30GB Zunes mysteriously begin to fail at 12AM, December 31st -- day of reckoning to follow

Do you have a Zune 30? If so, does the thing look something like the above? That is to say, stuck at a loading bar and completely non-functional? If so, you are not alone. We've been flooded with tips about users whose 30GB players started locking up at midnight last night, essentially bricking themselves without any help from their owners. The failures are coming 24-hours ahead of the big '09 changeover, but that hasn't stopped Zune aficionados from dubbing this unfortunate flaw "Z2K." No official word yet from Microsoft, but we're guessing a made-for-TV doomsday movie staring Louis Gossett Jr. can't be too far off. Trailer after the break.

Update: Jim wrote in to let us know that someone at Microsoft has apparently finally woken up and checked their e-mail (yikes, imagine that inbox). The official Zune site now has a message stating that Redmond's best are aware of the problem and "are working to correct it." We'll keep you posted.

Update 2: Major Nelson just tweeted that anyone with an issue "should be good to go." Exactly what that means, however, remains to be seen, as there's still no word of an official fix on the Zune site.

Update 3: Oops, sorry for getting your hopes up. Seems the Major was wrong and is now indicating the team of Zune developers is working like mad to figure it out. Somebody had better order in lunch for those guys -- it's going to be a long day.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Boudu @ Dec 31st 2008 8:48AM]

Its like the RRoD all over again :(

[Dead_Rebel @ Dec 31st 2008 9:05AM]

Removing the battery is a temp fix as it resets the clock.

http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/zune/zuneassemblyguide.htm

[kingofwale @ Dec 31st 2008 9:14AM]

I'm sorry. Does Zune even come with removable battery???

[Kamokazi @ Dec 31st 2008 9:16AM]

Abusing the reply system here, but I think it warrants it. Apparently if you hard reset it and don't hook it back up with the software it will unbrick it:

http://forums.zune.net/404026/ShowPost.aspx

Might be a decent temporary fix for some people.

[Todd @ Dec 31st 2008 9:17AM]

DRM related?

[Jack @ Dec 31st 2008 9:18AM]

I wonder if this happening on the 30th instead of the 31st has anything to do with the fact this year is a leap year (1 extra day longer than a regular year).

[Dead_Rebel @ Dec 31st 2008 9:20AM]

Wouldn't be DRM since I don't have a single DRM'd track on the whole hard drive. Also wouldn't be a syncing issue since I haven't sync'd in a month.

[tlarkin79 @ Dec 31st 2008 9:25AM]

I'm going to go with Jack's explanation above as the most plausable so far.

[protozoider @ Dec 31st 2008 9:36AM]

I just had a red ring :(... I sent in my Xbox last Friday. It was the day before Christmas and all through my house, the spurting of curse words and being pissed about the Rock Band songs I had JUST downloaded and not being able to play my xbox. I'm glad I bought my girlfriend's mom an 80GB Zune. I'm still sticking with my Creative Zen Vision:M. Now that thing has been rock solid, even after two drops.

[Jim Halpert DM @ Dec 31st 2008 10:02AM]

Mine bricked the first time I hooked it up. (After the battery was already dead) I unplugged it and plugged back in...works fine. Guess I got lucky? (I closed Zune Software immediately, maybe that was it)

[Paul Chapel @ Dec 31st 2008 10:04AM]

The Zune tattoo guy predicted this!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBbOBc-L720

[Nishant @ Dec 31st 2008 10:27AM]

This happened to me this morning, (well, I noticed it then), and the fix for me was just letting it sit on that screen till the battery drained. After a while you get th battery logo with the exclamation point in it, and it is currently charging. It doesn't look good because usually the screen with the plug inside the battery goes away after 5 minutes and it starts booting up. 20 minutes so far and nothing.

[iamsoinsane @ Dec 31st 2008 10:28AM]

hmmm... I think everyone is overthinking the solution... let the battery die in the zune... the battery will reset and your zune will be back to normal..
But then again I don't have a zune and can not test this...

[Nishant @ Dec 31st 2008 10:44AM]

@ iamsoinsane

Yeah, that what my friends and I are doing, but after plugging it into a wall charger via USB (not the PC), it charges, and boots up, and hangs again.

A Zune 120 would be nice. Generally, Microsoft has been great about service, my 360 RRoD'd and I had it back repaired in 6 days. This is a huge opportunity for Microsoft to get some good will back. After it has already lost it though.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 31st 2008 10:44AM]

Here's yet more proof:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

[Bill Jobs @ Dec 31st 2008 11:40AM]

http://forums.zune.net/404026/ShowPost.aspx

People found a temporary fix......

[Skyebers @ Dec 31st 2008 12:56PM]

and this, my friends, is why I love my iPod

[nohone @ Dec 31st 2008 1:54PM]

@Paul Chapel

Are you going to post your little list in response to yourself?

