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Many of Microsoft's Zune media players that froze up on the last day of 2008 because of a glitch involving their internal clock were functioning properly Thursday as the new year was ushered in, according to the company. However, a few people were still complaining of problems operating the devices Friday morning.
Microsoft said that a leap year issue caused problems with the 30-gigabyte versions of its Zune digital music player. The statement followed a flood of online customer complaints about the devices freezing up.
(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal.)
The official response, posted to a Zune forum, pinpointed “a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year.”
Microsoft also said that “the issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to Jan. 1, 2009."
An extra day was tacked on to February in 2008, making it a leap year. By international agreement, the world’s timekeepers also added a “leap second” to Dec. 31 to keep Earth apace with very precise clocks.
The internal clocks on what is known as the Zune 30 were due to reset at noon GMT on Thursday, the company said. After that, 30-gigabyte Zune users should follow these three steps:
Zune Pass subscribers may need to sync their devices with their PCs to “refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device,” according to Microsoft’s statement.
Users of the 30GB model began reporting problems on a Microsoft message board early Wednesday. Customers similarly are saying that their digital music players get stuck on the Zune logo screen as it appears to load, and efforts to unjam the device are mostly fruitless.
As of Friday morning, more than 3,783 comments had been posted on Microsoft's Zune message board in response to an entry entitled “Help-frozen zune!!!!”
“My Zune has managed to freeze itself with the Zune logo and the loading bar on the screen and none of the buttons are responding, rebooting isn't responding, plugging it into the computer isn't responding, nothing is working, and it was working a mere two hours ago,” wrote the person who touched off the discussion.
Since the massive freeze struck shortly before New Year’s Eve, some users have dubbed it “Z2K,” a play off the Y2K bug feared to crash computers in 2000.
Emotions were running high on the Zune message board as some users said they were about to cry and others went so far as to say they might even die without their player. Others cut in, telling people to “CHILL OUT.”
For some, the Zune freeze made them realize just how attached they are to their player, containing music sometimes collected over years.
“My whole life’s music is on mine, over 2,000 songs, so I damn well hope they fix this,” read a posting on the Zune message board.
A few do-it-yourselfers report having attempted an ambitious fix that involves taking the Zune apart and removing the battery with success. But most users, some afraid to dismantle their device, are waiting for Microsoft to find a solution.
The price tag of the Zune 30 was slashed by $50 to $199 in 2007. The 30GB version was the first portable music player by Microsoft, which brought it to market in 2006. Originally just dubbed the Zune, it was later renamed Zune 30 when additional models hit stores. There are several models of Zune players, some with flash memory storage and others with hard drives up to 120GB.
The Zune has between 3 to 4 percent of the digital music player market, which is dominated by Apple’s iPod, with more than 70 percent of the market. Microsoft has sold more than 2 million Zunes. In contrast, Apple sold about 10.6 million iPods alone in the first quarter of 2008.
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 | 'Zune 30 Midnight Meltdown' Angers Music Lovers | Yahoo! News | Wed Dec 31 | 2 |
| Microsoft Zune affected by 'bug' | BBC News | Wed Dec 31 | 4 |
| Leap-year glitch freezes Zune MP3 players | CNN | Wed Dec 31 | 0 |
| Original Microsoft Zune confounded by leap year, shuts down | The Seattle Times | Thu Jan 1 | 4 |
| "Zune Bug" Not MS Bug, Actually a Freescale Bug Affecting Toshiba Gigabeats Too | The Indie Army | Sat Jan 3 | 13 |
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{"commentId":4612406,"authorDomain":"bls-essex"}
People actually buy Zunes?
{"commentId":4612406,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"bls-essex"}
- 1 vote
#1 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:33 AM EST{"commentId":4612595,"authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
Yes they do.
My 30 gig is suffering from the issue but the 80 gig is fine.
