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However - it's stuck like this after several hours showing "Starting". It's making hard-disk access noises and I am bothered: either the disk is dead or it's re-building a DB (??) after the reset.

Re-assure me, give me advice! Should I pull it again? Is this normal? As a new Karma owner I am still a scaredy-cat, so HELP! (please)

If it was rebuilding its database, it would tell you. What noise is it making? "Tick, tick, tick, whee"? If so, it could be a duff disk. Otherwise, it might just be a corrupt filesystem of some sort.

Unplug the Karma completely, switch it off (paperclip it if you can't switch it off), and plug it into the charger (not the cradle). If it still gets stuck at Starting, see the Karma FAQ; you might need to re-apply the firmware in recovery mode.

Peter