1. Kikir10's Avatar
    Hello!

    My playbook had no more battery so i pluged it into the wall for 8 hours. When I tried to power it on, I got a red light + a yellow light flashing and I couldn't open it.

    I've try to reset it by pushing the - and + buttons, and the power button at the same time but it's not working.

    I know I'm not the only having this problem and I guess it's because my battery was totally drained but i have no idea and to make it work again.

    I updated my desktop softare on my pc, but he won't detect my playbook when i connect it.

    Can someone help me please?

    Thank you!
    02-28-12 11:35 PM
  2. walcolm's Avatar
    hold down the power button for like 30 secs and see if it powers up. worst case scenario, you might need to debrick your PB. hope you have a recent backup
    02-28-12 11:50 PM
  3. ShimmyShine's Avatar
    Do a stack charge on it. Plug it in to the charger for about 2 minutes. Then unplug it for about 2 minutes. Repeat 6-12 times. I was told over customer support (when I had to do this to my moms PlayBook for the same flashing leds) that the hardware requires a certain amount of battery for it to recognize the power supply is plugged in to charge it. If it dies so low that the hardware can't recognize it, then it doesn't charge it. Doing it this way will slowly charge it a little at a time until it gets enough battery for that hardware to recognize it's charging. From there it will charge like normal.

    I do suggest charging it regularly, though. I know too many people who don't charge their PlayBook's (and even some android devices do this) and then have no idea how to fix it. Why let a device die? Makes no sense :P Either way, I hope this helps!
    peter9477 and Rockstar47 like this.
    02-29-12 12:21 AM
  4. Kikir10's Avatar
    I tried to plug it and unplug it into the wall like 6-10 times and it's not working...

    Any other ideas?
    02-29-12 09:44 AM
  5. Kikir10's Avatar
    hold down the power button for like 30 secs and see if it powers up. worst case scenario, you might need to debrick your PB. hope you have a recent backup
    I don't have anything important on my Playbook so I don't mind losing my apps and everything....
    02-29-12 09:48 AM
  6. ShimmyShine's Avatar
    You did it as said? Plug it into the charger for 2 minutes. Then unplug it for 2 minutes. Repeat 6-12 times. It almost has to be timed at 2 times even. If you call customer support, that's what they'll tell you to do (or at least they did I when I called in on my moms & my grandmother when she called in.. Neither know how to use a charger )
    02-29-12 10:09 AM
  7. Kikir10's Avatar
    You did it as said? Plug it into the charger for 2 minutes. Then unplug it for 2 minutes. Repeat 6-12 times. It almost has to be timed at 2 times even. If you call customer support, that's what they'll tell you to do (or at least they did I when I called in on my moms & my grandmother when she called in.. Neither know how to use a charger )
    I did it but I probably I didn't timed at 2 times even ... I'll try it again and I'll let you know! Were you using the charger that came with the playbook?
    02-29-12 10:13 AM
  8. ShimmyShine's Avatar
    Yup. I wasn't using the rapid charger, but the stock one. My moms boyfriends PlayBook did it this morning, and I just saved his using this method (so I know it works :P).
    02-29-12 10:18 AM
  9. Kikir10's Avatar


    Is this the charger you're using?
    02-29-12 10:22 AM
  10. Kikir10's Avatar
    oops forgot the pic
    02-29-12 10:24 AM
  11. Chaddface's Avatar
    It would be a good idea to make sure the charger works also. Do you have a device you could use to test the charger?
    02-29-12 10:24 AM
  12. Kikir10's Avatar
    It would be a good idea to make sure the charger works also. Do you have a device you could use to test the charger?
    Yes, I tried it with my blackberry and it was working fine!
    02-29-12 10:25 AM
  13. adrenaline_x's Avatar
    The battery is dead.

    I have had this happen once even though it was on the charger alnight.. Twice.

    Tried wiping it and it failed.. because the battery was dead.

    Unplug your charger.. let is sit for an hour and then plug it into a different wall outlet and let your playbook charge for 10 minutes and then with it still plugged in, turn it on.. I'm sure all is fine!
    02-29-12 10:27 AM
  14. ajax09g5's Avatar
    After speaking with customer support about this same issue, it was mentioned that many people are plugging their devices in upside down with the provided usb charger. The result is the connector in the PlayBook bends upwards and next time the device is plugged in, it fails to charge. If the charger is plugged in upside down, it will bend it upwards and then if it is plugged in correctly the next time it bends the connector back down but the result is a disconnect inside the PlayBook which will prevent it from charging.

