Full FeedThe cure for Zunepocalypse
Yesterday, we reported that 30GB Zunes had started “bricking” themselves on a massive scale—and all the affected devices had just one thing in common: it all started after 2 a.m. on December 31st. Dubbed “Z2K9” by some users the confounding problem finally has a solution from Microsoft’s support forum. And it’s a solution so elegant, it should have occured to anyone who has owned, tried, or even seen a Zune:
Let the battery die and then don’t use it. Heyo!
- Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources.
- 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.
- Wait until after noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (that’s 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).
- 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.
The problem appears to be entirely related to the date, as Microsoft goes on to warn users who aren’t experiencing problems that they shouldn’t connect their Zune to a computer…even to power it:
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.
The problem, according to Microsoft, is an issue with the Zune firmware and Leap Year:
Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. The issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). By tomorrow you should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, then turn it back on. If you’re a Zune Pass subscriber, you may need to sync your device with your PC to refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device.
Of course, it’ll cause significant embarrassment if the problem repeats itself in 2012. Which it might, according to this analysis of the code that cause the problem:
The unfortunate part is that there isn’t anything that can be done to fix this besides somehow changing what the clock is set to (which is exactly what the battery disconnection trick ends up doing). On the other hand, it shows that Microsoft is correct: tomorrow, everyone’s Zunes will operate normally again. However, if Microsoft doesn’t fix this part of the firmware, the whole thing will happen all over again in 4 more years.
Ha ha ha, who am I kidding? Like the Zune will be around in 4 more years!
Via [Zune support forums]
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Wow, your first paragraph is filled with misinformation. Yes, in order to have the device reset its clock you let the battery die, then you plug it into your computer to recharge it and have the clock reset.
This was quite an irresponsible way to communicate the story to the iCabal.
on January 2, 2009 at 09:52 AM - LINKAccording to Microsoft’s instructions, there was a period where you weren’t to plug in your Zune after draining the battery. 7:00 a.m. eastern, for us. So, no, nothing irresponsible and no misinformation in Bill’s report.
But thanks for stopping by.
on January 2, 2009 at 01:38 PM - LINKKirk
Thanks for the info. The reason you were not supposed to plug the device in before 7:00 a.m. EST is because the infinite loop error was based on the date. Accordingly it would reset at 12:01 p.m. GMT, or 7:00 a.m. EST.
So in reality, saying “let the battery die and dont use it” is a more provocative and misleading way of communicating the real fix: “the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT)” (source: http://forums.zune.net/412486/ShowPost.aspx)
Furthermore, considering that no software patch was release, or would have even been possible to apply, it is clear this was simply an infinite loop error related to the date.
on January 2, 2009 at 01:59 PM - LINKHere is another awesome bit of data for you:
“Q: Why is this issue isolated to the Zune 30 device?
It is a bug in a driver for a part that is only used in the Zune 30 device.”
So it affected the least popular and oldest of the Zune devices. By your own account, i am confident you would say something along the lines of “it only should have affected 12 people”. So by the measure I just projected on to you and the iCabal, this was a non-issue.
on January 2, 2009 at 02:01 PM - LINKThe exact fix from Microsoft’s forums was posted immediately under Bill’s comment, which wasn’t inaccurate or misleading. Microsoft said to drain the battery, then don’t use it until a specific time.
The question here is why can’t Microsoft get something like this right? I heard of no iPods having this problem, no matter how old. No Samsung problems. No SanDisk problems. If it was so easily fixed, isn’t it something Microsoft should have anticipated?
on January 2, 2009 at 02:53 PM - LINKKirk
Conceded that the fix was posted under the the comment. That does not make the comment more accurate or less provocative. It was still inaccurate and contained misinformation.
Actually, Microsft did get something like this right. The original 30 Giggers were really rushed to makret Samsung (I believe) hardware. So Samsung got it wrong with a hidden instruction in the BIOS.
Microsft *did* get this right on the hardware they built. This is why the 80 and 120, and some of the later model 30 giggers did not have this problem.
Would Microsoft have done a better job by spotting this? Yes. Can you bet your ass they are going to institute a more rigorous testing program? You can bet your ass. Are iPods and the iTunes business model the flawless be all and end all of media distribution? no.