{"commentId":4612595,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":4613424,"authorDomain":"xanes"}
My 80gig froze a while ago! Your lucky yours works! They better fix this fast! My friend is coming over and we planned to listen to music! >_<
{"commentId":4613424,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"xanes"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4613552,"authorDomain":"keierb"}
I'm just one out of many , apparently, that woke up this morning to find my Zune 30gb player frozen at start-up. Since 7am this morning I've searched many forums and Zune's support page to find how to correct this problem thinking it was was just my player that froze. Hahaha (sarcastically, of course) was I wrong. To correct this problem? Would be nice if Microsoft immediately as of today 12/31/08 to address this mass freeze shutdown of their players, and have consumers return their pos players, that now are great paper weights, and return them to any store that sells Zunes and replace these fine art paper weights with their new 120gb players. From reports I've read online around 12:30pm est, 80gb Zunes are now part of this freeze.
{"commentId":4613552,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"keierb"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4614313,"authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
Hmm, I'll have to check my 80 gig when i get home again.
I'm pretty sure that the most recent update to the code some how excluded leap year or this leap second thing and the hardware is having an issue accounting for either the extra second or the extra day this year. In fact I bet if you try to turn the thing on tomorrow in 2009 it'll be fine. Don't go buying a new one just yet :)
{"commentId":4614313,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4616417,"authorDomain":"laserking"}
I've heard this mess to be called the FHSoD(Frozen Home Screen of Death), so that's what I'll start calling it.
{"commentId":4616417,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"laserking"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4617424,"authorDomain":"eddiemartin"}
People who buy Zunes know they are better than iPods... Don't follow the herd!
{"commentId":4617424,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"eddiemartin"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4649092,"authorDomain":"kkrimmer"}
Better than iPods? What a stupid statement... but then some people prefer continual problems and security issues with their gadgets and computers... but I don't.
{"commentId":4649092,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"kkrimmer"}
{"commentId":4670962,"authorDomain":"larrym3369"}
Well, I would rather have a Zune lock up than have it over heat and melt like the ipod.
Look it up.
Also, lock ups.
http://bestipodstuff.com/2008/01/01/frozen-ipod-problems/
Thats for the lock ups.
do some research before spouting off about stuff.
{"commentId":4670962,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"larrym3369"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4612589,"authorDomain":"loriseaborg"}
I usually only use my Zune for traveling, so it's been in a drawer (off) for months. I read the news this morning, dug it out of the drawer, turned it on...and darn it! Mine is frozen, too. The status bar loaded up to 100% then it froze.
I can't believe this is such a widespread problem! Keep us updated!
(BLS-744646 --- There's a market for everything, even if it's not what you'd buy.)
{"commentId":4612589,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"loriseaborg"}
#2 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:47 AM EST{"commentId":4612689,"authorDomain":"cholula-1"}
It's a Y2K issue nine years later. Something to do with the elusive leap second.
{"commentId":4612689,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"cholula-1"}
- 2 votes
#3 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:54 AM EST{"commentId":4612720,"authorDomain":"angelinoinmaui"}
Typical Microsoft quality. Let's see there is the red ring of death on every X-box 360. Vista stinks, and now Zune. Of course Microsoft does not care because they are a billion $ corporation.
BUY APPLE!
{"commentId":4612720,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"angelinoinmaui"}
- 2 votes
#4 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:56 AM EST{"commentId":4614380,"authorDomain":"pheil-t"}
So apparently the only thing that's safe buying from Mickey Soft is overpriced keyboards and mice. Notice they are only talking about 30s but the guy above had a 60 freeze.
{"commentId":4614380,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"pheil-t"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4612749,"authorDomain":"hd65"}
Freezes plague everyone during winter.....geez. Where do these stories come from?
{"commentId":4612749,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"hd65"}
#5 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 11:58 AM EST{"commentId":4612798,"authorDomain":"wljarocki2723"}
My 30GB Zune is stuck, too. Your article really doesn't offer a satisfactory statement from Microsoft. I saw the statement you referenced hours ago, and I think it's just standard language that was hastily added to the Zune web page.
