New Creative Zen Firmware Upgrade Borked - update: I think it's fi

Hello!
I got a new 6gb Creative Zen today. Have a question:
1. I upgraded the firmware after the original CD load. There were 4 critical updates. However, after all that ran, the Zen is messed up - I get a screen that has Clean Up, Format All, Reload Firmware and Reboot. When I tried to reboot I get a Reload Firmware message. I cannot get into the system at all.
I'm sure I'll have more questions later. Thanks for the help!Message Edited by Gankaku on 0-6-200809:0 PM
EDIT: I re-downloaded the firmware from the site and reinstalled and maybe things are ok now? I have access to the player from a Windows window. Hopefully all is well now.Message Edited by Gankaku on 0-6-200809:37 PM

My microphoto is doing the exact same thing. When I boot to recovery mode and select any of the options the player freezes while trying to execute the task. For example if I select 'clean up' the 'scan disk...' window comes up and immediately freezes. The only option in recovery mode that functions is the restart option, but when I restart it freezes at the creative logo again.
Ideally I would like to upgrade the firmware, but like traceinnabox my computer does not recognize the player...
This seems to be a problem that is not unique to me. Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution?

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    >New Creative ZEN Firmware .2.03" firmware does not work This new "Creative ZEN Firmware .2.03, Filesize : 7.6 MB" firmware does not work.
    All I get is : "Please make sure there is only one player connected" (See image below)
    I have a CreativeZen 4GB player with Vista 64-Bit Operating system (Main System).
    Yes, I have followed the instructions step-by-step, downloaded the new firmware first, then, connected my ZEN player, double-clicked the "ZEN_PCFW_L22__2_03" downloaded file.
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    I left it sit for one hour and did not move, same result (See image below).
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    Re: New Creative ZEN Firmware .2.03" firmware does not work$ I updated my Zen 32GB using Vista x64 so it can work under some situations. Can't say my upgrade went problem-free but it did work in the end.
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    Try running the firmware update as Administrator if you aren't already
    Try uninstalling the Creative drivers before the update.
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  • Creative ZEN Firmware 1.21.03 Released

    Hi Everyone,
    There is a new firmware update for the Creative ZEN available in the Support section.
    Creative ZEN Firmware .2.03
    Filesize : 7.6 MB
    Release date : 9 Jan 09
    File Name : ZEN_PCFW_L22__2_03.exe
    This download contains an improved version of the firmware found on your Creative ZEN® player. It ensures smooth operation of your player's FM Radio. For more details, read the rest of this web release note.
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    Requirements:
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    Windows Media® Player 0 or later
    USB port
    Creative ZEN player
    Note:
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    Disconnect your player from your computer.
    Press and hold the Play/Pause button. Continue to hold the button while you perform steps 4 and 5. If you accidentally release the button, start the procedure again.
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    Slide the On/Off switch towards the USB port and hold until the display lights up. The Recovery Mode screen appears with four options: Clean Up, Format All, Reload Firmware, and Reboot.
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    Re: New Creative ZEN Firmware .2.03" firmware does not work$ I updated my Zen 32GB using Vista x64 so it can work under some situations. Can't say my upgrade went problem-free but it did work in the end.
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    Try running the firmware update as Administrator if you aren't already
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  • Helpful hints for new Creative Zen MP3 2/4/8/16/32 GB (flash) Users On

