4 Steps for Fixing Amazon Kindle Error Messages

Occasionally, the Amazon Kindle has its share of technical glitches and problems. Hey, no electronic device is perfect, and really, the Kindle is one of the most consistent out there.

Even so, when you see an error message on your Amazon Kindle, you might panic at first. Get yourself a glass of cold water, watch The View, calm down, and try these tips to fix your Kindle and stop its error messages from recurring.

Read the error message.

This may seem obvious, but quite a few people tend to avoid actually reading their Amazon Kindle's error message. In many situations, the error message will provide clues for how to fix it. For example, a common Kindle error explains that the battery is too low, and services that drain too much battery power (like 3G and WiFi) may function improperly until the Kindle has a proper charge.

Sometimes, a Kindle will display an "unknown error." This is because its software doesn't know what to do; it can't process a command that you've given it, even if you were simply trying to read one of your books. In most cases, unknown errors will not reoccur if you power the device off and back on.

Restart your Kindle.

Hey, speaking of which! Powering off your Kindle allows its software to shut down unnecessary processes, much in the same way that your computer needs to be occasionally shut down. To restart the Kindle, hit your Home button, then Menu, then Settings, then Menu again, and press Restart. You won't lose any data or anything else. The Kindle will take a moment to power down and back up. The battery life displayed on the Kindle may change, but restarting the Kindle doesn't make it lose a ton of your battery; it simply reassesses how drained the battery actually is.