sliding the switch and holding it until the until the screen responds. . .it might take 30 - 40 seconds. (I'm assuming you have at least a K2 -- if it's actually a K1 the method is different.) If that doesn't work, plug it in to be sure it's fully charged, unplug it, and try again.

But, frankly, from your description, it sounds like the screen has gone bad. . . .there's no way to fix that, so you should contact Kindle CS to find out if you are eligible for a replacement. If your Kindle is less than a year old, you probably are.


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## MaloCS (Sep 22, 2010)

**UPDATE**

I've been using the Kindle with WiFi _*OFF*_ since October 4, 2010; a total of 19 days. So far it appears that I'm right about 35% full.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Mine has been fine since I had the problem last Sunday.  Once I charged it up, it was good.


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## Gingy (Oct 15, 2010)

MaloCS said:


> I just got off the phone with Kindle Support. The technician that answered my call spent a fair amount of time with me and offered up an explanation and solution.
> 
> He told me that in order to properly wake up the Kindle 3 the user must slide and hold the power switch for two seconds before releasing. Sliding and releasing the power switch in less time will result in buggy results. He also said that if the user slides the power switch and nothing happens then the user must wait 15 seconds before trying again.
> 
> I don't know but I'll give it a try.


Thank you so much. The 15 seconds trick worked.


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## gehusi (Nov 21, 2010)

I have been experiencing the same issue Malo described. Problem is, this is my THIRD K3. The first one had the lock up problem, Amazon sent me a new one. The second had the same problem, Amazon sent me another one. Now this one is locking up as well. What lottery do I have to win to get a functioning K3?


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

The lock up problem described here is an indexing problem. It will NOT show up when you check to see if books are still indexing, because it's a corrupted file, NOT a problem with a book still indexing. The indexing files need to be deleted, and your kindle restarted so it can re-index all the files. Apologies because I can't remember the name of the indexing file folder, but customer service SHOULD be able to identify this problem as it is a known issue. There's nothing wrong with the device itself.


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## gehusi (Nov 21, 2010)

Stacy, what you would recommend asking customer service so as to most efficiently work with them to fix the issue?


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## JD (Aug 27, 2010)

I had this exact problem with two kindles. For me the issue was resolved by removing the amazon cover for the device. Since then I have experienced no freezing when walking up or random reboots when asleep. 

I was skeptical at first but removing the cover solved my problems.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Hard to say. Maybe tell them that your kindle is locking up in sleep mode, and that another kindle user with the same problem said the CS rep said was a problem with indexing, and walked her through deleting the indexing files. But it's so hit and miss with Kindle CS. Some of them really know their stuff, and others are still saying things like "200 files is a HUGE NUMBER of files to put on your kindle."


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## gehusi (Nov 21, 2010)

I'll give it a college try and report back.


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## gehusi (Nov 21, 2010)

Completed the indexing fix. Unfortunately the device still freezes up once every 5 to 10 times I put it in sleep mode. I can't seem to find an answer to this problem, and at this point I'm thinking one probably doesn't exist. You are completely right about Kindle customer service - I can call three different times and get three completely different answers. CS is all over the map in terms of skill level.

Very frustrating as I like the device so much otherwise!


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

I hear you. So here's my update: I started having the identical problem again. This time though, I was able to identify the corrupted file (which happened to be a free short story download in .prc format, that I got from Tor.com and imported into Calibre, then to my Kindle.) 

I've deleted the file, so I won't be re-importing it. I've deleted the (re-corrupted) index files, recharged it all the way up, let it re-index, and will keep my fingers crossed that this solves the problem.


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## Lynj (Nov 25, 2010)

I've had the same lock up/battery drain issue since my Kindle arrived 3 weeks ago. I'm so glad I found this board! CS sent me a replacement this week, only apparently it's a refurbished unit that hasn't been all the way through the refurbishing process. It's stuck in some sort of diagnostic software mode for the Shasta WiFi component and is completely useless!

The worst part is, when I called to report this latest problem I was told that, as an international customer, I wouldn't receive a new replacement until January due to unexpectedly high demand. 

I was about to give up and try and get as much of money back as possible until I read some of the posts here, but now I'll see if I can sort this out.  I did put a lot of pdf documents on it the first day, so I'll try tidying those up first, and if that doesn't work I'll remove the cover. Thanks for the help!


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## gehusi (Nov 21, 2010)

Stacy, how were you able to identify the corrupted file? What about it let you know it was corrupted?


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## StaceyHH (Sep 13, 2010)

Battery was draining too quickly. When I checked indexing files, the same file had gotten stuck in indexing as had been stuck before. It's the only non-AMZ file I had stuck on the Kindle in about a week, (that week when the kindle was problem free.) So I'm not certain it's the only problem, but clearly it's a bad file.


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## ablmf (Dec 9, 2010)

I met exactly the same problem again and again.  After reading all the thread, I am not sure whether I should call Amazon if they would just give me a refurbished one.


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