If MSNBC really wants to be of service, get somebody with a camera to Redmond to knock on the front door of Microsoft and see if anyone's there. I was on hold with the Zune service (lack thereof) line for over an hour and never talked with anyone and still had to listen to some awful disco music.
If this is a leap year problem, as some have proposed, Microsoft has once again failed to produce software that works.
{"commentId":4612798,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"wljarocki2723"}
- 1 vote
#6 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:01 PM EST{"commentId":4612876,"authorDomain":"joesmythandhisgold"}
I didn't know anyone owned a Zune. Sounds like they suck!
{"commentId":4612876,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"joesmythandhisgold"}
- 2 votes
#7 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:07 PM EST{"commentId":4612916,"authorDomain":"urbnsocialite"}
That's what you get for buying a ZUNE!
{"commentId":4612916,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"urbnsocialite"}
- 1 vote
#8 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:09 PM EST{"commentId":4612917,"authorDomain":"wljarocki2723"}
Normally, the Zune is a decent product. But, not today. Good thing it's New Year's Eve and productivity wasn't expected to be all that great anyway.
{"commentId":4612917,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"wljarocki2723"}
- 1 vote
#9 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:09 PM EST{"commentId":4613015,"authorDomain":"jamie-7"}
Zune -- after the outstanding reliability of various Microsoft Operating systems and the Xbox -- why would anyone buy a Zune?
Microsoft is too busy innovating to make it work correcty ;)
{"commentId":4613015,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jamie-7"}
#10 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:16 PM EST{"commentId":4613329,"authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
This is a prime example of big corporations throwing there products out there before the engineering process has actually been completed. The product manager simply rubber stamps the product, ready or not, and probably just says, we'll fix it later, out in the field, and that only inconveniences their customers. It's all about getting thatmighty dollar in their pockets, now, rather than later, and in most cases, a bigger bonus may come of it . Most industries these days, do in fact, actually engineer their product, right on the manufacturing floor. Which ultimately leads to the recalls we all hear about on the news.
In other words
SHIP IT!!!!!
{"commentId":4613329,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
#11 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:38 PM EST{"commentId":4613401,"authorDomain":"ernest-c-gunter"}
We have two Zune 30gigs, my daughter got hers for Christmas last year, and I liked hers so I bought one in March of this year. Both of our did the exact same thing this morning. Mine is less than a year old and we have never had problems with them until today when they went to the boot menu and then quit working. This needs to be resovled.
$200 a piece is a lot to spend when the product has a flaw.
{"commentId":4613401,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"ernest-c-gunter"}
#12 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:43 PM EST{"commentId":4614190,"authorDomain":"gkatzenm"}
Buying MS product is like buying a Detroit vehicle. Why would a person do that? It must be some sort of sick need to self punish.
{"commentId":4614190,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"gkatzenm"}
{"commentId":4613410,"authorDomain":"ScienceGuy"}
Microsoft has had a long history of attempting to dominate market share, not by putting out a higher quality product, but rather through illegal anti-competitive practices, intimidation of the competition, concept theft, or by simply eliminating the competition by buying them out.
A defective Zune product should come as no surprise. The fact that the iPod IS the mp3 market drives them nuts, but they haven't figured out how to successfully compete by putting out a high quality, competitive product. It's just not in their corporate genetic makeup.
{"commentId":4613410,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"ScienceGuy"}
#13 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:44 PM EST{"commentId":4614500,"authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
Wow that's a lot of angst. If your so hateful of Microsoft why you reading MSNBC on the MSN networks?
I've got plenty of high quality Microsoft products. I also have mac products like the iPod iPhone and the Macbook Pro. I've had just as many bugs/problems with all the mac products I own as I have had with my microsoft products. It's not a conspiracy or a plot --prolly a simple mistake that some programmer is kicking themselves for.
I'm pretty sure that everyone's favorite software and hardware company has had bugs and fixes in the past too.
