How to Unfreeze a Kindle

By Jamie Wilson

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

The Kindle is a very user friendly device. While you shouldn't encounter many problems with it, the unexpected sometimes happens. Fortunately, troubleshooting the Kindle is straightforward and easy for most issues. You should be able to have an unresponsive Kindle back to normal within minutes.

Unfreezing a Kindle (3rd generation)

Step 1

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Unplug the Kindle from the computer or power adapter.

Step 2

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Slide the power switch and let it go. The power LED should glow green for a couple of seconds.

Step 3

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Turn off the Kindle by sliding the power switch and holding it until the screen goes blank. After about five seconds, the LED will blink green several times before turning the screen off.

Step 4

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Turn the Kindle back on by sliding the on/off switch and releasing it.

Step 5

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

If the Kindle is still not responding, slide and hold the power button for 15 seconds to force the Kindle into a hard reset.

Step 6

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

If the Kindle does not respond to a hard reset, charge the Kindle and give it another try.

Unfreezing a Kindle (2nd generation and Kindle DX)

Step 1

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Give the Kindle some external power by plugging it into a wall outlet.

Step 2

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Charge the Kindle for about 2 minutes. Make sure the indicator light shows that the Kindle is charging. If you don't see an indication that it's charging, adjust the connection until it begins charging.

Step 3

i Chris Behroozian/Demand Media

Unplug the power adapter and see if the Kindle responds. If the Kindle is still not responding, force a reset by sliding the power switch and holding it for 15 seconds.

×