    Summary of helpful hints (from this forum and me) for new Creative Zen MP3 2/4/8/6/32 GB (flash) Users Only!
    Rev..
    Date: 4/28/2008
    Author: ZenAndy
    Creative terminology:
    MP3 Player Recovery Tool - A program that resolves the majority of player problems quickly.
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    2. The battery does not last as expected
    3. Your computer stops responding during file transfers
    4. There is a power outage during file transfers
    5. There is an error about firmware
    6. LCD displays a "Firmware Problem" message
    7. Your player is not responding.
    8. The player is performing erratically.
    Getting Started
    . Load your Creative Zen software from CD FIRST and BEFORE plugging the Zen MP3 player, using the short cable, into the PC USB port to charge it.
    2. Try charging the Zen MP3 player directly from the USB port on the PC. If not, make sure the USB Hub you are using is adequately powered to provide full charging current to the Zen player. Also, try to have the Zen MP3 player as the only USB device, if possible, on the USB hub.
    Some/most Creative Zen flash MP3 Music players come "fully discharged" so, in the mean time, just read the manuals.
    FULLY charge the Zen MP3 player for several hours (~4.0 hrs max) until the battery symbol is NOT flashing AND the battery symbol/icon has a small plug/key symbol in the middle.
    After the first full charge - additional charging is much quicker about 2 /4 hours. (From 0% empty to full)
    3. Go to Creative/Support/Downloads and check for the latest software releases for the Creative Zen. Then check on your Zen MP3 player under System/Information for your firmware revision. Make sure you have the latest software downloaded on your PC and firmware on your Zen MP3 player. < Latest revision [.2.0] 28Feb08>
    OR
    You can run MP3 Player Recovery Tool - see above.
    4. In some cases you might have to do the Recovery Mode "paper clip reset" to get the Zen MP3 flash player started.
    See the Zen User's Guide FAQ. The paper clip reset hole is on the bottom edge below the music pause/run switch.
    (Not the slotted mic hole on the top edge of the player near the earphone jack and SD card slot!!!)
    5. My preference is to have the player shutdown/off before inserting and removing the earphone/headphone plug.
    Recovery Mode Using The Paper Clip OR
    Alternati've Method For Recovery Mode Without The Paper Clip.
    Why use it's
    If you experience one or more of the following symptoms:
    . The player is not detected in Creative MediaSource or Windows Media Player
    2. The battery does not last as expected
    3. Your computer stops responding during file transfers
    4. There is a power outage during file transfers
    5. There is an error about firmware
    6. LCD displays a "Firmware Problem" message
    7. Your player is not responding.
    8. The player is performing erratically.
    Save a copy of your player's content, if possible, before cleaning up the memory!
    Recovery Mode Using The Paper Clip Reset Method
    #. Turn off player if not already turned off
    #2. Press/hold play/pause button. If you accidentally release
    the button, start this reset procedure over again.
    #3. Gently push the end of a metal paper clip into the reset hole on
    the botton edge below the play/pause switch.
    (Do not use the slotted mic hole at the top edge near the earphone jack)
    #4. Slide the on/off/lock switch towards the on position - slide it to the botton hold
    until the display lights up and then release.
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    <Alternati've Method For Recovery Mode Without The Paper Clip>
    #. Turn off player if not already turned off
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    #3. Slide the on/off/lock switch towards the on position - slide it to the botton hold
    until the display lights up and then release. Be patient and wait!
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    < Clean Up> - cleans, rebuilds and reorganizes your player's memory and restores it to optimal efficiency.
    When the cleanup is complete, select Reboot. Your player restarts and starts rebuilding its music library.
    Note: Your player's firmware is reset to default settings after your player's memory is cleaned up.
    Note: This procedure the hide/show password is reset.
    <2 Format All>- Warning - Formatting your player erases all content on your player's memory and resets your player's firmware to default settings. If possible, back up all data on your player before proceeding.
    Also, you can do this from the PC see Zen User's Guide. FAQ
    <3 Reload Firmware> - Caution !!!! Selecting Reload Firmware erases your player's firmware.
    DO NOT select Reload Firmware unless you have downloaded a newer firmware version for your player, or have been advised to do so by Creative Customer Support.
    Note: My advice when loading/replacing firmware is to connect directly
    to the PC USB port without using a USB hub.
    <4 Reboot> Restarts the player just like the "on/off/lock switch" when switched ON.
    Note: Having NO battery energy/charge/juice this procedure will not work.
    Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery Hints
    Ref:
    http://www.omnica.com/omniview_electronics2.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery
    . Allow the battery to completely discharge from time-to-time then recharge it fully.
