Microsoft to Zune 30 owners: It's a leap-year problem. Wait until tomorrow

UPDATE: Many Zunes appear to be working now. Read the full story.

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Microsoft this afternoon sent out a message to frustrated owners of its Zune 30 digital media player: Wait until tomorrow.

An estimated 1 million owners of the 30-gigabyte Zune woke up this morning to find their devices inoperable. They quickly dubbed it the "Z2K" problem, after the dreaded Y2K computer bug that never materialized to the extent feared. After deploying a team of engineers to investigate, the Redmond, Wash., company said its engineers had discovered that the problem was related to the Zune's inability to handle the extra day in a leap year (this is the first one since the Zune was introduced in 2006).

Turns out, Microsoft's remedy for Z2K bug is similar to what a doctor would prescribe for the 24-hour flu: Just wait a day, and it will go away. Here's the full statement:

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. That being the case, 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 are 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.

Here's a Q&A about the Zune problem that Microsoft recently posted.

How do you feel about Microsoft's explanation and proposed solution? Sound off in the comments below.

UPDATE: Many Zunes appear to be working now. Read the full story.

-- Alex Pham

Photo credit: Peter Adams / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[jonathan knowles]

i just tried to turn on my zune a few minutes ago and it got stuck on the screen. i am a little mad but i can understand the problem it makes sense but you would figure with microsoft being the "computer wizards" would have set them up for this problem following the whole y2k thing.

[Cameron]

Wait until tomorrow? How big is Microsoft?! How about a device update or something a month ago to prevent this? Its not that big a deal, one day with out music, but than again, this isn't some $20 generic MP3 player... And its new years, I want to be jamin some MUXIC!

[Jaime Dillon]

I'm glad the issue wasn't worse--hopefully everything will be back to normal tomorrow.

[Carlo Valentin]

@Cameron: It was a simple looping error they made in the clock, it was a mistake that is easily made. They'll fix it, but they probably couldn't of predicted it. With so many lines of code bugs are sure to slip in.

[Mando Man]

what the hell, its new years eve 2009, and i cant play my music unless I'm at home! this is some bull, i don't care if there are 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 lines of code, its still a big problem and Microsoft, id hate to say it but right now on new years eve, and new years day till my Zune works once again,sorry bill gates, i love your intellect, but you suck, sorry, id like to call you my bro. but this is the most important time for my music,i put out $250 for something that i cant even enjoy on MY New years eve, this one time and one time only, i wish i had an I Pod its too big of a slip up!

[Cameron]

True, I just like my music too much lol. And it kinda upset me because I thought it was broken.

[Jeff]

I'm so glad my iPod hasn't had a bug. Hmm, nor has my iPhone. Or my Macbook. Or my G4 Tower. Or my gf's Nano. Or my mother's iBook. Or my brother's iMac. Oh, wait, these aren't made by Microsoft. I get it now.

[kelly]

thats bull crap bill gates and any one was involved should look into selling stuff that works

[Ashley Beasley]

Same thing happened to me... Wow... Love the Player - Keep the Ipods... Will wait til tomorrow... what a great line to tell my friends tonight, Microsoft says to sleep on it... Hope Bill Gates was not going to use his Zune at his New Years Party !

[Timothy Vines]

My Zune has had issues since the second week I owned it. It worked on my machine with windows media center and stopped when I did a sw update. It worked on my other machine with Vista, I did an update and it stopped. I now have it on XP and am afraid of further updates/upgrades.

[mike]

come on people its new years i know its a bum its froze but everything has had a problem and ours just happened what 3 years after i bought it i have def got my money out of it and plus its new years you should be getting party supplies and having fun

[Laura (The Lola Letters)]

I think it's hilarious, and I also think that's it's totally no big deal. Hopefully everything will be back to normal tomorrow. I agree with what has been said before. It's a looping error. It's not like ithe Zunes won't work ever again. People shouldn't get that worked up about it. They should go enjoy their New Year's celebrations and check back tomorrow.

thelolaletters.blogspot.com

[Eric Suky]

I'm so thankful that I don't use this device professionally as do many ipod owners with various DJ & karaoke businesses. As stated in an earlier comment you would think that a company as large as Microsoft would be able to troubleshoot this dilema earlier. Perhaps I should slap a Sansa label on my Zune to set the digital balance. But that wouldn't be fair. A Sansa is more stable than a Zune as mine crashes at least 3 times a week. Even better my brother's ipod has NEVER CRASHED in 4 years.

[Sammy Payne]

OK, I consider myself a somewhat intelligent individual… I 1st heard one of my co-workers complaining about his Zune all of a sudden not responding midday on the 31st. I didn’t think much of it. I later noticed my daughter watching videos on hers so I decided to update her library with new videos and music. I received the dreaded Zune screen of Death. Being somewhat of an idiot, I spend hours loading and re-loading software and attempting to get my PC to see this now expensive paper wait. I would love for the riches man in the world to pay me for the hours I spent trying to troubles shoot this now expensive paper wait. Hey Bill, what say you?

[Julian]

I honestly think it sucks. I use my Zune everywhere and I love my zune itz probably the best thing in the planet other then My Girlfriend. But I can't see how Microsoft didn't know that this Problem can happen. Are You serious I paid $250 for it and I can't even Bump to my music on New Years Eve are You serious? Microsoft you guys really slacked I seriously think you should send everyone a Zune card to shop for Music cause you guys let me down on New Years what a way to bring in the 2009 with no music. I'm very upset right about now you guys need 2 fixx this A.S.A.P..

[Tony Dee]

Im just glad its a known issue and i didnt break my zune.. Let's get it together Microsoft..

[praveen]

sir...when is it going to be alright......

[Garrett]

It's working again =D

I'd say on the Microsoft screw up scale this ranks pretty low. Look on the bright side, it could have been worse. Just think about the first generation XBOX 360 consoles - now that was a fiasco. I guess it's pretty sad that I now come to expect these types of blunders from Microsoft hardware.

[Gary Bevilacqua]

Microsoft was correct. I charged my Zune this morning, (1/1/09) and it booted right up perfectly. This was a strange anamoly, and kind of weird as it was happening. But I still love my Zune!

[QuitWhining]

How many people die of starvation every day? How many people live in their own filth? How much time and money did you spend to help them? Oh no ... I can't use my Zune to block out the rest of the world for new year's eve. I don't want to talk to anybody on new year's eve. Just leave me alone in my basement. I have such a horrible life. I think I'll start a class action lawsuit.

[Andrew]

umm i still dont have mine working =(

[loki]

It's a closed source media player, like the ipod, designed to lock you into their product.
When will you people learn? Closed source is NOT the way ahead for computing.

[Dan]

I let my battery drain overnight like they stated, hooked it up to my PC a little bit ago and I still have the same issue.

[Jan]

Problems with leap years are Microsoft's specialty. It is an educational thing. If you hire a special kind and personality of developers you end in the same doodoo again and again.

Microsoft Excel, for example doesn't get the leap year thing right for the year 1900 (1900 wasn't a leap year, but Excel thinks so). It doesn't get it right since more than 20+ years! One would think that with Microsoft pushing its new Office format through the ISO standardization in 2008 would finally after 20+ years use the opportunity to correct it, but no. They again insist that 1900 should be a leap year.