Amazon Kindle e-readers with the new UI are having a major problem. They are showing a blank screen and hundreds of thousands of users are faced with this problem. Rebooting the Kindle or factory wiping it, does not solve the issue. Amazon customer service has disclosed to Good e-Reader a new method to solve this problem, until Amazon issues a firmware update.
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Connect the Kindle to a computer via a USB cable.
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Open the file explorer (folder icon) and click This PC and open the Kindle drive.
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Create an empty text document file in the Kindle main folder called DO_FACTORY_RESTORE by right-clicking and selecting New > Text Document.
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Click on the Start menu (Windows icon).
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Type File Explorer Options in the Search Bar and select it.
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Click the View tab and un-check Hide extensions for known files under the Advance Settings section.
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Click Apply > OK.
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Return to the Kindle primary folder and delete the extension .txt from the DO_FACTORY_RESTORE file name.
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Close the Kindle window.
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Eject the device safely. It should be in the task bar in Windows. Right click on the Kindle icon and click Safely Remove Hardware, click on it and select the Kindle.
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Unplug the Kindle and restart the device by holding the Power button for 40s.
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Amazon customer service also recommended another method if the first one is too complicated for users. The company stated “We are aware some customers are having difficulties accessing content on their Kindle e-reader devices, and our teams are working quickly to resolve the issue. In the meantime, customers can contact Amazon Customer Support or take the following steps to fix the issue.”
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Go to Manage Your Content and Devices and log in to your account.
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Click Devices.
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Select the impacted device and click Deregister.
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Restart the device by holding down the power button for 40 seconds continuously
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