    2. Lithium-Ion batteries loses about 5%- 0% capacity per month.
    3. Lithium-Ion polymer batteries have about 300-500 discharge/charge cycles.
    4. A half full battery indication (50% @ /2 the battery color) used up about 24 hrs worth of battery. Below 50% the indication goes fairly fast to the max of 30 hrs. Note: The battery level indication seems non-linear through out its range.
    5. Battery is Empty~0% - warning screen will appear on LCD and player might shutdown.
    6. Battery is Full- 00% with battery symbol NOT flashing AND plug/key symbol in the center of the battery.
    7. It takes about 2 /4 hours to charge the battery from empty to full.
    8. It takes about 4 hours max to charge a "New" Zen player shipped from the factory.
    9. There is a battery manufactuer's failure rate, which is normal ~ % or less, in which the Lithium-Ion Polymer battery refuses to charge. Creative, ships the Zen MP3 players with some or no charge so there is very small probability that you could have one. I call it the "Deep Six Discharge Battery" Contact/call Creative for replacement.
    Documentation
    There are several pieces of documentation you might need to read to fully understand and use your Creative Zen MP3 flash player to its fullest capabilities.
    #. Zen Users Guide "English" - For Zen MP3 Player - download from Creative/Support/Product documentation
    #2. Zen Quick Users Guide /Front/Back - download from Creative/Support/Product documentation
    #3. Sync Manager (Creative Zen) Click on sync symbol on PC task bar then help
    #4. Creative Zen Media Explorer - Just look under the main help menu
    #5. Windows Media Player <if used>(Microsoft)Use the help files with this program.
    General Tips to increase/decrease the playing time on your Creative Zen flash player.
    <Creative Battery Spec: 5 Hrs. Video & "UP TO" 30 Hrs. Audio/Songs>
    Please do the following:
    . Volume control lower/higher - higher volume settings will decrease playing times. This is logical. More output "volume power" decreases the battery juice.
    2. Audio Settings: EQ, Smart Vol, & Bass Boost will effect your playing time but I believe they are not critical as the Volume & Bit Rates(28 kbsp and others) / File Format (MP3,WMA) & Lock Switch.
    3. Bit Rates & File Formats Do Matter. Bit Rates and File formats will increase/decrease your playing time.
    Per Catherina-CL
    "WMA files will use up more power than MP3 files, and higher bitrates more so than standard ones (like 28kbps MP3). Best thing to do is rip an album in 28kbps MP3 and leave it playing in a loop on a normal volume level. See how long the battery lasts then."
    Please Note: The main difference between MP3 and WMA is the compression. According to Microsoft a 64KBPS WMA file is the same quality 28KBPS MP3. This is of course up to a person's preference but you may find you can get better compression out of WMA.
    4. FULLY CHARGE your Zen. This means the battery symbol is NOT flashing AND there is a plug/key symbol embedded within the battery symbol. The battery is 00% FULL under BOTH conditions. Having just the battery symbol all green will not do it.
    From the link:
    http://www.omnica.com/omniview_electronics2.htm
    Regarding lithium-ion shelf life, one of our engineers recently met with a battery-house representati've. It has come to their attention that repeated charging and re-charging of a less than fully discharged Li-ion cell affects the battery "gas gauge" included with many devices. Over a number of cycles there is a resultant loss in accuracy. Frequently, the indicated remaining charge has little relationship to the actual amount of life left in the cell! Fortunately, according to the battery expert, the gauge will reset itself if the battery is allowed to completely discharge from time-to-time.
    5. Having different types of earphones/headphones will increase or decrease the playing time by how much "electronic load" the earphones/headphones create on the Zen player. There are some power hungry earphones/headphones out there.
    The 6 ohm earbuds conserves battery power more than the 32 ohm earbuds supplied by Creative. (About 0% more)
    6. Always, always lock your Zen player while playing music. This cuts off the power drain from the color 2.5" LCD and blank the LCD screen. After all, you can't read the LCD screen if it is in your shirt pocket and playing music!
    7. Make sure you have the latest firmware upgrades in order to get the best of your Creative Zen Flash MP3 Player.
    Troubleshooting
    Your Creative Zen is extremely complex.
    Check this link to peek inside player http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archi...isassembly.php
    Also, this link:
    http://arstechnica.com/journals/hard...ssor-behind-it
    There could be a million things that could go wrong with your player so you will not be the FIRST or LAST to have a problem. Keep in mind, there are many, many others that have the Zen with no problems whatsoever. Things happen, but Creative is there to help.
    Dropping a Zen or any other player might/will/possibly ruin the player for good!!!
    Since this player is solid-state (no moving parts e.g. mini-disk dri've) then the only thing that will keep it from running for years is the non-user replaceable Lithium-Ion battery. I will concentrate on some troubleshooting tips which are battery related but I hope you have already the latest firmware downloaded and installed on your player
    Battery - Lithium-Ion Polymer
