Widespread Zune Failures?

...here we go again

First the Xbox and now this.

Windows is fine, but I'm glad I don't have any of their other products.
 
Mines toast god dammit. I just grabbed it on my way out the door to work like I always do, it was when I was walking to the bus I noticed its DOA.

I think MS just manged to brick almost every 30gb zune in existance?
 
Yay Y2K finally happened 8 years and 366 days late. I don't have a Zune, but most people seem to think this is leap year related, somewhere I read that the last firmware had a update to the clock utility, perhaps somebody forgot to account for there being 366 days every 4th year and the Zune is hung up on this? It would make sense since a Zune forum I was browsing through earlier it seemed like everyone's was either bricked when they turned it on, or it rebooted spontaniously around 2-3 am and was then bricked. Certainly sounds much like some sort of time keeping flaw to me. If they unbrick themselves tommorow morning then it would be confirmed.
 
I'm not convinced it's a leap year thing either. I have a Zune 120G (V3.1) and it displays the time, but no date. There doesn't appear to be a calendar - so why would a specific date affect it?

Maybe I'm missing sometime...just got it for Christmas to replace my iPod... ;)
 
My GoW2 120GB Zune (I believe this is a second Gen) is working fine as of this moment with no problems at all...

One member mentioned it being a Wifi issue (though that seems funny since they seem to be stopping at 12AM on today's date), but my Wifi is and has been turned off pretty much since I received the Zune on Christmas...

Just my 2cents. Good luck guys.
 
i'll have to check mine when i get home, got it on the first woot dealie, haven't used it since my car is down.
 
SparkedFire said:
I am running Version 2.5 on my 30GB and mine still works.
Click to expand...

Just don't update it yet. It appears to be isolated to anyone running firmware 3.0 or newer. Unfortunately, that's just about all Zunes that are actually being used.
 
The WSJ is reporting on this too... Obviously a programming glitch, but with WHAT still remains to be the question. Doesn't seem to be a DST or other issue...
 
This really, really, fits the description of an "Epic Fail"

Like, seriously, this is a *textbook* epic fail.
 
Derfman said:
My GoW2 120GB Zune (I believe this is a second Gen) is working fine as of this moment with no problems at all...

One member mentioned it being a Wifi issue (though that seems funny since they seem to be stopping at 12AM on today's date), but my Wifi is and has been turned off pretty much since I received the Zune on Christmas...

Just my 2cents. Good luck guys.
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I mentioned its possibly the Wifi in earlier post...The 30GB Gen1 models had limited WIFI capabilities compared to newer models. If there was an firmware update to the WIFI coding for newer models that would bork the lowend...combined with a new Zune Software update conveniently happening Dec. 30/31st, this would look like a leap year issue when it really isn't.:rolleyes:
 
maybe Apple released an Zune virus?
perhaps Zune should also be included on the monthly security updates?
hehe

really does sound like a calendar issue since it seems so coincidental it was today. but then why would it be today and not 02/29/2008? hmm
 
turned mine on this morning and was bricked... did some searching and found that some people were having sucess getting theirs to work by taking it apart and disconnecting the battery for a few minutes.. then reconnecting and everything working as normal.

It fixed mine... so I had music at work today (Yay!) the zune is super simple to open up.. you would never know I even opened mine.

And before anyone whines about why anyone would take their zune apart and do this... my warranty ran out months ago... so I had nothing to lose. Once you take out the two screws in the bottom and pop the bottom open the battery cable is right there in the bottom right hand corner. I was shocked how easy it was to get to.
 
Hmm however, many that have taken the battery off have then found later when they sync up it goes and locks again.


Not a good idea old chum. I shall switch mine back on in just under three hours time to see if the 1st of January sorts it. Anyone further east of the UK care to report in?
 
yeah, the trick is not to sync it until microsoft comes out with an update to patch the firmware/software. I play my zune all day on my altec lansing dock/speakers... I wouldn't dare connect it to my pc until a fix comes out.
 
koolaidkitten said:
Can you imagine if this problem plagued Xbox360's?
OMG the PR nightmare/gamer backlash/PS3 fanboys would cause them a major headache.
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Uh, the XBox 360, as much as I love it, is the biggest consumer electronics hardware catastrophe in ages. Billions down the drain due to faulty hardware, you'd never see this with Nintendo or Sony. Everybody I know has had at least one fail, and a few are on #3 or 4. I'm on my second one myself. Good thing the system is so awesome.

A firmware bug like this is nothing in comparison.

And yeah, its a good thing Microsoft has Windows and Office to keep them rolling in cash. When it comes to consumer electronics, their products either come out stillborn (Origami anyone? And when's Surface coming out and who's buying?), is a fundamentally bad product that fails to get traction with the mainstream (Windows Mobile), or is rife with hardware and software issues.
 
One thing though after reading through a lot of the posts about this situation on several other sites is the worrying lack of maturity and common sense a lot of people have.

Either they are throwing their zunes in the bin in a fit of pique, going on about how this product sucks, performing unnecessary openheart surgery cos they cant handle not having music for a few hours or others blathering on about they should have bought another brand.

