Jailbreaking Screensaver Hack for Kindle 3.1: Using your own pictures in Kindle Screensaver...

One of the most highly sought-after features that isn't yet offered on the Kindle is for the user to select their own images for the screensaver. As it is now, when the Kindle goes into screensaver mode, it has a pre-set selection of images (many of which I find beautiful but some apparently find them ghastly). Everyone was hoping the latest version of Kindle (3.1) would include this modification, but the latest update released this week was a bit of a disappointment in this regard.

There have been hacks available, which you can download. Here is one of them that I found on How-To-Geek: Jailbreak Your Kindle for Dead Simple Screensaver Customization. The process basically has eight steps:

1. Download the Zipped file containing the Jailbreaking codes (necessary to make the Screensaver hacks work).
2. Copy the correct file (Wifi, 3G and country) to the root drive of the Kindle 3.
3. Restart the Kindle. The Kindle will be "jailbroken" after the restart.
4. Download the Zipped file containing the Screensaver hacks.
5. Copy the correct file (WiFi, 3G and country) to the root drive of the Kindle 3.
6. Restart the Kindle. New folders will be created to receive the new image files.
7. Copy desired photographs into the Screensavers folder (a subfolder under the linkss folder).
8. Restart the Kindle. The Kindle will display your new images when it goes into screensaver mode.

The page is a very understandable guide for installing the necessary files; unfortunately, the latest Kindle update prevented these hacks to be executed.

So I was rooting around on the internets and found this page: Yifan Lu's codes for jailbreaking the Kindle, updated for version 3.1. The link to the zip files containing the codes are in bottom left corner. So instead of using the Jailbreaking codes outlined in How-To-Geek, use Yifan's jailbreaking code. Then you can use How-To-Geek's screensaver hacks.

So, an updated nine-step process:

1. Go to the How-To-Geek site to familiarize yourself with the whole process.
2. Instead of using How-T0-Geek's Jailbreaking code, go to Yifan Lu's and use those. Download and unzip the zipped file containing the Jailbreaking codes (necessary to make the Screensaver hacks work).
3. Copy the correct file (Wifi, 3G and country) to the root drive of the Kindle 3.
4. Restart the Kindle. The Kindle will be "jailbroken" after the restart.
5. Go to How-To-Geek's site and download/unzip the Zipped file containing the Screensaver hacks.
6. Copy the correct file (Wifi, 3G and country) to the root drive of the Kindle 3.
7. Restart the Kindle. New folders will be created to receive the new image files.
8. Copy desired photographs into the "Screensavers" folder (a subfolder under the "linkss" folder).
9. Restart the Kindle. The Kindle will display your new images when it goes into screensaver mode.

Some very important points to keep in mind:

• According to some sources, jailbreaking your Kindle in any way voids the warranty. Others have stated that Amazon will not void the warranty for jailbreaking, but will not support any problems you have with your Kindle if there are jailbreaking hacks installed. Apparently, they can tell.
• As with any jailbreaking activity, this process could potentially brick your Kindle. I haven't run into any situations where this specific jailbreak and hack has bricked a Kindle, but like any other computer device, they can get snarky. BE SURE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING. Generally, if your mattresses still have the tags on them because you are scared the mattress-tag police will get you if you rip them off, jailbreaking is not for you.
• The jailbreaking codes and the screensaver hack codes are unique, depending on which version of the Kindle you own, as well as your country.
• You must download the Uninstall.bin files that specifically matches the jailbreaking code and the screensaver code that you use. First, copy the uninstall code for the screensaver hack, then restart the Kindle, then copy the uninstall code for the jailbreaking code, then restart the Kindle (basically the whole process in reverse). The last part of the How-To-Geek page contains more info. At any rate, you have to keep these in a safe place (I put them in my Dropbox.com folder).
• The images you use need to be re-sized to 600x800 in order to fit on the Kindle's screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[john]

This worked perfectly for me - thanks!

[Russ Fry]

Perfect instructions for the 3.1 firmware. Thanks for you help!