{"commentId":4614500,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"lalbdl"}
{"commentId":4616917,"authorDomain":"pcm44"}
Not to get off topic, but with all of the modern technology you seem to hold in your hand and other resources that are readily available to you, why in the world would you think "probably" is spelled "prolly"?
{"commentId":4616917,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"pcm44"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4620612,"authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
Spel chek brok
{"commentId":4620612,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
{"commentId":4622593,"authorDomain":"lmaj66"}
lalbdl - just because someone reads MSNBC doesn't mean they cannot find fault with other microsoft products. There are many high quality products - I agree; Microsoft's challenge has been consistency of quality. Microsoft's business model - revenue growth via planned obsolescence - does not endear them to their customers; the fact that so many of the products do not deliver the promised improvement (think Vista vs XP as one example, the Zune as another) gives rise to legitimate questions about their processes, their products' reliability, and their business model overall.
{"commentId":4622593,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"lmaj66"}
{"commentId":4613533,"authorDomain":"cyberkahuna"}
Zune owners need to stop being itarded and buy an ipod.
{"commentId":4613533,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"cyberkahuna"}
- 1 vote
#14 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:53 PM EST{"commentId":4613771,"authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
The only problem with Ipods, is that they are too proprietary. I bought the Creative vision M 30 gig when they first came out, an I've had no problems. Plus I don't need no Itunes software to load my tunes in it. Plus I don't buy tunes either. I've got several friends with a big collection of music just a I do, from ripping their CD collection, so we just exchanged libraries. Now I've ot over 844 Gig of music.
{"commentId":4613771,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
{"commentId":4613820,"authorDomain":"jkellyjr15"}
And that is illegal and they are putting people in jail for it.
{"commentId":4613820,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jkellyjr15"}
{"commentId":4614322,"authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
Wrong, it's illegal if you sell it commercially. But exchanging music between friends is totally legal. You may want to read up on it some more. Why do you think they removed the DRM files from music downloads?
{"commentId":4614322,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jpcyphers"}
{"commentId":4620623,"authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
The software Is what makes the Ipod different. So many hacks, unlocks, jailbreaks, apps., etc is why it is so popular. I don"t spend a nickel at Itunes,either. So many ways to get music and movies. And legal, too.
{"commentId":4620623,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
{"commentId":4613685,"authorDomain":"baurand"}
It seems it's not only the 30gb with issues.....my 80gb is going through the same problems.
{"commentId":4613685,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"baurand"}
#15 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:03 PM EST{"commentId":4613757,"authorDomain":"jkellyjr15"}
I found out the way to solve the problem with the Zune. Please follow these steps:
1. Insert Zune player into nearest receptacle for waste products.
2. Buy an iPod.
3. Remember never to doubt that the best in the industry is that way for a reason.
{"commentId":4613757,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jkellyjr15"}
- 1 vote
#16 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:07 PM EST{"commentId":4620346,"authorDomain":"jayricardoparker"}
These people all get what they deserve! Ipod users are happy campers right now.
{"commentId":4620346,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jayricardoparker"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":4613808,"authorDomain":"icstars-1"}
My friend just informed me this is just a marketing ploy by M$ to prove there actually are Zune owners out there. I'm sure once enough owners fess up they will fix the problem. : )
I am not in the habit of listening to music at work, but I'll spin a tune for you all on my iPhone. How about The Who "Why did I fall for that" ?!
{"commentId":4613808,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"icstars-1"}
#17 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:10 PM EST{"commentId":4620353,"authorDomain":"jayricardoparker"}
Actually, this is Microsoft's way of doing a survey to find out the percentage of ZUNE owners that are NOT Microsoft employees. It's estimated that 99% of all Zune players were sold to Microsoft employees, and there's no way of knowing if there's anyone out there who actually owns a Zune and did not get it as a gift or bought through the company store. Once they get calls to fix this problem, the customer service will find out who the person is and this survey will get completed.
