There is an apparent and unfortunate defect in the Amazon Kindle, which many users—myself included—have encountered. Occasionally the device will not start and will not charge, regardless of the battery level.
Amazon was apparently aware of the problem when they released the device. They even included an excerpt towards the top of the user manual on how to fix this, stating, “If your Kindle does not power on or is unresponsive during use, try resetting the device by sliding and holding the power switch for 15 seconds before releasing.”
Here’s what I recommend—and it has worked for me repeatedly.
The reset Amazon suggests often works. Do that first. All you need to do is slide and hold the power button. Hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.
If that doesn’t work though, you’ll need to do a hard reset. Keep in mind, it will void your warranty if you open your Kindle. And while this particular method works for older Kindles, it doesn’t work on the Kindle 3 or later (for Kindle 3 and up users, check the comments). Here’s how to do it:
- Peel off the back cover of the Kindle. You can do this by using a wedge (I just used my fingernail) to lift it.
- Beneath the battery (the large white thing) and to the left, there’s a small hole. Stick a pin or paperclip in there for a few seconds.
- Slide and hold the power switch for 15-30 seconds.
My Kindle started working right after that. The light actually turned on while I was still holding the power switch.
It’s an odd problem. It seems to start working again on its own if you leave it be for a few days, but it’s still rather inconvenient. If anyone finds a better method please share in the comments below.
[Image courtesy of Amazon]