Often I wonder if I'm reading forums for 6 year olds at times. Really have a think and wonder how such attitudes just dont help anyone.
 
daglesj said:
One thing though after reading through a lot of the posts about this situation on several other sites is the worrying lack of maturity and common sense a lot of people have.

Either they are throwing their zunes in the bin in a fit of pique, going on about how this product sucks, performing unnecessary openheart surgery cos they cant handle not having music for a few hours or others blathering on about they should have bought another brand.

Often I wonder if I'm reading forums for 6 year olds at times. Really have a think and wonder how such attitudes just dont help anyone.
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ditto.
 
I called my wife who is off today and asked her to turn on my Zune (not telling her why). She said, "it's just hanging...not loading up." so count me in the group of v3.1 Zune 30GB owners that have a borked zune.

Good thing I got an iphone from Santa this xmas! ;)
 
daglesj said:
One thing though after reading through a lot of the posts about this situation on several other sites is the worrying lack of maturity and common sense a lot of people have.

Either they are throwing their zunes in the bin in a fit of pique, going on about how this product sucks, performing unnecessary openheart surgery cos they cant handle not having music for a few hours or others blathering on about they should have bought another brand.

Often I wonder if I'm reading forums for 6 year olds at times. Really have a think and wonder how such attitudes just dont help anyone.
Click to expand...

QFT.
 
Serpico said:
Uh, the XBox 360, as much as I love it, is the biggest consumer electronics hardware catastrophe in ages. Billions down the drain due to faulty hardware, you'd never see this with Nintendo or Sony. Everybody I know has had at least one fail, and a few are on #3 or 4. I'm on my second one myself. Good thing the system is so awesome.

A firmware bug like this is nothing in comparison.

And yeah, its a good thing Microsoft has Windows and Office to keep them rolling in cash. When it comes to consumer electronics, their products either come out stillborn (Origami anyone? And when's Surface coming out and who's buying?), is a fundamentally bad product that fails to get traction with the mainstream (Windows Mobile), or is rife with hardware and software issues.
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just for the record...you DID see this with sony. ps1 laser errors were all over the place. early to mid ps2 died over and over as well. First edition of the psp had major issues with dying pixels and a square button that liked to cut out. Yes microsoft should have known better seeing as the first xbox was a freaking beast. However Don't pull the microsoft has bad hardware/software thing. I have boxes of ps1 and ps2 parts because of it.

There was also a wii overheating issue on its first run, though less fatal than microsofts and like microsoft they stepped up to the plate and replaced it no questions asked.

long story short, all companies have their issues, sony is just as bad with hardware as microsoft...so you HAVE seen it with other companies....its just the Icult makes it popular to ride microsoft extra hard when they F*ck up
 
Manaknight said:
just for the record...you DID see this with sony. ps1 laser errors were all over the place. early to mid ps2 died over and over as well. First edition of the psp had major issues with dying pixels and a square button that liked to cut out. Yes microsoft should have known better seeing as the first xbox was a freaking beast. However Don't pull the microsoft has bad hardware/software thing. I have boxes of ps1 and ps2 parts because of it.

There was also a wii overheating issue on its first run, though less fatal than microsofts and like microsoft they stepped up to the plate and replaced it no questions asked.

long story short, all companies have their issues, sony is just as bad with hardware as microsoft...so you HAVE seen it with other companies....its just the Icult makes it popular to ride microsoft extra hard when they F*ck up
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I had a launch PS2 that ran like new until I sold it (for peanuts, haha) last month. My launch Wii has never had issues, and your post is the first I've ever heard about first run hardware issues with it. Then again, nothing Nintendo I've ever owned has had issues. Well, outside of having to blow air on the old NES cartridge contacts sometimes. :) Like you said though, they are great at exchanges. I've read that they will replace new DSes with a single dead pixel, very nice.

The 360 is my absolute favorite gaming system right now, hands down. That said, the high hardware failure rate goes far far beyond what anyone else has right now. You don't hear about massive warranty extensions and writing down billions in losses because 30%-40% of your hardware eventually fails from anybody else, years after launch. This isn't partisan ranting, this is reality. These are serious QA issues that Microsoft has had time and time again.

I mainly post on Shacknews, and a "I just had a RROD" post is a nearly daily occurrence. Just on the 28th I saw three RROD posts in one single day. It isn't the first time I've seen it either. Myself and nearly everyone I know is on their second 360, and two friends of mine are on #3 and #4, respectively.

People can attack certain companies for fanboy reasons, but in this case I don't think exaggeration is there. Microsoft themselves acknowledged it by doing the right thing and extending the warranty far beyond its original timeframe. Neither Sony nor Nintendo have anything close, and going beyong gaming systems I have never seen anything else like it in consumer electronics, period.

If it wasn't for the 360 being such a good system and Microsoft handling repairs as well as they do, nobody would put up with it.

Like you said, everyone has hardware issues, but I disagree with you as far as the extent here goes.
 
Apparently PC World got an answer out of Microsoft about this.

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.
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So looks like whoever started saying it was a leap year bug nailed it! (not surprising, given they all failed today).
 
Oh, I just noticed this:

[quote = Zune.net]
Q: Will you update the firmware before the next leap year (2012)?

Yes.[/quote]

2012... oh sh.... :p
 
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