Surviving Z2K: Zunes start working after leap-year glitch
Zunes across the world are unfreezing today as they recover from a leap-year glitch that rendered an estimated 1 million of the digital media players inoperable.
After mass outages were reported, Microsoft explained Wednesday that 30-gigabyte models of its Zune digital media player had malfunctioned as a result of "a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way a device handles a leap year." In other words, the Zune didn't know how to handle the fact that 2008 had 366 days, instead of the usual 365, so it froze up. The fiasco quickly became known as "Z2K" or "Z2K9," after the feared Y2K bug that never materialized in 2000.
Revelers who had spent hours crafting New Year's Eve playlists to power their dance parties were left scrambling for alternatives.
But it's day one of 2009, and word is spreading that Microsoft's advice -- let the battery drain completely, wait until at least 4 a.m. PST on Jan. 1, then sync the Zune with your computer -- is working. Some of ...
... our readers and many message-board commenters are reporting that they followed the instructions and -- voila! -- their Zunes fired up properly. Here's what one owner wrote on the Zune.net forum:
WOOHOO!!!
Did what MS said to do. Let my Zune battery run dry and then connected it my computer ... Just got up and it was fully charged and was recognized by my computer and Zune software. Works like a champ now.
It's apparently not working for everyone, but eight in 10 respondents to a poll on ZuneScene, a fan site, report that they're back in business.
Meanwhile, as our sharp reader RJ pointed out in comments on our first Z2K story, some Zune owners (or maybe they're iPod owners tweaking the Zune faithful, given the Apple logo on the button above) are treating this like one of New York City's great blackouts: Quick-thinking entrepreneurs are already selling T-shirts and pins on CafePress.com celebrating the end of the Zune outage.
Now that many devices seem to be working again, the big question on the minds of Zune owners is, what is Microsoft going to do to make things right? There are calls for compensation such as free music (good idea), discounts on new Zunes (good intention) or free iPods (good luck). No word yet from the company on how it plans to keep its Zune faithful in the fold after the great Z2K debacle.
Is your Zune working again? And what remedy would you like from Microsoft? Sound off in the comments below.
-- Chris Gaither
Photo credit: Zune Z2K9 via Cafepress
I saw a posting on another forum where a reader suggested that Apple should offer a "Trade in Your Zune Week" and offer a significant discount on any iPod for any exchange of a Zune, bricked or otherwise.
Quite a good idea but I doubt there are enough of the gadgets out there to make it worthwhile for Apple.
Posted by: BJMC | January 01, 2009 at 01:23 PM
I wonder if this bug also affected the Toshiba Gigaabeat, from which the Zune 30 was based.
I don't think anyone would trade in their Zune for an Ipod. Zune rules!
Posted by: bob e | January 01, 2009 at 02:15 PM
I think the real question, to which there has been no mention from Microsoft, is what about the other 20% of users that still have a bricked unit? I am one of the unlucky and I personally feel that 8 out of 10 is not that great. If this is not resolved soon I will never buy another product that has the Microsoft name.
Posted by: UnHappyPapp | January 01, 2009 at 04:56 PM
My Zune is still frozen, It hasn't budged since a day or two BEFORE New Years!
I HATE THIS.
Posted by: Olivia | January 01, 2009 at 05:42 PM
typical.
Microsoft is very good at marketing and research, but their products tend to have a short life. I had 2 360's die on me in under 6 months.
Posted by: joey_numbers | January 01, 2009 at 08:39 PM
my zune is still frozen and my parents cant afford to replace it. Maybe I can get an ipod for christmas next year.
Posted by: michael hartman | January 02, 2009 at 06:34 AM
My mom's Zune quit working about two days ago or so and I had given up on the whole "run the battery down then try it, it'll resolve itself" idea but, as the battery was ran down too much to try to totally wipe out the device, I began charging the Zune on my laptop while I did some chores. I came back to try once more to resolve the problem and to my surprise the Zune screen read "syncing . . . 82%" instead of the Zune logo with the full status bar. I do have to admit that with so many other mp3 player options out there I would like to see some sort of "good faith" effort from Microsoft to keep loyal MS fans loyal.
Posted by: Jasmine | January 02, 2009 at 09:01 AM
My 30GB Zune is still down. Anyone have any other ideas on how to fix this? I did what MS said to do, about the battery and then reconnecting it. Still no joy on a fix. MS better have a solution for the ones that can not be fixed with this waiting solution from the Leap Year disaster.
Posted by: Mike Miller | January 02, 2009 at 01:05 PM
I listened to MS and no as i plugged it back in to my computer after the time limit it wasnt responding properly it erased my music 4TIMES! and had to re do firm ware liek 10. its still acting alittle funny...
Posted by: Bjorn A. | January 02, 2009 at 07:48 PM
my 30g zune and three of my friends' 30g froze on new years eve and my brother just popped them open, unplugged the battery, waited ten seconds, and plugged it back in. It was a semi-complicated way of reseting them, but it worked.
Posted by: Amy Martello | January 03, 2009 at 08:41 AM
zune works again but all songs a ruined no voacals computer sounds were vocals used to be what a bs way to fix things
Posted by: mike | January 04, 2009 at 08:43 PM
i just had my 120gb freeze on me. If i leave it to bleed out and then plug it back up, would that possibly fix it?
Posted by: jake | March 29, 2009 at 09:29 AM