Jacob from Manalapan, NJ writes “The internal connector for my Kindle Fire got smashed and the usb cord to connect for charging/accessing my computer does not work now. Is there any way to get around the plug? Can I open the kindle and get direct access? The device is no longer under warranty and there are files on it that I need to access. HELP!!!!”
Hi, Jacob. Thanks for the great question.
First off, if you can’t charge your Kindle, I think that this answer may come too late to help you, because your Kindle is probably dead, but maybe this will help someone else in the future.
A smashed USB connector sucks, especially if it’s your only interface with your device. I smashed the USB interface on my Canon Rebel EOS camera, but luckily was able to buy a card reader to fix that problem. It’s not so easy with a Kindle.
Let me say this… if you want to keep your Kindle, don’t open it. A tablet, unlike a computer, is not designed to be opened. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. You also won’t find anything inside to hook your USB cable to. I’m not saying that it’s not possible to open one, only that it’s ill-advised.
You didn’t say which model of Kindle you have, but if you have a Kindle Fire HD, then one option would be to connect the Kindle to your PC via Bluetooth. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can purchase a Bluetooth dongle fairly inexpensively (around $10) to hook to the USB connector on your PC. Make sure that you’ve got the Bluetooth on your computer in “discoverable” mode. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open your options and tap WIRELESS. Tap BLUETOOTH and then turn your Bluetooth on. If you computer is in “discoverable” mode, you’ll be able to pair it there under available Bluetooth devices. Then you can transfer your files.
Another possible method, if you’re able to access your e-mail from your Kindle, is to simply e-mail the files to yourself.
I hope that this helps!
~ Randal Schaffer