Are ALL Zen Micros DEFECTI

Are all Zen Micros defecti've because I really am considering buying this player over a Rio Carbon / Karma or an iPod Mini or a 52mb/gb Sony flash memory mp3 player (those are nice by the way.) I really am looking forward to having an mp3 player that would just dead on play music, have a good audio quality, and can possibly hold 4/5/6 gigs of memory. It's really annoying when you see all these nice products out in the market (ie, products mentioned above) and they're all defecti've one way or another.
Please, somebody give me their honest opinons, especially the mods from Creative since you do work for the company. I really am looking forward to buying a product of yours.. mainly because of the memory, audio quality, price, and one of the best qualities -- the removable battery. I don't mind much for the voice recorder, removable disk, etc. I really want a long lasting mp3 player with a replaceable battery, good memory and audio quality.
If you think the Zen Micro is not for me, please let me know and recommend something else, please.
Thank you,
Rue.
PS.
I have a few weeks until I do buy one, so do you guys think the Zen Micro's flaws (headphone jack, etc) will be fixed by then? Have anything to say about this Creative Labs?

A small percentage of them have a problem? Just have a look at this forum. Poeple are constantly reporting some problems. Also, I asked in various shops whether they had any complaints about the Micro. Guess what a number of shops admitted that customers would frequently return them as a result of the battery drainage problem and the headphone jack. Do you guys like taking out the battery every time you finish listing?
Stay away from the Micro. It's a pile of rubbish. Also, I don't like iPods and I certainly don't own one. But as it seems, the iPod Mini has far fewer problems than the Micro. Obviously, this doesn't mean that you have to go for an iPod. I myself have managed to find my personal perfect player. It's a real shame as I really like the look of the Zen Micro, but I suppose looks aren't everything. I'd rather have a well-functioning player than one that has blue lights.
The player has only a few problems, but those problems are serious. The battery drains even when the player is off, which means that you either have to put up with the fact that you wake up in the morning only to find your battery completely empty or you take out the battery after listing. Quite a few Micro owners do this, without realising that the wear and tear from the constant taking out of the battery is a serious problem and will later catch up with them. The other problem is the famous eadphone jack. It's not said that your player would develop this problem, but too many players do it. I wouldn't feel comfortable at the prospect of listing to my music through only one channel. Oh the touch pad is faulty with some players as well. And there are a lot other problems with it. At least, you're making the research beforehand unlike me who trusted various reviews by people who owned the player a day and claimed that it was so great. Sure, after only a day this is a valid and trustworthy thig to say. I should have known better.Message Edited by Reef on 05-04-2005 04:44 PM

Similar Messages

Zen Micro defect with Firmware upd

(Zen Micro version 2.00.2)
I updated my Zen Micro's firmware/drivers/applications the other day and now the player is not detected by creative media source organizer or zen micro media explorer - I have to transfer my songs through Real Player or WMP 0 now. Also, all the song lengths have changed to 8:2:5 long.
I had another problem even before the update - after the player is unlocked, the back arrow does not respond well. It would go to the tracklist then back to now playing. I have to go to the bottom right corner button and "lookup artist" then press back to go back to where I was before I locked it. I don't know if that's just the way the player is designed.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

MediaSource won't work with the 2.00.2 firmware. Best to only upgrade if you are sure you want to use only WMP0.

If a LE Zen Micro defects in anyway.....

and then you would have to send it back to Creative to get it fixed.. would you still get to keep the extra items? Like.. If I just send the ZM along with everything else except the extra things included like the power adapter, what happens? Will they accept it or will you have to send the extra things too, and not get them back except a regular version of the zen micro..

I'm assuming that they would have you send just the player back, as they don't need anything else. It was always like this when I had a defecti've cellphone. I would get a prepaid label and box, and simply put the phone into it and send it back. Never even had to put it in its original box. Keep in mind, not everyone keeps the boxes or extra stuff, and over time, things get lost or broken, so I doubt you need to repackage it just like how it was when you first bought it.

Where are my Zen Micro accessori

Hello, I just bought a black 5gb ZM yest and was a little confused in regards to the packaging. Let me start off by saying that I went to GoodGuys first to try and purchase it, but they wouldn't match the price ($89) that I printed from a Circuit City online ad. But before I left, I saw the packaging which was a huge box compared to the one I eventually bought. Was the huge box the limited edition that I've read about on these forums, that included the belt clip and stand, extra batt, etc? I'm just a little concerned about the newness of my unit, since I don't want to run into the headphone jack problem the older units are having. I've read here that the limited or special edition packages are considered the older units. True? BTW, my box was considerably smaller and only contained the unit, headphones, USB cable, pouch and software. I'm sorry but I'm new to the MP3 player world. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

$79? Wow! Nice deal. I was glad that my local Circuit City was able to match that online special. I almost bought an Ipod if no one were to match the deal. However I'm glad I went the ZM route.
I suspect that the huge box was the special or limited version. Just wanted to confirm.

Are ALL Zen V Plus Screens the Sa

I have a 2GB Zen V+ that has a cracked screen and out of warranty. My classmate says he has a GB and a 4GB plus that have good screens but don't work. Classmate wants to sell the dead units. My question is will either of these screens work in the 2GB V+. I don't want to spend my money if it won't work. Thanks.Message Edited by mcsincnj on 2-06-200709:34 AM

Hi,
Try running the recovery tool to see if it hel
ps.
If that does not work, it would be best to get in touch with support for further assistance. Check the "Support" folder on your installation CD for Customer Support contact details.