    So, confirm your connector is towards the bottom of the port and not bent upward. If you tested the charger in another device and it functions properly the issue is with the port of the PlayBook. Are you getting any reaction when you plug the charger in to do the multiple charges?
    02-29-12 10:56 AM
  15. Kikir10's Avatar
    After speaking with customer support about this same issue, it was mentioned that many people are plugging their devices in upside down with the provided usb charger. The result is the connector in the PlayBook bends upwards and next time the device is plugged in, it fails to charge. If the charger is plugged in upside down, it will bend it upwards and then if it is plugged in correctly the next time it bends the connector back down but the result is a disconnect inside the PlayBook which will prevent it from charging.

    So, confirm your connector is towards the bottom of the port and not bent upward. If you tested the charger in another device and it functions properly the issue is with the port of the PlayBook. Are you getting any reaction when you plug the charger in to do the multiple charges?
    It seems like my connector is a bit higher than yours... Could that be the problem? What should I do then?
    02-29-12 11:08 AM
  16. sqa4life's Avatar
    After speaking with customer support about this same issue, it was mentioned that many people are plugging their devices in upside down with the provided usb charger. The result is the connector in the PlayBook bends upwards and next time the device is plugged in, it fails to charge. If the charger is plugged in upside down, it will bend it upwards and then if it is plugged in correctly the next time it bends the connector back down but the result is a disconnect inside the PlayBook which will prevent it from charging.

    So, confirm your connector is towards the bottom of the port and not bent upward. If you tested the charger in another device and it functions properly the issue is with the port of the PlayBook. Are you getting any reaction when you plug the charger in to do the multiple charges?
    That was a lied. I never had problem charging any position I want with the older OS until I upgraded to OS2. I unplugged it from the charger, press and hold the power button until the led disappeared, then press the power button again, wait a few secs and the pb turns on again.
    02-29-12 11:09 AM
  17. ajax09g5's Avatar
    That is definitely the issue. Contact PlayBook Support and have pictures ready to send in, I would imagine they will offer you a Same Unit Repair where this is caused by plugging it in upside down, even when all of this could have easily been prevented by placing a molded port in the device.....
    02-29-12 11:11 AM
  18. Kikir10's Avatar
    I think it might be working.. I've pushed to connector a bit lower and now, I'm getty the yellow light flashing slowly as if it was charging... I'll wait like 10 mins and I'll let you know!
    02-29-12 11:11 AM
  19. Kikir10's Avatar
    I think it might be working now. I've moved the connector a bit lower and now, I'm getting this yellow light flashing slowly, as if it was charging. I'll wait 10 mins and I'll let you know!

    Thanks
    02-29-12 11:14 AM
  20. ajax09g5's Avatar
    Great to hear Kikir10! The Pulsating green indicates charging....where it has been dead please leave it on the charger for 30+ minuets before powering on!
    02-29-12 11:15 AM
  21. Kikir10's Avatar
    IT'S WORKING!

    thanks everyone
    02-29-12 11:15 AM
  22. ajax09g5's Avatar
    That was a lied. I never had problem charging any position I want with the older OS until I upgraded to OS2. I unplugged it from the charger, press and hold the power button until the led disappeared, then press the power button again, wait a few secs and the pb turns on again.
    Feel free to damage your port! If you look at the connectors there is only one way to charge the device. Inside the PlayBook the contacts are facing up, and on the charger the contacts are facing down....so with the 5v USB charger there is absolutely no way to charge the PlayBook with it plugged in upside down.
    02-29-12 11:17 AM
  23. VerryBestr's Avatar
    After speaking with customer support about this same issue, it was mentioned that many people are plugging their devices in upside down with the provided usb charger. The result is the connector in the PlayBook bends upwards and next time the device is plugged in, it fails to charge. If the charger is plugged in upside down, it will bend it upwards and then if it is plugged in correctly the next time it bends the connector back down but the result is a disconnect inside the PlayBook which will prevent it from charging. ...
    Indeed, be careful when you plug in a USB charger. See this post by TBone4eva for diagrams of the different kinds of micro-USB plugs and ports:

    | http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ml#post7062518

    The PlayBook USB port has a different form than that on most mobile devices which accept a USB charger. The reason is that the PlayBook USB port will (eventually, when the software is ready) accept not only a charger, but also USB peripherals. As TBone4eva in the post I linked, "This means you can't rely on the old true method of just jamming the cable in because it should only fit one way, without risking damaging the port.:
    02-29-12 11:51 AM
  24. fabio984's Avatar
    My playbook doesnt turn on, what made yours work???? Tks
    12-13-12 03:28 PM
  25. FF22's Avatar
    My playbook doesnt turn on, what made yours work???? Tks
    From: Mapsonburt:

    The PlayBook OS currently shuts down at 3.5 volts. When the battery gets below 2.67V it won't show power lights or even try to start because there isn't enough juice to even power the processor to run the code on the BIOS. The BIOS is software hard coded on a chip within the PlayBook that tells it how to load the PlayBook OS and is coded such that it only recognizes signed PlayBook boot images (which is why it is so hard to root and that nobody has been able to get one to boot Android or WebOS. The BIOS software also contains some charging algorithms for when the OS is not running - ie device is powered off but plugged into a charging source. This code ONLY runs when the battery is above 2.67 volts because the processor can't run below that.

