Hi, guys.
Inert/dead/hung Nooks can sometimes be resurrected by this insanely easy trick.
First, so you’ll understand what’s going on:
All the Nook Tablet’s buttons are really soft buttons. Even the Power button is really a soft button: All it does is communicate with the OS.
That’s worth stressing: the Nook power button is not a simple mechanical on/off switch, but a switch that sends a signal to tell the operating system to power off.
It’s sort of like the power button on the front of most PCs. The real on/off button is usually on the back of the PC (and is absent on a Nook). A PC’s front panel button, like the Nook’s power button, communicates with the OS, sending a shutdown signal.
Why is this important? Many times (in my experience) when a nook appears dead or even bricked --- dark screen, totally unresponsive to all external input --- it’s not actually dead, but hung in a software loop.
If the Nook had a true power-off switch, you could depower the hardware, and do a cold boot. That would kill the software loop, and the system would start from scratch, rebooting normally.
But without a true power-off switch, there’s no way to stop the loop, which will run --- conceivably many weeks --- before the Nook battery runs flat. Even then, a slow decline of battery power may allow the Nook to suspend itself --- in the loop --- meaning that when you recharge, the loop resumes looping, and you still have a dead nook.
But you can force a fast battery shutdown.
Wrap your nook in airtight plastic --- a 1gal freezer bag is about perfect. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Put the Nook into your refrigerator for 3-4 hours. The cold will cause the battery to lose charge very quickly.
After 3-4 hours, remove the Nook from the fridge, but leave it in the sealed plastic. Place it someplace at normal room temperature, where air can circulate freely around the Nook. (A cookie sheet or something similar is great.)
The plastic will ensure that any condensation that happens will happen harmlessly on the OUTSIDE of the bag, where it can’t hurt the Nook.
Wait until the plastic is dry and the Nook feels room temperature.
Remove the Nook. Recharge for 15 minutes. This will put back just enough charge to get your Nook bootable, without resurrecting any suspended processes, if any.
Turn on (leaving the nook plugged in). With luck, your Nook will now do a normal power-on full boot. Finish recharging normally.
I’ve done this four times on my Nook tablet. Works like a charm each time.
(I know this tip sounds sketchy, but it’s real. Google me, Fred Langa, if you wish: I’ve been a professional technology writer for 30 years. Of course, your mileage may vary; I can make no guarantees that this will always work. But the logic is sound, and it's worked for me.)
Inert/dead/hung Nooks can sometimes be resurrected by this insanely easy trick.
First, so you’ll understand what’s going on:
All the Nook Tablet’s buttons are really soft buttons. Even the Power button is really a soft button: All it does is communicate with the OS.
That’s worth stressing: the Nook power button is not a simple mechanical on/off switch, but a switch that sends a signal to tell the operating system to power off.
It’s sort of like the power button on the front of most PCs. The real on/off button is usually on the back of the PC (and is absent on a Nook). A PC’s front panel button, like the Nook’s power button, communicates with the OS, sending a shutdown signal.
Why is this important? Many times (in my experience) when a nook appears dead or even bricked --- dark screen, totally unresponsive to all external input --- it’s not actually dead, but hung in a software loop.
If the Nook had a true power-off switch, you could depower the hardware, and do a cold boot. That would kill the software loop, and the system would start from scratch, rebooting normally.
But without a true power-off switch, there’s no way to stop the loop, which will run --- conceivably many weeks --- before the Nook battery runs flat. Even then, a slow decline of battery power may allow the Nook to suspend itself --- in the loop --- meaning that when you recharge, the loop resumes looping, and you still have a dead nook.
But you can force a fast battery shutdown.
Wrap your nook in airtight plastic --- a 1gal freezer bag is about perfect. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Put the Nook into your refrigerator for 3-4 hours. The cold will cause the battery to lose charge very quickly.
After 3-4 hours, remove the Nook from the fridge, but leave it in the sealed plastic. Place it someplace at normal room temperature, where air can circulate freely around the Nook. (A cookie sheet or something similar is great.)
The plastic will ensure that any condensation that happens will happen harmlessly on the OUTSIDE of the bag, where it can’t hurt the Nook.
Wait until the plastic is dry and the Nook feels room temperature.
Remove the Nook. Recharge for 15 minutes. This will put back just enough charge to get your Nook bootable, without resurrecting any suspended processes, if any.
Turn on (leaving the nook plugged in). With luck, your Nook will now do a normal power-on full boot. Finish recharging normally.
I’ve done this four times on my Nook tablet. Works like a charm each time.
(I know this tip sounds sketchy, but it’s real. Google me, Fred Langa, if you wish: I’ve been a professional technology writer for 30 years. Of course, your mileage may vary; I can make no guarantees that this will always work. But the logic is sound, and it's worked for me.)
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