Try as you might to make this a bigger deal than it was you cannot. The Zune, like all media players are complex devices. Its a wonder any electronic gizmo works from day to day at all.
Furthermore, infinite loop errors are not random occurrances from shoddy companies, as I am confident you would like to insinuate. Rather they occur to even the best programmers.
Microsoft was on it, I assure you, as fast as they could and they issued a statement as fast as they could. Use it against MS if you want, but you are only fooling yourself.
Again, if the Zune is a poorly used device that has a small follwoing, this really is not that big of a deal.
on January 2, 2009 at 04:56 PM - LINKWe’re not making this a big deal, ZM. We just think it’s funny. Bill wrote an article on the problem, then followed it up with the fix.
You keep bringing up the iPods as if we said they’re flawless. We never have (save for my comment that there’s never been a widespread bricking like the 30GB Zune just suffered). If you look through Appletell, you’ll find we’re often quite critical of Apple (search for Firewire, for example). But this article wasn’t about the iPod. It was about a rather comical Zune problem.
In fact, if you hadn’t come in here with your iCabal comments, the story would already be gone. I think you’re taking your frustration over other sites and other Microsoft issues out on our little story about the Zune.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:01 PM - LINKAgain, The post has misinformation. I am glad you are critical of Apple. I flipped through some posts here and cant say that i want to spend the time confirming what you said - I’ll take your word for it.
Bill’s post commiunicated misinformation.
1) “Let the battery die and then don’t use it. Heyo!” The “Heyo!” is an exclamation indicating the end of his thought. Regradless of him posting the entire fix, HIS words were incorrect and incomplete: misinformation
2) “The problem appears to be entirely related to the date, as Microsoft goes on to warn users who aren’t experiencing problems that they shouldn’t connect their Zune to a computer…even to power it:”
Well of course, they would because syncing the clocks is what *CAUSED* the problem. Devices not hooked up to a PC did not sync their clocks and did not get the error.
Its not really comical, and maybe that’s why bill resorted to misinformation, to take a very mundane glitch, try to make it more of a problem than it really is by miscommunicating the actual problem and solution.
In sum, it was in infinite loop error related to the internal clock driver that, without any assistance from the manufacturer resolved itself 24 hours later.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:34 PM - LINKThis part *is* comical:
“Yesterday, we reported that 30GB Zunes had started “bricking” themselves on a massive scale”
“[M]assive scale”? So I guess the amount of owners of Generation 1 devices that hooked up their Zune via USB (Zunes can wireless sync too) is “massive”
So to be consisten then, I guess Appletell, by its own account can’t ever say that the Zune userbase is not massive as the number of users was a mere fraction of the entire Zune userbase.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:40 PM - LINKFor the last time, there was no miscommunication here. No matter how many times you repeat your baseless accusation, that won’t make it true.
So, just let it go. Go back to your Zune fan forums and say bad things about the “iCabal,” and let us get back to the news that’s still relevant.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:43 PM - LINKIncorrect statement 1:
“finally has a solution from Microsoft’s support forum. And it’s a solution so elegant, it should have occured to anyone who has owned, tried, or even seen a Zune: Let the battery die and then don’t use it. Heyo!”
The solution was, yes, wait. Let the batter drain as the poster says, but his comment excluded the important relevant informaiton: reconnect after 12p GMT and all will be well.
Incorrect statement 2:
“The problem appears to be entirely related to the date, as Microsoft goes on to warn users who aren’t experiencing problems that they shouldn’t connect their Zune to a computer…even to power it:”
This only applied to users with the Origian 30 gig Zune, not other users not experiencing the infintie date loop
Incorrect statement 3:
“... 30GB Zunes had started “bricking” themselves on a massive scale”
The issue only affected a small number of users, was not by any strech “massive”, not even in proportion to entire Zune user base.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/massive
on January 2, 2009 at 07:50 PM - LINKAmended Incorrect statement 1:
” ... it should have occured to anyone who has owned, tried, or even seen a Zune ... “
Just plain wrong, only those with the 30 gig devices.
Your objectivity is stunning.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:52 PM - LINKAh, Mac vs. PC. It feels like 1990 again.
Just so we don’t have any further miscommunications, I’ll be much clearer from now on: Zune sucks.
on January 2, 2009 at 07:55 PM - LINK