    #. Battery won't charge "out of the box" new player.
    A. First, read above "Getting Started"
    B. Next, try a different USB mini cable.
    C. Next, there is a battery manufactuer's failure rate < %, in which the Lithium-Ion Polymer battery refuses to charge.
    Creative, ships the Zen MP3 players with no charge so there is very small probability thatyou could have one.
    I call it the "Deep Six Discharge Battery" Call / Contact Creative.
    #2. Battery won't charge properly after using the player for some time.
    A. When you plug in your player into the USB port via mini USB patch cable, the connection resets the player to the "docked screen" with the battery level gas guage , in the right hand corner.
    Sometimes this action does not reset the player properly but there is no indication to you that the player is charging.
    Just disconnect/connect the USB cable again.
    B. Sometimes, the Zen player gets confused and you have to do a Recovery Mode "paper clip reset" which forces the player into a "special menu screen" to clean-up the player and to reset the player which allows showing the "docked screen" while charging the unit. See Zen User's Guide for explicit instruction und FAQ.
    C. Since the Zens came out late in 2007, the maximum of 300-500 charge/discharge should not apply YETbut users beware, as with any other Lithium-Ion Polymer battery it will not charge fully "like new"because of a " fixed shelf life" (2-3 yrs) OR too many charge/discharge cycles. A battery replacement is in order.
    Methods of charging the Creative Zen MP3
    . The short mini-standard USB cable provided by Creative from the factory. Plugs into a PC USB port.
    2. Uni'versal Power Adapter (Creative) plugs into the wall. Works "anywhere in the world"
    Note: Different countries have different wall AC voltages and hertz requirements. This has adapters for different countries/locations wall outlets and a uni'versal power supply for all voltage and hertz requirements.
    Note: This is a heavy duty high/fast charging wall outlet charging adapter. (2400 ma)
    3. Auto/Vehicle 2 VDC charger (Creative) or other compatible vehicle 2 VDC to USB charger.
    4. EARHUGGER IPOD POWER POD - MP3-8370 (White compact module)
    http://www.earhugger.com/powerPod.html
    http://www.amazon.com/Earhugger-MP3-.../dp/B000QTTKSS
    This compact module will solve all the following travel modes and conditions:
    . Camping, hiking or outdoor travel - no PC or noAC or maybe no auto/car.
    2. Airplane travel - no PC or no AC or no auto/car.
    3. Train/subway travel - no PC or no auto/car
    4. Car travel - no PC or no AC
    5. Foot travel - no PC or no AC or no auto/car
    It uses 4 ways to charge the Zen:
    . Retractable mini-standard USB cord for PC charging. <--- does not communicate with PC! - only for charging
    2. Retractable mini USB cord for auto/vehicle charging (Fused)
    3. Retractable mini USB cord for wall 0-20 VAC 50/60Hz charging. (non-international use plug style)
    4. 9 VDC battery terminal for using standard alkaline 9 VDC or high ma Lithium 9 VDC to charge the Zen via
    mini USB cable. Note:You might need several alkaline batteries to charge the internal 550 ma hr Zen battery!
    Great for remote destinations.
    5. Rechargeable portable battery packs.
    Black & Decker has several "Power To Go"models CPI0B-C & CPI20XB (not for international use because of 20 AC 60Hz only charging wall wart)
    Note: There are other brands that also do this method of charging.
    http://www.blackanddecker.com/Produc...Path=4033.4040
    You charge this portable NiMH battery pack from the AC wall outlet so you can carry with you on trips to charge the Zen.
    6. Mobile phone chargers. Some have a mini-USB plug for charging the phone but it could be used to charge the Zen BUT BEWARE IT COULD RUIN THE ZEN IF IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE! The output should have a voltage of 5 VDC +- 5% (4.75-5.25 VDC) ON THE PROPER MINI-USB PINS and a charging current at least 200 ma to 2400 ma. See this forum for the recommend phone phone chargers to use with the Zen.
    Note: You are charging an internal Lithium-ion polymer 550 mahr battery in the Zen so the lower the charging current the longer it takes to charge.
    Note: You will find that charging the Zen from the wall charger is much faster than the "current limited" charging on the standard PC USB port.
    Note: For diagnostic purposes and emergency charging of the Zen it is wise to have an external (non-PC) charging device for your Zen.
    Note: Only the battery charging symbol shows up on the Zen when using an external charger.
    Scratches
    All plastic screens will scratch, doesn't matter which type you have.
    For minor scratches you could use the Novus three part cleaner, polish and scratch remover system. Do not use the #3 coarse abrasi've in this system! Be extremely careful in using this product !!!! Please check the web.
    OR
    Low abrasi've toothpase <--- some say this works
    OR
    CD scratch remover/repair kit <---- have not tried this.
    The Zen (Flash) MP3 glass LCD screen is covered by the overlay plastic you see on the front. Worst case, you can have only the outer shell repaired and replaced by Creative.
    To prevent scratches in the first place:
    Use the Zen cloth bag which comes with the unit (sometimes ) to prevent scratches.
    OR
    Buy the Zen clear plastic case (Clear Case #70AB2600002). Sold by Creative.< I use this>
    OR
