The Inquisitr » zune

Zune Freeze: Leap Year to Blame, Microsoft Says

JR — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:46:36 +0000

Remember that teensy little glitch that caused countless Zune players to stop working on New Year’s Eve? Microsoft now says the fault lies within the fact that 2008 was a leap year. (Apparently, Zune’s programmers had no way of anticipating that sort of thing.)

The good news, though: The Zune freeze quickly dubbed “Z2K” is finally finished. At least in theory.

Zune’s Leap Year Bug

A “bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year” led to all 30GB Zunes freezing on the loading screen with the logo stuck on screen, the company says. The issue should supposedly now have resolved itself.

Frozen Zune Fix

If your Zune is still experiencing problems, Microsoft suggests you take the following 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.

You may also have to resync your Zune with your computer to restore any DRM files after completing that fix.

Zune Battery Disconnect

Microsoft mentions that some Zune users followed advice in the Zune forums and disconnected their device’s battery. If you did this, Microsoft recommends the following procedure to get your Zune back in working order:

• 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.

Zune Problems: Why Is My Zune Frozen?

JR — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:44:03 +0000

Having Zune problems? You’re not alone.

Users of Microsoft’s media player are finding their Zunes frozen and stuck on the loading screens. The widespread Zune failure is already being dubbed Z2K or Z2K9.

Zune Freeze: What’s Up?

The Zune freeze appears to be affecting the Zune 30GB models. It started right after midnight this New Year’s Eve. The Zune problems cause the devices to become stuck with the logo on screen and nothing else happening. A regular Zune reset or hard reset does nothing to solve the problem.

Microsoft Zune: Zune Troubleshooting

Microsoft has acknowledged the Zune problems and has issued the following statement:

“We are aware that customers with the Zune 30GB are experiencing issues with their Zune device. We are actively working now to isolate the issue and develop a solution to address it. We will keep customers informed on next steps via the support page on zune.net.”

You can access that Zune support page here. As of the time of this publication, the Zune news section has the following Zune help message:

“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. The Zune Social might be slow or inaccessible. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience!”

Zune Forums

You can communicate with other Microsoft Zune users about the issues in the official Microsoft Zune Forums here.

The Zune may have been a surprise hit for Microsoft this Christmas

Duncan Riley — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 01:04:04 +0000

Funny things happen at Christmas. I was researching the top gifts this year for Christmas based on Google searches and I was in for a big surprise. Along with hits for Rock Band, Guitar Hero World Tour Cheats and the obligatory iTunes references, one particular search stood out from pack.

Searches for the much derided Microsoft Zune music player.

Zune related searches peaked in the top 20 most searched for terms Christmas morning (in the US) on Google then settled mid range at 40-50 as it came off its peak.

Search terms included zune software, zune, zune.net/setup, zune.net, zune.com and www.zune.net/setup.

The volume to rank in the top search terms on Google is large, so any mention in the top 100 shows a surprisingly large number of people looking for Zune information.

The data can mean two things: lots of people were given Zunes for Christmas, and/ or those that received Zunes had no idea how to use them; the latter isn’t improbable given you need to authenticate a Zune before you can use it, the software to sync music has to been downloaded (you can’t use iTunes with a Zune), and you also can’t easily use a Zune with a Mac (the Zune client itself is Windows only).

Either way, Microsoft won’t be disappointed. The latest generation of Zune’s have received better reviews than their predecessors, and Microsoft has been aggressively pricing them compared to iPods, making them more affordable in an economy where people are looking to save money.

Merry Christmas Microsoft.

If you are looking to set up your Zune, click here.

“The Hills” Are Alive With The Sound Of Microsoft

JR — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:36:28 +0000

Microsoft is now selling some of TV’s hottest shows on its Zune entertainment service.

The software giant has announced it’ll offer downloads of programs from NBC, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, and Nickelodeon, among other networks. It’ll also have Ultimate Fighting Championship matches up for grabs starting today.

“Consumers want more than the traditional transactional model of an online music store plus portable device,” Zune Global Marketing Manager Chris Stephenson explained.

The new service will sell shows for about two bucks a pop, paid for in proprietary “Microsoft Points” purchased on the site. Shows for sale include hits like “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Rock of Love,” and — you guessed it — “The Hills.”

The announcement comes just months after NBC decided to pull its programming from competitor iTunes over a pricing dispute. The network wanted to raise its prices to $4.99 an episode, according to Apple. Though the Zune pricing starts at $1.99, the company has indicated it may offer “premium content” for a higher fee after the initial launch.

“Partnering with Zune will allow us to develop innovative content offerings for their customers, including flexible pricing and packaging options beginning this fall,” said NBC executive JB Perrette.