Zune 30's: Alive and Kicking!

Tim Duemig — Thu, 1 Jan 2009 16:04:34 GMT

iPod lovers can stop bashing Zune owners. The Zune 30gb units are now working again due to a temporary Y2K like bug, which was dubbed the name "Z2K9" by the Zune community. No Worries about needing to buy new units or ditching all those accessories.

For the Record, here's how I fixed mine:

I charged my 3 Zune 30's on the altec lansing speakers because I figured it had more juice than a standard usb cable... It gave enough juice within about 15 minutes to allow syncing to the pc. After they charged up, I did a manual sync to make sure internal date was updated and then manually set the clock on the unit.

Now here poses the question: Will this happen again on Dec 31, 2009 ? My bet is they will push another firmware update within the next 30 days that will address this issue... and maybe, just maybe give us something extra as a "sorry for the inconvenience". I'm also wondering how many customers Microsoft lost yesterday to Apple... guess we'll also start seeing more Apple bashing Microsoft commercials targeting Zune's instead of Vista.

Officially, here's the scoop from Microsoft on how to Fix your unit:

My Zune 30 is frozen. What should I do?

Follow these steps:

1. Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources.

2. Because the player is frozen, its battery will drain—this is good. Wait until the battery is empty and the screen goes black. If the battery was fully charged, this might take a couple of hours.

3. Wait until after noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (that's 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).

4. Connect your Zune to either a USB port on the back or your computer or to AC power using the Zune AC Adapter and let it charge.

Once the battery has sufficient power, the player should start normally. No other action is required—you can go back to using your Zune!

My Zune 30 has been working fine today. Should I be worried?

Nope, your Zune is fine and will continue to work as long as you do not connect it to your computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).

Note: If you connect your player to a computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009, you'll experience the freeze mentioned above—even if that computer does not have the Zune software installed. If this happens, follow the above steps.

What if I have rights-managed (DRM) content on my Zune?

Most likely, rights-managed content will not be affected by this issue. However, it's a good idea to sync your Zune with your computer once the freeze has been resolved, just to make sure your usage rights are up to date.

What if I took advice from the forums and reset my Zune by disconnecting the battery?

This is a bad idea and we do not recommend opening your Zune by yourself (for one thing, doing so will void your warranty). However, if you've already opened it, do one of the following:

· Wait 24 hours from the time that you reset the Zune and then sync with your computer to refresh the usage rights; or

· Delete the player's content using the Zune software (go to Settings, Device, Sync Options, Erase All Content), then re-sync it from your collection.

The Day the ZUNE Died

Tim Duemig — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:08:06 GMT

Well it's official, all 3 of my Zune's are Dead.... This is what thousands of Zune lovers are seeing at this very moment. And if they wait a little while, they'll get a completely drained unit, of which even a connection to PC won't fix. The usb connection doesn't even recognize it! The Zune boards are flooded and no official word from microsoft other than:

from zune.net support site:
Customers with 30gb Zune devices may experience issues when booting their Zune hardware. We’re aware of the problem and are working to correct it. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!

Now all I get is the following picture because the unit has fully drained itself.

Let's hear your opinons of what Microsoft should do to resolve. Me Personally, I'm thoroughly ticked off being that I have 2 Altec lansing speaker units, and jsut bought the new iHome Zune alarm clock for my wife for christmas! Can you say class action suit ???