I haven’t blogged about my Kindle in a while and thought that I would take the occasional Tuesday to go over my favorite tips, tricks, and hacks. Our first trick? Getting your own custom screen saver on your kindle. If you are wondering why you would want to do this…. I give you exhibit A…. my Kindle loaded with some of my favorite yummy men as screen savers. (note the lighting is bad so the pics are darker/off color than they are in real life…. sorry, It seems some troublemakers have hidden my camera!)
With that eye candy in the back of your head, let’s get started. Remember, it may seem complicated but if you do it step by step its easy peasy!
If you own a Kindle 1…
Collect the images you want as your screen savers, they should be 600×800 pixels big, .jpg or .png format, and black & white.
Attach the Kindle to a computer using the USB cord, making sure the power is on.
Browse to your Kindle using Windows Explorer(PC) or Finder(Mac).
Browse into your Kindle using Explorer(PC) or Finder(Mac) and within the main folder create a new folder called “pictures” and a subfolder called “screensavers” within that. Make sure both folder names are all lowercase.
Copy your collected image into the screensavers folder you just created within your Kindle.
After copying is complete, remove the Kindle from the USB connection.
With your Kindle on, go to your Kindle Home menu and press alt-z. This will create a new book called “screensavers” . Open it. You’ll see each of your pictures. You can advance through them with the previous page and next page buttons. [[Note: The new book will appear at the END of your book list]]
While viewing your pictures, look at the bottom of the Kindle screen. If you see your battery indicator and Menu prompt, press alt-F to go into Full Screen mode.
On each photo, press alt-shift-0 (i.e., alt-shift-zero). After a brief delay, you’ll get a message that your picture has been exported as screensaver. Click Close on the message.
Navigate to each of the pictures you want to use and repeat the above step.
When you’ve got all your pictures loaded, test them by going into and out of sleep mode. Alt-aA (i.e., alt-font size button) puts it to sleep and wakes it up again. Each time it sleeps, it should use a different image. If you see the same image all the time, relook at Step 3.
Congrats, your K1 now has custom screensavers!
If you own a Kindle 2…(2.3 Version Software only)
Collect the images you want as your screen savers, they should be 600×800 pixels big, .jpg or .png format, and black & white.
Make sure you computer is showing you hidden files, you will need to be able to see some hidden system files to install this hack. If you are using Windows make hidden files visible by doing this:
~Go to Start Menu, then Control Panel, then Folder Options
~Click “View” tab (at top)
~Scroll down the list: where is says “Hidden Files and Folders” & make sure that “Show hidden files and folders” is selected”
~Scroll down a bit more and UNcheck the one that says “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”
~Click OK
Download this file that contains the hack install files for K2, K2 international, and KDX.
The file is “zipped” you will need to unzip it somewhere. Open the folder and select, then right click to “copy” the file you need.
~If you have a K2 US version, which is the original Kindle 2 you will want to right click/copy the “update_screensaverhack-install-k2.bin” file
~If you have a K2 International version (likely if you bought it after October of 2009) then you want to right click/copy the “update_screensaverhack-install-k2i.bin” file
Attach the Kindle to a computer using the USB cord, making sure the power is on.
Browse to your Kindle using Windows Exploer(PC) or Finder(Mac).
Browse into your Kindle using Explorer(PC) or Finder(Mac) and within the main folder right click and paste your Kindle version .bin file here. Do not create any folders or put it in any of the folders.
After copying is complete, remove the Kindle from the USB connection.
On your Kindle go to home>menu>settings>menu>Update your Kindle and wait for update to complete. (It takes a minute)
Hook Kindle up to computer via USB cable again.
Browse to your Kindle and open it using Windows Explorer(PC) or Finder(Mac) again.
Double click the system folder to open it (this is the one that may have been hidden had we not done the first few steps)
Open screen_saver folder – Here are the original screen savers that Kindle comes with! Add or delete images to/from this folder. Save any of the original screensavers you want and delete the others. Then add your own collected images to this folder.
Unhook Kindle from computer
Now on your Kindle go to home>menu>settings>menu>restart
Congrats! After this is done, your screen savers should show up and you are done!
Information collected from Kindleboards.com
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OMG! You are AMAZING! I had no clue that this was even possible!!!! Thank you for sharing!
*runs off to download smexy pictures*
.-= Missie´s most recent blog post ..Eclipse Trailer =-.
you are welcome
I’m vigorously taking notes. I thought I was stuck with that tree image forever!
LOL nope!
yum!;)
You’re the greatest. I’m trying this as soon as I get home. Now off to find black and white photos of hot men!
.-= Lynette´s most recent blog post ..Review: Flameseeker by Kay Danella =-.
If only I had a Kindle. *sigh* But I am enjoying your pretty, pretty pictures
.-= The Queen B´s most recent blog post ..Review: Brandy Alexander Mystery Series by Shelly Fredman =-.
That is so awesome. I was really getting sick of looking at images of Emily Dickinson and Agatha Christie (as much as her books got me reading mysteries while I was growing up…I don’t want to see her picture everytime I turn on my kindle).
.-= WonderBunny´s most recent blog post ..The Cookies That Shall Not Be Named =-.
OH! That is amazing!
Totally agree about the creepy Emily Dickinson pic – especially when you turn your Kindle on and her face goes hollow to resemble a skeleton. Eek! Amazing woman, but I don’t want to stare at her mug on my Kindle.
.-= Danielle87´s most recent blog post ..‘Nicholas’ Lords of Satyr #1 by Elizabeth AMBER =-.
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by kindlevixen: {New Post} Tuesday Tips & Tricks ~ Screen Savers http://bit.ly/9Sfzae...
Thanks for the info my dear – My son has is eyes set on a Kindle for his birthday…
Good to know what tips and trick are out there..
E.H>
.-= Erotic Horizon´s most recent blog post ..Review – Bachelor Cop © Carolyn McSparren =-.
Finally got around to doing this. It worked except that I couldn’t figure out how to change the pixels of the pictures I found on Google Images to the size you said so the pictures are small. Sigh!
.-= Lynette´s most recent blog post ..How Do You Do It? Nice and Easy or Rough and Tough! =-.
Oops. Ignore my last post!
.-= Lynette´s most recent blog post ..How Do You Do It? Nice and Easy or Rough and Tough! =-.
This worked so well for me. I love when you give kindle tips! Do you have a problem with the Netgalley books having tiny print? Is there any way to fix that?
Thanks for the tips, but it didn’t work for me.
I just updated the software on my Kindle to the 2.5 version, maybe that’s it? I did everything right, but in my Kindle’s system folder there isn’t a screensaver folder. Argh. Why is that?
Does anyone know any other tricks for the newest software?
Thanks!
Found what I needed! Here:
http://charles-reace.com/Kindle_Hacks/
It worked wonders! Now I have yummy pics of Alexander Skarsgard on my Kindle! Thank you KindleVixen!
Thanks VampAngel! I need to update the post now that the new software update is out
A lot of really good work you put into this. Very helpful ! When I got my Kindle I realized how much BETTER e-ink is for reading. Still really like my netbook, for the tasks I use it for, but reading is not one of those tasks. If someone ever came out with a netbook with a dual capability screen (e-ink/LCD), THEN I might consolidate to one device. But I really do like my Kindle.
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