    Buy an clear plastic overlay. (Screen protector #70AB2600003) which goes over the LCD protector screen for protection. Sold by Creative.
    OR
    Also, you can cut up a "generic" PDA screen protector to fit the Zen.
    OR
    Obtain a "digital camera lcd screen protector" from a camera store or internet
    OR
    "Invisible shield" -The best protection money can buy
    http://www.zagg.com/invisibleshield/...ns-shields.php
    How to destroy your Zen - WHAT NOT TO DO
    . Leave it in the auto/car/vehicle - the vehicle inside heats up 20-35 F higher than the outside temperature.
    2. Leave it outside in freezing temperature 0C 32F. The LCD will freeze/discolor/absorb water.
    Note: It is remotely possible it could recover when warm-up at room temperature.
    Note: Just keep the Zen near your body heat when outside in freezing temperatures.
    3. Dropping it might cause the LCD screen to crack or loosen up the internal connections to the electronics or short out the internal electronics.
    Note: Use a protecti've case to cushion the blow from dropping the Zen.
    4. Dropping or submerging or getting the Zen wet in water might short out the electronics and battery.
    You could prevent destruction by immediately shaking the Zen vigorously in open air to dry it out.
    5. Sitting on it could flex the electronics and short or open circuits which would cause a defecti've/faulty Zen.
    <A bit of humor ... There is No Santa Claus, Easter Bunny or Tooth fairy and Creative does NOT give away money. If you destroy or damage your Zen you will pay not Creative>
    How can you tell if your Zen is defecti've/faulty
    . A "white screen" or a "totally blank black screen" shows up on the Zen LCD.
    2. You cannot force the Zen into the special "Recovery Mode" menu screen.
    3. The Zen refuses to "take a charge"(To charge up the internal Lithium-Ion Polymer battery)
    4. The Zen LCD is cracked or distorted due to dropping or handling abuse.
    5. The Zen clock does not keep accurate time (within 2 mins max per month)
    Contact Creative if any of the above faults occur - the Zen is bad and nothing you can do will fix it!
    WSOD "White Screen of Death"
    The "White Screen of Death" is really caused by a hardware problem. You see, the internal Freescale/SigmaTel STMP3700 MP3 processor has to write to the LCD. If this operation is prevented by internal electronic opens or shorts, bad STMP3700, locked-up firmware, bad LCD or any other electronic component failure then the CPU might/will halt and refuse to write to the LCD which will be reflected in a "white screen of death" I cannot cover all the causes of the "white screen of death" but rest assured Creative should pick these problems up in their quality control manufacturing process with a 99% success rate. Problems do show up after the manufacturing process but Creative has warranty protection for this other % fault rate. (Which is normal in electronics manufacturing)
    Media Content
    Listening to the built-in music on the Zen is OK but after a while your question now becomes "What else can I do with my Zen "
    Note: The "How to" instructions for adding Media content can be found in the Zen documentation.
    Terminology:
    Album: Collection of tracks or songs under one "album" title.
    Artist: Track or song artist
    DRM: Digital rights management - copy protection scheme - Zen cannot use music with this music protection scheme. (itunes) (But "itunes plus" will work)
    Genres: Type or kind of music
    <The following genres are defined in ID3v>
    Blues,Classic Rock,Country,Dance,Disco,Funk,Grunge,Hip-Hop,Jazz,Metal,New Age,Oldies,Other,Pop,
    R&B,Rap,Reggae,Rock,Techno,Industrial,Alternati've ,Ska,Death Metal,Pranks,Soundtrack,Euro-Techno,
    Ambient,Trip-Hop,Vocal,Jazz+Funk,Fusion,Trance,Classical,Instru mental,Acid,House,Game,Sound Clip,
    Gospel,Noise,AlternRock,Bass,Soul,Punk,Space,Medit ati've,Instrumental Pop,Instrumental Rock,
    Ethnic,Gothic,Darkwave,Techno-Industrial,Electronic,Pop-Folk,Eurodance,Dream,Southern Rock,
    Comedy,Cult,Gangsta,Top 40,Christian Rap,Pop/Funk,Jungle,Nati've American,Cabaret,New Wave,
    Psychadelic,Rave,Showtunes,Trailer,Lo-Fi,Tribal,Acid Punk,Acid Jazz,Polka,Retro,Musical,Rock & Roll,
    Hard Rock
    <The following genres are Winamp extensions>
    Folk,Folk-Rock,National Folk,Swing,Fast Fusion,Bebob,Latin,Revival,Celtic,Bluegrass,Avantg arde,
    Gothic Rock,Progressi've Rock,Psychedelic Rock,Symphonic Rock,Slow Rock,Big Band,Chorus,
    Easy Listening,Acoustic,Humour,Speech,Chanson,Opera,Cha mber Music,Sonata,Symphony,
    Booty Bass,Primus,Porn Groove,Satire,Slow Jam,Club,Tango,Samba,Folklore,Ballad,Power Ballad,
    Rhythmic Soul,Freestyle,Duet,Punk Rock,Drum Solo,A capella,Euro-House,Dance Hall
    <A bit of humor: I think the above Genres lists are missing two - "elevator music" & Crying and Whining e.g. Country Western>
    ID3 Tags: Internal file information associated with an Mp3 or wav audio file. This format contains
    Track number, Album name/title, Genre, Artist and Song Title which can be sorted and indexed by
    the Zen device.
    IPTV: Is a system where a digital television service is deli'vered using Internet Protocol over a network infrastructure, which may include deli'very by a broadband connection. http://zencast.com/
    JPEG: Is a commonly used method of compression for photographic images.
    This is the only photo format used by the Zen.
    MP3 and WMA music tracks: Music format used by the Zen.
