# Help! My Kindle just died

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 8, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661 "2014-04-08T19:15:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/1 "2014-04-08T19:15:00Z")

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I bought my Kindle (generation 1) last October. Just now, I was trying to turn on the wireless connection to download a book from Amazon when it just stopped working. The navigation keys were unresponsive. I turned it off (you know, when in doubt, reboot) and it came on and stopped working again. I turned it off and now I have the white screen of death. It won’t turn on again. The battery still had at least half a charge on it. Any suggestions? If it was my phone, I’d take the battery out and reinstall it but can’t figure out how to do that on the Kindle.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/2 "2014-04-08T19:28:13Z")

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Do a hard reboot, nine times outa 10 that will work.

ETA: more info…hold power switch in the “on” position for 30 seconds. Wait patiently.

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**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/3 "2014-04-08T19:30:29Z")

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**Kakayer** , how do I do a hard reboot? Thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/4 "2014-04-08T19:58:27Z")

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The first thing I’d do is just hold the power slide in the “on” position for 30 seconds (watch a clock). Then wait patiently for something to happen.

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/5 "2014-04-08T20:04:19Z")

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Even though the battery meter _claims_ it’s still half full, have you tried charging it?

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**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/6 "2014-04-08T21:15:39Z")

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YAY! The hard reboot (hold the on button for 20 seconds) worked. And now I’m charging up, too. Thanks for the help!

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-kindle-just-died/685661/7 "2014-04-08T21:31:03Z")

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> [@jayrey](#):
>
> I bought my Kindle (generation 1) last October.

Seriously? A [1st generation Kindle](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_left_ac?ie=UTF8&nodeId=200143650)??