Zune 30GB Frozen at Midnight, December 31, 2008

So, I go to work tonight and I get the hankerin’ to listen to “The Device Had Been Modified v2.”  I get out my trusty black 30GB Zune, and my little portable speakers,  fire up the Zune and….

Boot screen…
Bar charges across the screen… stops.
Stuck. Nothing. Frozen. Dead. Crap.

I perform the ol’ back button + up button reset trick and even the back button + down button (reportedly works when the other doesn’t) and it fails to thaw my Zune. I leave the Zune alone for a couple hours, and after returning to my office, I find the screen black and the battery drained.

But, apparently, I am not alone.

Owners of the original 30gb Zune from around the world are reporting that when they tried turning on their Zune after midnight on December 31, 2008, the device rebooted, then hung on reboot. The only workaround discovered thus far is detaching the battery, effectively resetting the internal clock which is being pointed to as the culprit.

Looks like MS is aware of the problem.

It would seem that if something like this was going to occur, it would occur at midnight of the new year. One astute reader at Engadget noted that 2008 was a leap year, with one day more than other years. Whatever the reason is for the strange behavior, this could be the reason why our Zunes didn’t die as the new year came to be. Or perhaps there’s a conflict of certain processes thinking it’s 2008, but the others, 2009 depending on if the process takes the leap year into account. Then again, Microsoft could just be telling us to go buy a new gen2 Zune.

Welcome to the Zunicide.

Update: I’d just like take a second and note all the whiny, bitchy, complaining people who’ve been without some media player for a few hours; those who are crying foul and whining all over the Internet as if their mother just died and Microsoft called in the hit. I know its just a minority, a vocal minority. But geez people, GET A GRIP.

microsoft zune 30gb midnight die dead broken frozen fix

How to Install the New Games on Zune [Hexic, Texas Hold 'Em]

This information should just be out there and readily available, but it’s not. So, I’m hoping this will help a few frustrated souls.

With Zune 3.0, Microsoft included 2 new games on the Zune player. What I like about what Microsoft is doing is that any previous hardware version of the Zune player can install a firmware update and get the same functionality as the new Zunes being sold in stores today.

The problem was, after installing the new Zune 3.0 software for my ol’ blackbox Zune 30, I found it didn’t include the two new games, Hexic and Texas Hold ‘Em. Upon searching the interwebs, I found instructions regarding installing games on the Zune through the XNA Game Studio software (which, if you’re a DIYer, I would recommend taking a look at), but nothing telling me where the heck where my new games.

I finally search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, limiting the search to just “Zune Digital Media Player,” and I found my answer:

If you have already updated your Zune device, follow these steps:
1. Connect your Zune device to your computer, and then start the Zune software.
2. Click Settings, click Device, and then click Device Update.
3. Click Install Games.

So, in other words, once you update to Zune 3.0, you gotta go back an update again.

Frustration with Upgrading My Zune Software [Solved]

I haven’t been able to upgrade my Zune software installation over the last couple of updates because I kept getting the “Setup must stop because the required package ‘Zune’ failed to install,” Error code: 0×80070643.

Most solutions included downloading and installing the full Zune package which includes all of the other components required. I tried that, and nada. I tried a utility provided by Microsoft called “Windows Install Cleanup” which allows you remove a program’s Windows Installer configuration information so there’s no trace, or anything saved, from previous installs.

So, when the big Zune 3.0 update came around, I really wanted to upgrade. I decided I’d do the one suggestion I kept avoidng: a complete removal and reinstall. I avoided this because I’d lose all settings and *gasp* play counts. (I like them, okay?)

I completely removed the Zune software using a program called “Unzoone.” I also cleaned up the registry to make sure all traces were removed with “CCleaner.” Finally,

Okay. This HAS to work, right?!

Restart.

Start Install…..

ERROR!!!!! GAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

So, I began yet another quest of Googling for answers. Finally, I happened upon this Locker Gnome blog, Digged (?), where it was suggested that the Windows Firewall must be turned on (mine’s always off) for the installation to complete. Sceptical, I tried it. Sure enough! That was the ticket. Now why in HELL would the Windows Firewall need to be enabled for this reason!?