{"commentId":4620353,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"jayricardoparker"}
{"commentId":4614007,"authorDomain":"tuxkevin"}
"Earlier, the company said on the site that the involved booting the digital music player’s hardware."
Is there an editor in the house? Wow - that sentence is a train wreck on so many levels - and really not even needed.
Other than perhaps a BIOS or PROM, does one really "boot" hardware? Usually, its the OS that boots, after the hardware starts.
Distracts from the article.
{"commentId":4614007,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"tuxkevin"}
#18 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:22 PM EST{"commentId":4614524,"authorDomain":"icstars-1"}
Indeed, that sentence is a train wreck. I think they prehaps meant to say something about firmware.
{"commentId":4614524,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"icstars-1"}
{"commentId":4614051,"authorDomain":"kbclouds"}
K Zunes are cool this is the only time that mine has done this other than that they rock! plus ive had an ipod and they SUCK!
{"commentId":4614051,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"kbclouds"}
#19 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:25 PM EST{"commentId":4614104,"authorDomain":"gkatzenm"}
Why would anyone buy MS product if they dont have to? Do they have an inability to learn?
{"commentId":4614104,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"gkatzenm"}
#20 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:28 PM EST{"commentId":4620632,"authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
hahahahha
{"commentId":4620632,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"Drsmoothwater"}
{"commentId":4614306,"authorDomain":"AJTheSecond"}
December 31st, 2008: The day the music died!
{"commentId":4614306,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"AJTheSecond"}
- 1 vote
#21 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 1:39 PM EST{"commentId":4614953,"authorDomain":"mornelithe"}
LoL, another faulty MS product that the company knew about, go figure. I'm surprised anyone here is really that shocked. People keep buying the 360 regardless of it's technical/fabrication shortcomings, only encourages MS to pump out more garbage hardware.
BM
{"commentId":4614953,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"mornelithe"}
#22 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 2:22 PM EST{"commentId":4615957,"authorDomain":"cbcauldzaki"}
Hmmm, my 80gb is fine. Listening to it now.
Sucks for everyone else, but that is technology, it happens.
What I find odd is that my coworkers Ipod deleted her library three times at random, another coworkers ipod froze and she had to get it fixed. My sisters ipod froze up a few times, and she had to reload the whole thing, and my old roommate has this happen to his ipod twice. Other friends and aquaintances had this happen. Why was no one reporting these problems?
I'm just saying....
{"commentId":4615957,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"cbcauldzaki"}
- 2 votes
#23 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:33 PM EST{"commentId":4617110,"authorDomain":"ptamomof2"}
I am guessing the Apple has really good media control, I have asked my local news station to do a investigative story on all players not just zune and ipods and find out whats better whats worse and if it could be bad apple tech info that MS zune code writers are using that was deliberate.. to sabotage MS so to add with all their other computer related problems.
These days you never know lets just hope the lights dont go out on all zunes when the ball drops tonight
{"commentId":4617110,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"ptamomof2"}
{"commentId":4616029,"authorDomain":"psmith-2"}
My Ipod seems to be working fine. Of course I didn't get to show Steve Jobs what a bad guy he is for charging more for something that works.
{"commentId":4616029,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"psmith-2"}
#24 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:39 PM EST{"commentId":4616115,"authorDomain":"dc4457"}
Relax. They had problems with Vista too, remember? There should be a 78% efffective solution available to download by this time next year.
By this point, I pretty much feel that anyone who buys a Microsoft product during the first year it is available, if they have any other option, deserves what they get. Apparently we the consumers ARE Microsoft's research and development team... we research their bugs and defects, they develop a service pack to resolve the problems and get back to us in eight months. But the important thing is, everything is in the stores for the holidays.
{"commentId":4616115,"threadId":"457410","contentId":"2261987","authorDomain":"dc4457"}
#25 - Wed Dec 31, 2008 3:46 PM EST{"canLink":false,"threadId":"457410","isPrivate":false}
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