[Kyle K @ Dec 31st 2008 1:56PM]

...the day the music, died.

[KingJackass @ Dec 31st 2008 2:36PM]

Its Skynet!
Its become self-aware.
"Unplug your Zune if you want to live!"


KJofTJ
"Jackass is a GOOD thing!"

[James S @ Dec 31st 2008 8:13PM]

mine bricked as well

[Todd @ Dec 31st 2008 3:58PM]

Oh mojave!

[Ahmed Alzayani @ Dec 31st 2008 4:34PM]

Just wait until midnight tonight 1/1/2009 and it will work again, why , will it's leap year error, the programmer must done something that wake up base on time , the function add 1 to day 356 which equal 1 (OR 0) because 356 is the last day of the year, the trigger wait for day 0 , but because it's leap year 31st of Dec is day 366 not 365, so the trigger just wait and wait, but once the next day come the device will work OK. remark my words

[cloud858rk @ Dec 31st 2008 5:48PM]

@Skyebers
Yeah, we'll my iPod consistently locks up every time I try to listen to a podcast after I've had it hooked up to a power source.

[Quikboy @ Dec 31st 2008 7:00PM]

Yay! It's fixed : http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008/12/31/30gb-zune-issues-official-update.aspx

[sandmanfvrga @ Dec 31st 2008 8:49AM]

Ok, I would think Microsoft wouldn't have a date/time bug in their code, 8 YEARS after Y2K. I always heard the Zune 30 gigs were rock solid, I feel bad for all the 30 gig owners, really I do.

[bigbirdoncrack @ Dec 31st 2008 8:55AM]

I am one of the many victims of the great Zunicide 08/09.

Zune.net is flooded with some pretty pissed off owners.

[Richard @ Dec 31st 2008 9:06AM]

I just checked mine... I'm a victim too.

[Shinigami @ Dec 31st 2008 9:38AM]

Should I say I'm totally happy I have iPod? Its a bit broken (screen) so I'm going for a Sony. Thanks to this event I'm 100% sure I won't buy a Zune, ever. I think it was in the firmware all along.

I really feel sorry for you guys, really hope it will all sort out...somehow...

[noyp @ Dec 31st 2008 10:17AM]

Can I have your ipod?

[Chird @ Dec 31st 2008 11:29AM]

I have 2 of em. Both Z2K'd. Neither one has been docked since I updated to the 3.0 firmware (or whatever that fix was they did just after (3.0.1 (?))).

This is gay. But after the RROD crisis I figure they will do something to compensate. Like some free MS points or downloads....or maybe a 30 -> 80 trade in program. One can dream...

[Cormier6083 @ Dec 31st 2008 1:55PM]

It's the DSoD

Not the same vibe as RRoD :(

[Chuckles McGee @ Dec 31st 2008 8:11PM]

More like a Y2.009K error

[Dead_Rebel @ Dec 31st 2008 8:51AM]

It's craziness!!! Mine and all my buddies Zunes are frozen.

[ack154 @ Dec 31st 2008 8:57AM]

You have multiple buddies with Zunes?!

[Dead_Rebel @ Dec 31st 2008 9:03AM]

Just to let everyone know, if you're industrious --- a battery pull does resolve the issue, as it resets the clock.

[bill cant fart @ Dec 31st 2008 9:16AM]

I think he meant "...all my Zune buddies are frozen"

[Paul C @ Dec 31st 2008 9:26AM]

Welcome to the social!

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 31st 2008 9:35AM]

My 80 is working fine. Thank god! I swear was so scared until I so it playing my music.

[fred @ Dec 31st 2008 10:03AM]

Holy crap!

I had this issue early this morning, thinking I just pushed too many buttons at the same time!

I had to let it run all night until the battery died.

[chickenator @ Dec 31st 2008 10:30AM]

that's why i buy a Coby.

[Thanatos @ Dec 31st 2008 11:34AM]

I just checked mine and same thing, locks up at loading screen. :(

[Rachel @ Dec 31st 2008 12:36PM]

My brother had a good lol at me until he grabbed HIS zune. Sobered up right quick, that boy.

[garrenteed @ Dec 31st 2008 12:46PM]

All of my family's zunes too hhaha

[Hardcore @ Dec 31st 2008 3:06PM]

That's what you get for buying a hardware product from Microsoft.

[loosely_coupled @ Dec 31st 2008 4:04PM]

I think its funny that the video above just confirms the stereotype of the Zune nerds...

[mik @ Dec 31st 2008 8:51AM]

With Steve's last breath he is destroying all the zunes!

[From My Cube @ Dec 31st 2008 9:13AM]

not cool at all man, regardless if hes Apple CEO or not; anyone being terminally ill or passing away is not somthing that was needed here...


downrank for you

[Loser FTW @ Dec 31st 2008 1:31PM]

I thought he was using iPods to do that?

[mik @ Dec 31st 2008 9:59AM]

Aww too soon....