Amazon Urges You to Update your Kindle

Amazon has begun notifying its Kindle users to update their software if they wish to continue being able to download new e-books in the near future. This, however, only applies to Kindle e-book readers that are still using older versions of the software. Not updating until the 22^nd of March will result in the inability to download any content using an internet connection after that date.

Amazon has so far forwarded notification e-mails to its users saying that several devices’ software will be rendered practically useless after tomorrow, where anyone attempting to download content will be greeted with an error message stating that “Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from Menu in Settings and try again.”

If you encounter this error message starting tomorrow, you should proceed to manually installing the update using a Wi-Fi connection of choice. The affected devices that are expected to no longer function outside of offline use – with pre-downloaded books and content – are Kindle 2^nd Generation 2009 and Kindle DX 2^nd Generation 2009, running version 2.5.8, Kindle Keyboard 3^rd Generation 2010 running 3.4.2, Kindle 4^th and 5^th generation 2011-2012 using 4.1.3, Kindle Touch 4^th Generation 2011 running version 5.3.7.3 and Kindle Paperwhite 5^th Generation 2012 running the 5.6.1.1 software build.

The inability to properly function extends to more than just not being able to download books and content, also preventing you from doing things such as syncing reading progress.

In order to regain the ability to run older versions of the Kindle software, users should immediately proceed to manually updating their devices by plugging the Kindle into the mains, connecting to an available Wi-Fi and tapping the ‘Sync and Check for Items’ option from the system menu.

Some individuals may experience difficulty when attempting to upgrade. This can be the result of various factors. Such factors may include different Kindle models that require a special method of updating its native software; in this case, users should visit the official Amazon support website for additional assistance and model-specific help. Furthermore, some devices may not detect an update available in the first stage. In that case, users of pre-2013 Amazon Kindles should proceed and manually restart their devices and reattempt locating the software through the settings menu.

After March 22^nd, updating will only be possible by connecting your device to a computer with a valid internet connection and manually applying the update.

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Michael Turner

Remember that strange guy from high-school who never seems to be paying any attention to classes and is completely absorbed by his doodles and sketches? That’s was me 14 years ago. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember - according to my mom, since I was in diapers - and that has never changed - except for the diaper part. For a very long time I thought that animations and graphic design are my calling, but two years ago I got side-tracked and started building an interactive website with a couple of friends. It received instant gratification from fellow internet users, and that’s when I realized that the virtual medium is where I belong. I can freely share my passions with others, work on ingenious new projects and find the most fascinating information about, well, everything. I spend most of my free time writing reviews for crazy gadgets on ArgyllFreePress, I work as an interactive designer for an independent firm and I also received my Fine Arts degree from the University of Oxford.