tbh I had this exact same problem with my old A500 like a year ago!! i'm still kinda new to fixing tablets but i was so worried about the cost of getting a new one - luckily these old Acer tabs are pretty sturdy if u treat them right. basically, before u go wiping everything and losing ur docs, here are a few things i tried that saved me some cash and stress: - check if ur files are on a microSD card first!! i totally forgot i had one plugged in and most of my pics were there anyway so i didnt lose them when i finally had to reset.
- try leaving it on the charger for a full 24 hours. sometimes these older models freeze up when the battery is critically low and it doesn't even have the juice to show the charging icon properly.
- if u do need to buy anything, just grab a high quality Micro USB cable and try a different PC port - sometimes a better connection helps the computer 'see' the tablet even when it's frozen so u can drag files off. quick question - is the screen totally black or is it stuck on the logo??? hope u get ur files back soon!!

Re: "I've reset several A500 tablets in the past...." - unfortunately, those steps 0sksss provided are your only real options left, but they come at the cost of all your files. These A500 units used early eMMC flash storage and Tegra 2 chips that just wasnt as good as expected for long-term data retention. Once they start freezing like this, its usually a sign the internal memory is hitting its end-of-life. TL;DR: Soft reset via the pinhole is your only "safe" bet. A hard reset through the recovery menu will definitely erase those documents. Its disappointing because these were built like tanks, but the hardware is just too old now. Cost-wise, its better to move on. You can pick up a Lenovo Tab M8 4th Gen 32GB for very little money these days and itll run circles around the Iconia. If you really need to try one last thing, connect it to a PC using a Belkin Micro USB Cable 3ft and see if it's recognized as a storage device, but dont expect much.

I've reset several A500 tablets in the past. For a hard reset, try this:

1. Power off completely
2. Press and hold Volume Up + Power buttons simultaneously for 10+ seconds
3. When the recovery menu appears, use volume buttons to navigate to "wipe data/factory reset"
4. Press Power button to select

Unfortunately, this WILL erase your data. If the tablet boots at all, try connecting to PC via USB to recover your documents first.

Alternatively, try a soft reset first: insert a paperclip into the small reset hole on the bottom edge and hold for 5 seconds.

Good luck!