# Help! My Zune Completely Quit Working

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886 "2008-11-15T18:37:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/21 "2009-01-01T00:14:45Z")

</div>

It knows you’re in Central Time, because it syncs with your computer. The clock is there so it knows when your Zune Pass subscription expires.

It sucks for me because I don’t even use a Zune Pass.

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/22 "2009-01-01T00:19:41Z")

</div>

I _knew_ the Y2K bug would screw things up. I was just 9 years too early.

> [@](#):
>
> Q: Why did this occur at precisely 12:01 a.m. on December 31, 2008?
> 
> There is a bug in the internal clock driver causing the 30GB device to improperly handle the last day of a leap year.

So it will only happen once every 4 years. What’s the problem? :dubious:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/23 "2009-01-01T00:34:52Z")

</div>

> [@Musicat](#):
>
> I _knew_ the Y2K bug would screw things up. I was just 9 years too early.So it will only happen once every 4 years. What’s the problem? :dubious:

The guy who answered the questions on the page I linked to said that they’ll fix it before 2012.

But, y’know, if you wait long enough, eventually the problem fixes itself!

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/24 "2009-01-01T00:59:03Z")

</div>

> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> But, y’know, if you wait long enough, eventually the problem fixes itself!

You know (don’t you?) that if you use an “old” computer, [you’re just asking for trouble…](http://doorbell.net/video/bates.wmv)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/25 "2009-01-01T03:16:19Z")

</div>

Sounds like the Zune is freaking out because there’s been 366 days in this year. :smack:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/26 "2009-01-01T07:26:13Z")

</div>

I believe it’s actually the one second that was added that screwed up clock.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/27 "2009-01-01T13:16:42Z")

</div>

Who cares about the cause. I (well, Airman) plugged it in and it WORKS! I’ve got the glorious syncing screen.

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adesh\_romana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@adesh\_romana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adesh_romana)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/28 "2009-01-01T13:44:56Z")

</div>

Thanks dudes, coz i was precisely facing the same problem in my zune 30Gb on 31st dec here in India. However, my zune has stopped syncing to new content on my pc since it had a fall from my bed a few months earlier. So, i was thinking that it had finally given up due to the fall and i was just about to buy a new one in this holiday season. Now, i have some hope. Let me try…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/29 "2009-01-01T13:53:11Z")

</div>

[366 is too large to break out of the main loop, meaning that the Zune keeps looping forever and doesn’t do anything else:](http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/zune-news/38143-cause-zune-30-leapyear-problem-isolated.html)

```auto

year = ORIGINYEAR; /* = 1980 */

while (days > 365)
{
    if (IsLeapYear(year))
    {
        if (days > 366)
        {
            days -= 366;
            year += 1;
        }
    }
    else
    {
        days -= 365;
        year += 1;
    }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adesh\_romana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@adesh\_romana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adesh_romana)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/30 "2009-01-01T16:07:54Z")

</div>

Its not as if the people writing the code are college students isnt it? its Microsoft. Now, i will not cut them any slack for this since they sort of ruined my new year party. Its like i went to a house party this new year where the hosts had their ipod plugged to some computer speakers in the lounge room and there were only a few good party songs thanks to smaller flash memories on the ipod. we had to contend with too many breaks in dancing due to unappropriate songs being played and ultimately got sick of the 2 or 3 good numbers we had. Had i had my zune 30gb in working condition, we would have had an even more rocking new year party. Too bad, i trusted microsoft and it failed me at an important time.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/31 "2009-01-01T16:23:26Z")

</div>

The horror.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/32 "2009-01-01T17:15:04Z")

</div>

Sheesh. Cut 'em a break, willya, adesh\_romana. I’m just as addicted to my Zune as anyone else, but c’mon. It’s not like they were permanently fried; they were just out of service for a day. No biggie. 🙂

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/33 "2009-01-01T17:22:30Z")

</div>

> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> No biggie. 🙂

Pretty lame programming error though. Where was their software QC?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/34 "2009-01-01T17:25:15Z")

</div>

> [@Squink](#):
>
> Pretty lame programming error though. Where was their software QC?

What software QC? We are discussing Microsoft, after all.

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/35 "2009-01-01T17:26:03Z")

</div>

> [@Squink](#):
>
> Pretty lame programming error though. Where was their software QC?

Surprisingly, it took them less than four years to write the code, so they couldn’t test this case…

😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/36 "2009-01-01T17:33:35Z")

</div>

> [@gotpasswords](#):
>
> That line about “a large number of which that are still actively being used” struck me as amusing. Were they really expecting people to toss these things out after less than two years?

Tells you something about either the mentality of those writing the message OR the mentality they EXPECT the consumer base to have. Probably both.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/37 "2009-01-01T17:37:43Z")

</div>

> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> What software QC? We are discussing Microsoft, after all.
> 
> Robin

Not just them. The code seems to have been written by Freescale Semiconductor. It somehow managed to escape notice by both them and Microsoft.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/38 "2009-01-01T18:16:40Z")

</div>

Has anyone yet to confirm that the Zunes do indeed work now that they’ve waited a day? I need to calibrate my Microsoft insults depending on how this whole thing turns out.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/39 "2009-01-01T18:21:54Z")

</div>

> [@WarmNPrickly](#):
>
> Has anyone yet to confirm that the Zunes do indeed work now that they’ve waited a day? I need to calibrate my Microsoft insults depending on how this whole thing turns out.

Mine works, as does Airman’s. We just let the batteries drain yesterday and hooked them up this morning. The batteries charged properly and synced just fine.

Robin

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886/40 "2009-01-01T18:46:59Z")

</div>

> [@MsRobyn](#):
>
> And note to\*\* iPod\*\* users: Please don’t shit in this thread. We like our Zunes and would really rather not hear about how iPods are superior.
> 
> Robin

Hey guys , she never said anything about iPhones , pile on

Declan

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886.md?page=1)

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-zune-completely-quit-working/472886.md?page=3)