My son has leapster2. The pen stopped working - it wont connect to the letters on the screen. So he can't sign in. What can we do?

You can try calibrating the stylus pen. Hope this works :) Here are step by step instructions straight from the Leapster2 website:

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.




3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.






4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit

You can try calibrating the stylus pen. Hope this works :) Here are step by step instructions straight from the Leapster2 website:

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.




3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.






4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit

You can try calibrating the stylus pen. Hope this works :) Here are step by step instructions straight from the Leapster2 website:

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.




3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.






4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit

You can try calibrating the stylus pen. Hope this works :) Here are step by step instructions straight from the Leapster2 website:

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.




3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.






4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit

You can try calibrating the stylus pen before trying to replace it. Hope this works :) Here are step by step instructions straight from the Leapster2 website:

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.

3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.

4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit

Try to calibarte it:
Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:

1) Ensure that a game cartridge is not inserted in the Leapster2

2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER2 menu appears. Remember that you need to hold the "Hint" button down the whole time while you are pressing the power button, and releasing it.

3) The LEAPSTER2 menu will show the options Base Info, Cart1 Info, Cart2 Info, Cart3 Info, and Touch Calib. If you do not see this menu after powering on the Leapster2, turn the Leapster2 off and repeat steps 1 & 2 until you see the menu.

4) When the LEAPSTER2 menu screen appears, press the A button on your handheld.

5) Using the stylus pen, touch each of the crosshairs that appear

6) Restart unit


Source:
http://leapfrog.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/leapfrog.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1736&p_created=1221582020&p_sid=DqRj3Kxk&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=1725&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NCw0JnBfcHJvZHM9MjkxMyZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9MS4yOTEzJnBfY3Y9JnBfcGFnZT0xJnBfc2VhcmNoX3RleHQ9Y2FsaWJyYXRl&p_li=&p_topview=1

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:
1) Ensure that a cartridge is not inserted 2) Hold down the Hint (?) button while turning the unit on. Continue to hold the Hint button down until the LEAPSTER menu appears. 3) When the LEAPSTER menu screen appears, press the A button 4) Touch each of the crosshairs that appear with the stylus 5) Restart unit

My son had the same problem. Remove the game cartridge, while holding down the button with the "?" turn the unit on. Then the screen should tell you to press the "A" to calibrate the stylus. Finish the calibration by touching the crosshair when it appears. After I did this everything was fine. Good luck

Turn leapster2 off. Press and hold question mark button, then turn on leapster2. Keep holding the question mark button until you get a screen that says "touch calibration" on the right. Once you get this screen, let go of question mark button. Press the "A" button to select touch calibration. A small "+" will appear in one corner -- touch it with the pen. Repeat this for all four corners and then the middle. You have re-calibrated the pen. You can then turn the leapster2 off and then on again to play.

If you have tried this and the pen still doesn't work, change the batteries and repeat steps above.

Hpoe this helps, had the same problem with my son's leapster2, took it back got a replacement and the same thing happened within 5 minutes of turning it on!! Finally found this advice on the net.

If your Leapster2 does not respond to the stylus pen, it needs to be calibrated. Calibrating the Leapster2 is easy:
1) Ensure that a cartridge is not inserted
2) Hold down the Hint button while turning the unit on
3) When the LEAPSTER menu screen appears, press the A button
4) Touch each of the crosshairs that appear with the stylus
5) Restart unit

Good luck, seemed to work for ours