# really weird kindle problem (blank screen)



## mehrkat (Feb 11, 2011)

Hi All,

My kindle has suddenly lost its mind.

My kindle froze yesterday when driving home. It had a mostly full battery when it did so.  I tried to turn it on and then it wouldn't turn on.  After a while the kindle load screen came on and got stuck on.

Then I plugged it in to my computer to recharge (just in case) the normal screens came up on both the kindle and the computer.  I unplugged it and then the recharge screen just didn't go away.

I replugged it.    I tried holding 15 seconds and that doesn't work. It does the reload but then it goes blank.  Now I have a blank screen and a yellow light (where it is normally green)  If I unplug it the yellow light turns off but nothing else happens.  If I take the power plug and try to turn it on nothing happens.  If I hold it for 5 seconds nothing happens.  If I hold it for 15 seconds nothing happens.

I'm at a complete loss.  Its less than a year old and I treat it more gingerly than most people treat their children and never leave to suffer the elements so it seems strange that it would just die like this.  Is there maybe some secret super restart that I can use that will wipe all the memory and let me just readd everything.

Any ideas.  Are there kindle viruses?


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

The first thing I would do is to plug it in again and leave it plugged in for a few hours to make sure it is fully charged (unless you did that--not clear to me; sounds like you unplugged it once the screen reappeared).

And yes, you can do both a full restart and a restore to factory defaults. From your description, it's a K3 (now called a Kindle Keyboard)?

From our FAQs:


Linjeakel said:


> *Help, My Kindle is Frozen! What should I do?*
> 
> Don't panic! It's not uncommon for a Kindle to freeze and it doesn't necessarily mean anything drastic has happened. Restarting the Kindle by doing a 'soft' or 'hard' reset usually solves the problem.
> 
> ...


Betsy


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

I would add that it has taken 30 or more seconds of holding the power switch for my KK to restart. (Not the norm, but has happened)


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## wvpeach (Jul 12, 2010)

I agree hold the power switch for at least 30 seconds and it should restart. Failing that plug into a computer for a hour or so. 

  My Kindle was acting funny yesterday and I went to see if maybe it needed the 3.3 update and the odd behavior was because of that. Turns out they had already sent it to my Kindle and it just had not finished installing. 

  Go to settings and then hit menu again and if that is the case you'll have a command there update my kindle. You select that and the software update will install. It restarts a couple of times and then the software is updated.


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## mehrkat (Feb 11, 2011)

ok.  An update.  Sometimes I can get the computer to admit the Kindle exists and see all the information on the kindle. I've tried holding the button for 30 seconds or so and it doesn't help at all.

I tried to transfer the update to the kindle to see if that helps but when I unplug the kindle it either doesn't work at all or works for 10 or 15 seconds and freezes where it is.

I have a new question though.  Is the operating software of the kindle visible?  I'm wondering if the operating software got erased somehow.

If it so I can't find a file that looks like it could be the operating software.  There are 4 folders
.active-content-data 
music 
audible file 
documents

all of the folders are empty except for documents (that is my books). There are a few files that use calibre but no files that looks like an operating file for the kindle itself.

I've also tried to update the software by transferring it to the kindle.  My computer says its a zip file but can't unzip it so I'm assuming that its in kindle format somehow.  I haven't managed to actually get it installed yet as it keeps freezing.

The kindle periodically tries to restart but then doesn't manage it.  Its part of what makes me think its somehow a software issue.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Contact Kindle Customer Support.


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