    The root of the problem is that this design issue prevents the device from accepting any charge longer than 60 seconds when the battery is too low to run the charging algorithms on the BIOS or on the OS (one runs before the device is powered on and one runs afterwards). RIM did this because Lithium Ion batteries have a nasty habit of catching fire if not charged properly so they wanted to ensure that the processor could be in control of the charging. Makes perfect sense and they probably thought they were avoiding situations like where early Li Ion batteries on laptops were catching on fire. The problem is they were a bit too aggressive in dealing with the problem at design stage. If the battery is below 2.67Volts their protective algorithms can't run but you also can't put enough charge into the battery to charge it! Hence all the reports of people having success with stack charging.

    Unfortunately there are a lot of wrong ways to do this floating around out there and getting repeated everyone someone posts a new thread on the issue. It really should be made a sticky. What is the right way?

    1) ONLY use a source that provides 1.7Amps or more of charge. The original charger provides this. The rapid chargers provide a lot more. Your phone charger only provides a fraction of this. Anything less is going to take forever to charge the battery above 2.67 volts and may not have enough juice to charge the battery AT ALL once the processor starts to run above 2.67Volts or even worse once the OS starts to run above 3.5Volts. Forget about using your computer to charge it when the OS isn't running as the computer looks for the hardware to identify itself and won't put out a full charge current unless the device indicates it can accept. Once the OS is running, you'd often CAN get enough power from the USB on the computer but that is because the OS has signaled it is OK for the computer to send it. When the OS/BIOS isn't running, the PlayBook won't take much/any charge from a computer. The rapid chargers are best as they quickly charge but more importantly do not use the (too) flimsy USB port. A lot of problems are caused by this port getting wobbly over time and the device not getting a charge at all. Everyone should have a rapid charger.

    2) Until you get your device WELL above the 3.5Volts that let's the PlayBook boot, do NOT try to start it. Every attempt drags the battery down some more and that attempt sucks much more charge from the battery than you can put in in those 60 seconds before the hardware shuts down the charging. How can you tell where your battery is? Well if you are getting no lights on the playbook on your first charging attempt you are below 2.67volts. If lights go on and then it doesn't start the OS it is below 3.5Volts. If it loads the OS and then dies it is just above 3.5Volts. If the device loads the OS it is somewhere below 5.0Volts. Depending upon where you start (how low the battery is) various techniques work best. They are: REAL stack charging (plug in for 60 seconds, unplug, plug in for 60 seconds, repeat until the processor starts accepting charging (the big battery symbol on the screen). Again, DO NOT try to turn the device on until then. You are just working against yourself and it will take much longer. You should get the charging symbol within 20-45 minutes of repeated REAL stack charging. Forget you ever heard of plugging in for 2 mins and then off for 2 mins and similar as those 2 mins of off time are COMPLETELY worthless. I have put a multimeter on the PlayBook in this state and it NEVER takes more than a minute of charge when under 2.67volts but will accept another minute of charge after a short (1-2 second) disconnection. Just do it right.

    3) Once you see that charging screen leave it plugged in to the charger (stop stack charging) for at least an hour before you try to start the PlayBook. If you don't you may end up in a situation where the attempt to start drags that battery back down below 2.67V and you have start stack charging again. Be patient, you are almost there!

    4) Fully charge your Playbook after this to ensure your PlayBook gets back to 100%.

    Unfortunately, there isn't a lot RIM can do about this now. It's a hardware design issue. I'd be interested in knowing if the fixed it with the 4G versions. I don't think I've ever seen that complaint with one of those but I've "fixed" both of mine a few times (the kids keep trying to power them on after letting them shut down on low battery despite me saying time RUN not walk and put it on a rapid charger when ever it hits the flashing red battery signal (9%). I've also helped many friends and people on the web and NOBODY who has followed the instructions has failed to get their PlayBook to charge.

    I'm convinced this fault is the reason so many PlayBooks are returned to the stores and through RMA. RIM has been very good about this but it should never have happened. Happy Charging!
    just0 likes this.
    12-13-12 04:45 PM
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