    Note: Having the wrong bit rates will drain the Zen battery faster. (See above)
    MP3: Is a digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression.
    Non-protected AAC: Files are regular AAC files without any DRM: they can be converted to other formats (like MP3) and can be played on an unlimited amount of devices and burned an unlimitd amount of times. They have no restrictions.
    Podcast: Is a series of digital-media files which are distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and computers. http://zencast.com/
    Protected AAC: Files are AAC audio files that contain DRM (Digital Rights Management), most often music purchased from the iTunes store. The Creative Zen cannot use these files.
    Note: "Itunes Plus Store" have songs without DRM which the Zen can use.
    Ripping CDs: Copying tracks from an audio CD on a PC and downloading tracks to the Zen.
    Note: Use the Creative Zen Media Explorer for ripping audio CD is one method.
    Song Title: Name of song or track
    Track Number: Numerical number of track of CD album.
    Track: General name for song or song title.
    Unprotected AAC format: Music format used by the Zen
    WMA:Is an audio data compression technology developed by Microsoft. The name can be used to refer to its audio file format or its audio codecs.
    WAV: (or WAVE), short for Waveform audio format, is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs.
    Note: The Zen's built-in microphone produces this audio file format.
    Zen Audio Format:MP3, WMA, WAV, non-protected AAC (.m4a), Audible (2, 3, 4)
    Zen Media Content: Video, Music, Audio, Photos/Images transferred/dowloaded into the Zen
    Zen Photo Format:JPEG
    Note: You can copy/drag/paste JPEG photos from your PC to your Zen for viewing.
    Note: You can import photos & view photos from the SD card.
    Zencast Organizer: Seamlessly integrates ZENcast media files with Creative portable media players and/or your computer
    Zen Video Format:MJPEG, WMV9 and (with transcoding - MPED4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD)
    Warning - In some countries (including the US) its illegal to do:
    Copying audio DVD & DVDs
    Defeating DRM MP3 Music (Digital Rights Management)
    Intercepting/copying (non purchased) music.
    Downloading music/songs from an illegal or "free" rouge website.
    General Media Content links:
    http://pro-music.org/Content/GetMusi...lineStores.php
    Note: Check to see if your music files/tracks contains ID3 tags.
    Note: ZEN also supports iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes store,
    Note: The following media content is only a small fraction of means and ways
    of collecting/dowloading media content to the Zen.
    Media Content from Creative Website(s)
    Note: The Media Content can be found under "Fill your Zen" on the bottom of the Creative Zen product page.
    http://zencast.com/
    ZENcast is the ultimate source for free IPTV channels, video blogs and podcasts on the Internet. It provides quick and easy access to a wide range of interesting and entertaining video and audio content online.
    http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/cre...seBVCookie=Yes
    Audible.com - Audible.comis the Internet s leading audio provider of bestselling audio books, comedy programs and today s most relevant magazines and newspapers
    http://creative.vongo.com/
    VONGO is the video download service that gives you instant access to over 2500 hit movie and video selections from Starz .
    Watch movies whenever, wherever on your ZEN. A great entertainment venue for watching movies while on the road or on the go.
    http://www.napster.com/creative/
    Transfer unlimited music to your ZEN without paying per song.
    With Napster To Go you can:
    Choose from over 5 million songs, plus new releases every week
    Play music instantly from any internet-connected computer
    Find old favorites and discover new music by exploring playlists, radio, Billboard charts and more
    Create a library of your favorite music and build custom playlists.
    http://www.emusic.com/ZEN
    Choose from over ,500,000 songs
    Burn unlimited CDs
    Compatible with every MP3 player
    No confusing restrictions-Own your music!
    http://www.lala.com/frontend/action/...=user:2672@223
    Why pay 99per song when you can get the whole album for $At lala.com, you can trade your used CDs for new music.
    .8 million titles available for trade. CD quality guaranteed.
    Every CD you receive is yours to keep - no restrictions.
    Pay only $ per CD received. No monthly fees or commitments. Sign up is FREE.
    http://www.amazon.com/b/ &node=62663
    Buy or Rent Movies Online
    Watch DVD-quality video downloads on your PC or ZEN
    Conveniently download from your PC at work to your PC at home
    Discover thousands of TV shows & movies available for download
    I started this thread in April 08 to help other new Creative Zen MP3 (Flash) users. If there are common threads that are posted from new users then I try to make a section to inform other new users in solving their similar problems. I cannot believe that this thread was viewed over 0,000 times! Thank you for your "viewing" support.
    Please note: This thread is constantly changing so check back for any new helpful hints, problem solving, troubleshooting and practical solutions for the Creative Zen.
    "The Creative ZenR O C K S"
    Zenandy
    Message Edited by Zenandy on 08--2008 08:26 AM

