30GB Zunes mysteriously begin to fail at 12AM, December 31st -- day of reckoning to follow
By Tim Stevens 
posted Dec 31st 2008 8:45AM
posted Dec 31st 2008 8:45AM
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]
Its like the RRoD all over again :(
Removing the battery is a temp fix as it resets the clock.
http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/zune/zuneassemblyguide.htm
I'm sorry. Does Zune even come with removable battery???
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.
DRM related?
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).
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.
I'm going to go with Jack's explanation above as the most plausable so far.
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.
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)
The Zune tattoo guy predicted this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBbOBc-L720
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.
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...
@ 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.
Here's yet more proof:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
http://forums.zune.net/404026/ShowPost.aspx
People found a temporary fix......
and this, my friends, is why I love my iPod
@Paul Chapel
Are you going to post your little list in response to yourself?
...the day the music, died.
Its Skynet!
Its become self-aware.
"Unplug your Zune if you want to live!"
KJofTJ
"Jackass is a GOOD thing!"
mine bricked as well
Oh mojave!
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
@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.
Yay! It's fixed : http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008/12/31/30gb-zune-issues-official-update.aspx
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.
I am one of the many victims of the great Zunicide 08/09.
Zune.net is flooded with some pretty pissed off owners.
I just checked mine... I'm a victim too.
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...
Can I have your ipod?
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...
It's the DSoD
Not the same vibe as RRoD :(
More like a Y2.009K error
Mid Missouri, 2 dead Zunes here :(
It's craziness!!! Mine and all my buddies Zunes are frozen.
You have multiple buddies with Zunes?!
Just to let everyone know, if you're industrious --- a battery pull does resolve the issue, as it resets the clock.
I think he meant "...all my Zune buddies are frozen"
Welcome to the social!
My 80 is working fine. Thank god! I swear was so scared until I so it playing my music.
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.
that's why i buy a Coby.
I just checked mine and same thing, locks up at loading screen. :(
My brother had a good lol at me until he grabbed HIS zune. Sobered up right quick, that boy.
All of my family's zunes too hhaha
That's what you get for buying a hardware product from Microsoft.
I think its funny that the video above just confirms the stereotype of the Zune nerds...
With Steve's last breath he is destroying all the zunes!
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
I thought he was using iPods to do that?