    Hi,
    I'm from germany so no 'best buy' but I think I will lock around sleeve/bag for a different product with same measures. Any tip?
    The clear plastic case is not what I want. I would like to use the player without such protections. I just want a sleeve to protect the player while its in my jacket/pants.
    Btw, i have bought this version: Creative Zen (maybe european version?). I also doesn't seem to have your mentioned sleeve. I also couldn't find it on the website.
    Anyway, thank you,
    Chris

  • The New Creative Zen Stone plus with built-in spea

    ?i was thinking of buying the the New Creative Zen Stone plus 2GB?with built-in speaker. http://creative.com/products/mp3/zenstoneplus/?The product detail info claim a 20 hours battery life of this product. . is?this a?true claim ?2. is there any problem about the charging process of this product?because the "previous" Creative?Stone Plus has a charging and?battery life problem. 3. Or should i just settle for the Creative muVo v00 2 GB instead ?Any thoughts guys?Thanks

    xmouse,
    Here you go:
    Firmware for Zen Stone Plus w/ Speaker
    You can find any other files you need by going to "Support" and then "Downloads" on this website.
    Good luck,
    Dale

  • Creative ZEN Firmware 1.12.01 (17.60 MB) 27 Nov

    Creative ZEN Firmware .2.0 (7.60 MB) 27 Nov 07
    Added Features or Enhancements:
    * Improves your player's playback time for AAC (.m4a) and WMA (.wma) files.
    * Improves player stability for continuous playback over a long period of time.
    has any tried teh latest ver?
    http://sg.creative.com/support/downl...ype=0&x=38&y=8

    Battery cunsumption is also the biggest problem for me ...... 7hrs of music over 4 days is not good (with or without the headphones connected) I will try this new firmware and see if it improves things.

  • The new "Creative Zen&qu

    Creative is came out with a new Creative zen. im not so sure if it out now or if its coming out soon.
    but i was just wondering if anyone has it and can tell me if you can rotate the screen so it would be easy to click the buttons with your left hand...
    the old muvo's alowed you to rotate the screen for better left handed controls so i was just wondering if i should spend the money on this.

    JK23 wrote:
    "although it is a nice player it leaves Creative's current line-up with no large HDD player "?How much storage do you need? I could understand that if a player has hundreds of hours of battery life then having a huge storage capacity would be useful. With 25 hours for music or 5 hours for video, how many hours of entertainment do you need?
    You're not thinking outside the box. Imagine having a collection of 300 albums connected to your home stereo. Without the hassle of sorting through hundreds of CD.
    The convience of being able to travel with that collection anywhere you wanted, such as a school dorm, saving alot of free space in the room.
    As for battery life, well you don't have to use a battery in every scenero, if you have it plugged into a stereo system then just use the AC Adapter.
    Creative needs to start increasing the size of the HDD players an support lossless codecs.Message Edited by TimT on 09-25-200709:32 AM

  • Help Please My Creative Zen Firmware Prob

    It suddenly happened. I have my Creative Zen just one year and a half and last time that I tried to turn it on it just did not. I did not smashed it or soaked or anything. I reset it. Cleaned it up, Formated all, and the same message is coming........ Firmware Problem!
    !!! I have tried it all. I download the Creative Zen Firmware .03.04, the computer just dont detect the device at all. Any suggestions??

    Try attaching an AC adapter (if you have one) and then attach it to your computer - sometimes this allows the computer to recognise the device so you can?re-install the firmware.

  • Possible new Creative Zen 40GB MP3 play

    Hi there, does anybody know if there would be a new Creative Zen 40GB MP3 player due out soon? Here in Malaysia, the new Creative Zen 20GB MP3 player has replaced the Zen Touch 20GB player, and only the Zen Touch 40GB player is still available. Been wondering if I should wait for a new Creative Zen 40GB player instead of getting the Zen Touch 40GB player now. The Creative Zen has better specs then the Zen Touch except for the battery life which is only rated for hours. A big let down from the previous 24 hours battery life of the Zen Touch. Now, it would be just perfect if the new possible Zen 40GB player had the improved specs together with the 24 hours battery.

    Most probably, you know how Creative is making a Zen Photo or something, does that reminds you of the iPod Photo You'll just have to wait though, currently I'm just happy with my 5 Gig, it has more than enough space

  • New Creative Zen Confl

    Hey, i'am wanting to get the new Creative ZEN 4GB, but i wandered if you can hide content on the player and show content on the player. also is there a password, and if there is, can i enter it on the device ! ! ! Thanks.
    Also, how hard is it to hide A LOT of content
    (I've looked for hours trying to find this answer)

    I'm not sure if you can hide content, and I'm sure you can have a password. but you cant record the radio like the ZVM can, and I've heard some people say that they dont like the new Zen and sayed that they would buy a new ZVM unstead.

  • New Creative Zen - DivX / XviD resoluti

    Hey all,
    I was just wondering what resolutions of divx / xvid are supported by the new creative Zen. I've got my eye on the 6gb model which looks absolutely ideal, however a key point for me is that i really do not want to be transcoing the movies i have on my computer due to the time and additional storage space which all this would require.
    I know the zen vision m / w both handle reasonably high resolutions, up to VGA ish (640x480) on the same size screen (320x240 i think), but is this going to be the same for the new Zen?
    Thanks for any information,
    CJ

    i believe the codecs specs is the same as zen vision m.

  • Can new Creative Zen play WMA with D

    Can new Creative Zen play WMA with DRM? (Digital rights management) Because half of my library is purchased from MSN Music and if Creative Zen can't play that, I have to look for something else.

    I'm not that unsure. And of course I beli've that you and the mods have right and it would be very strange if it did not play DRM. But I think Creative could have writen that it play WMA with DRM in the product specification. Now that I know that it can play my songs I'm gonna buy the Zen very soon:smileyvery-happy: thanks for all your help!Message Edited by Norwegian25 on 09-27-200709:46 PM

  • Creative zen firmware update now trouble with creative media sou

    I wanted to start downloading music from an online store and was advised that I needed a firmware upgrade for my creative zen, which I did (version 2.2.02) and could download music. However since I have done this my zen is no longer recognised when I connect to my pc - which is running on Windows XP. I took advice from creative and reloaded my firmware after starting my player in recovery mode and then I reloaded the creative media source organiser software. After that I could find the player in the organiser but everything was laid out differently with all my music in folders which made it really tricky to navigate.
    The icon is this grey thing which doesnt look like a creative at all! Although I can move files around it is still not recognised on the bottom right of my pc and I can't safely remove the hardware because of this. I am also having problems with syncing from the pc library to the zen and it is not picking up duplicate files but adding them again so I am getting loads of copies of the same music - nightmare. When I am deleting it is just not recognising and I have been through this process a few times now and its getting pretty tiresome!
    Should I reinstall the organiser again and do a clean up in recovery mode?

    The Zen MicroPhoto is an MTP Device.
    Minimum System Requirements:
    Microsoft? Windows? XP (Service Pack or higher)/XP 64-bit
    You might find a work-around for not having the minimum system requirements in this thread or this thread.

  • Creative ZEN Firmware (1.20.02e) B

    Hello Guys,
    Yesterday i got my Creative ZEN 4 GB.
    With the stock Firmware i noticed a bug with the hold-mode.
    If I turn on the hold-mode, the display shuts down, ok, normal.
    But if I turn the hold-mode off, i can see only a white screen an nothing else.
    So I have to reboot the player.
    I decided to install the .3 Firmware. Now, when I turn my ZEN off and on,
    I get an overbright and flickering screen, like many other people in the forum.
    Today i?ve seen that there is a new Firmware, the .20.02e.
    I installed it, but I already have the same problems.
    Now i?m using the stock firmware again, it'ss the "best" for my ZEN.
    Now i?m very angry about that ... I hope Creative will fix it soon ...
    Does anybody else have this probs?
    ps: excuse my bad english, i?m german :PMessage Edited by obtrusi've on 2-9-200706:7 AM
    Message Edited by obtrusi've on 2-9-200706:8 AM
    Message Edited by obtrusi've on 2-9-200706:8 AM

    Hi guys, the US firmware can be obtained if you set your region to United States from the Creative Web site... I want to say something about the firmware upgrade issue... Creative fixes something in every f/w.. they declare some of them but (i?think that) some more?fixes are not declared. It is better to always update your players f/w when Creative releases a new one and expect for the next better one... Moreover do not forget that the codecs are embedded in the f/w s... Latest f/w = Better stability??Of course this is my opinion but the player is yours, do what you want

  • 30 gig Creative Zen Firmware Prob

    <SPAN>
    Hi I own a 30 gig Creative Zen Xtra Mp3 player and have been having a problem with it. I have owned it for 3 months. When I turn the player on it starts to rebuild the library but crashes about ?s of the way in and states that there is a firmware problem. Once this screen has come up I cannot turn the player off so I have to remove the battery. I followed instructions posted on another site and entered the rescue menu and selected re- install OS. I deleted the old one and downloaded the <SPAN>Firmware Update version .20.08. I opened the file and a warning came up saying that the firmware I have on my mp3 player is more recent than the one I wanted to install. The mp3 player I own is a old model so I thought that this was wrong. I continued and installed the new firmware. I rebooted the player and it rebuilt the library to the previous level only to crash again stating a firmware problem despite the update. After this I selected the clean up option. It scanned the disc but nothing changed.
    <SPAN>I have no other options from the player except to enter the rescue menu. I cannot even turn the player off. When I reinsert the battery it turns on and attempts to rebuild the library and then crashes and the firmware crashes icon will stay until the battery runs out. I run Windows XP home on my computer and I can find no other people complaining of the exact symptoms as mine. Thanks for any help.

    If you have tried all this then I can only think the player is faulty.
    If it's under warranty then obviously contact Creative Support. If it's not under warranty you can of course also contact Creative Support to get it repaired.
    It might be the hard disk which is at fault which you can replace yourself, but it's hard to know this is the problem for sure.

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