Zen Micro Limited Edition Still Availab

Is everyone still gettting the Limited Edition of the Zen Micro. I bought one from Creative, but wanted to get a red one for my wife. Are all Zen Micros still being sold with the extra battery?
Thanks
JeffMessage Edited by ride525 on 0-09-2005 06:4 AM

Well according to Creative, 35,000 zen micro special editions were shipped across the North America. In Canada, I was one of the last ppl to get the SE (special edition) Zen Micro because they are selling here like hot cakes... I went to school and told my friends about the micro, 90% of them returned their current mp3 players and bought the zen micro and i havnt heard any complaint from them. Most of them said it was a relief, because most of my friends owned an ipod / ipod mini and they said it was much better so...

Are zen micro mp3s compatible from any downloading prog

Are creative zen micros mp3 players compatible with music from any downloading program.
p.s what do you think is nicer the black zen micro or the sli'ver i can't make my mind up.

. Most pay per song programs are DRM WMA. Which is compatibal with the zen micro (May be with others im not sure because i only have the zen micro). If you download music then you will get it (most likely) in Mp3 form which also works with The zen micro. However itunes uses ACC which is not compatibel but im sure you can convert the music into normal mp3 (not sure how). So chances are your music will work with the zen micro (unless u use OGG vorbis or something weird like that)
2. I have a silver Zen Micro--Looks more professional and cool.

Zen Micro: Poor Battery Performance Even with Firmware Upgr

The Zen Micro's battery life is advertised to last up to 2 hours, but I am only getting approximately 7.5 hours. I have installed the latest firmware v.0.03 upgrade, and fully charged and discharged both batteries at least fi've times each (using the USB and AC adaptors before plutting into outlet). Before the firmware upgrade I was getting just under six hours of battery life. For testing purposes I am using 28kbps MP3 files, volume level 8, no EQ setting, no backlighting, and the headphones that came with the product. Since I have the player sitting on my desk, without being listened to, there's no skipping or forwarding of music tracks. Gi'ven the non-demanding settings, the battery performance is disappointing.
I have contacted tech support and they want me to send in my player for repair or replacement. It seems this issue is prevalent for all Zen Micros and I don't want to send mine in to have it returned all scuffed and scratched and not fixed (or get some grimy second-hand, refurbished model instead).
So I want to confirm that others are experiencing this same problem before I decide what to do. It seems it would be best to get another one from Amazon instead of going through the hassle of repair.

I notified Amazon of the problem on Friday and got a brand new replacement on Monday. Talk about great service.
Unfortunately the replacement is a crapper also. My second Zen Micro immediately and completely locks up when plugging in the USB cable. Since I didn't return my original unit yet, I was able to try another cable but got the same results. I fully charged the batteries, tried all of the various recovery mode options, and still had the Creative drivers/software previously installed on my computer from before. I'm running WinXP SP2 with up-to-date patches, and no other software installed since. My PC's motherboard has built-in USB 2.0 support (with power mgmt turned off) and updated drivers and BIOS, but these things shouldn't be an issue anyway since it worked fine with the first Zen Micro. I'm not able to upgrade the firmware, let alone transfer music, because of the lockup problem. I build and fix PCs for friends and coworkers all the time so I'm confident in my trouble-shooting abilities.
The second Micro makes the first one seem perfect. I really wanted to like this MP3 player, but two defecti've products in a row is totally unacceptable to me. What a waste of my time. I should have been more suspicious about Creative products since my Muvo TX FM player was buggy as well (i.e. player would immediately shut down when powering on). I will check out the Rio Carbon or iRi'ver products instead.

Which firmware version to use with Zen Micro

I currently have version .0.03 on my micro 5G and I have had absolutely no isuues. Is there a more recent version that is stable that is better? I do not want to find new problems that are not there with my micro now, but I also do not want to miss out on any upgrade in function.
Thanks.

here is some info on what's new in firmware .02.05 collected. (read the linked message, and the rest of that thread)
here's info about history of all Zen Micro firmware
.02.05 is not better for your battery than .0.03, but has some other minor features and fixes.
greets, Fred

Horrible Zen Micro Prob

First of all, I think I had alot to do with this error. After I took my new Zen Micro 6GB White out of the box, I put it in the battery place, and then set it to charge on my PC for like 3.5 hrs. I neglected to install the Zen Micro Explorer before charging it. The player wasn't recognized by Creative MediaSource or Windows. While the player was charging, it did not pulsate and the charging icon did not flicker, and the backlight was on for the whole time, but the LED was off, and the controls did not respond. After charging I turned it on, to see that only battery bar was charged. I listened to some radio and the demo tracks (it has very good audio quality and earphones). I looked at the version in the Information sectuion. It came up as 2.20.05. I then installed the Creative software inside the Installation CD and then updated all the components from the Creative Support site. I downloaded the Firmware update for PlaysForSure because aparently v2 and over are P4S players. I connected the player to the PC, it was recognized as a 20MB (opposed to 6GB) MTP device by WMP but not recognized in Zen Explorer or MediaSource. I also tried to make it I thought it was that the firmware was too old to be recognized, so I did the unthinkable. I got into Recovery Mode for the Zen Micro and then formatted the dri've, then did the Reload Firmware because I thought it would just reinstall the Firmware. It erased the firmware, and everytime I turn it on, a Firmware Error appears. I tried to update the Firmware, but the player doesn't get recognized by the update program Creative gives. When I plug it into the PC it seems to charge, the proper way (with pulsating) and I can use the interface, but its useless because I have a 6GB player with no firmware, so therefore useless.
I want to know how to fix this problem, or is it hopeless?. Can I just use the player on another PC and install a new firmware there? Or do I have to send it back to where I got it from, or to Creative? While you're replying, I'll just be kicking myself.
Oh and here's my system specs:
Intel D865GBF Mobo
P4HT 3GHz Northwood
2x52MB DDR400 Single Channel
ATI RADEON X850XT AGP
SB Audigy 2 ZS OEM
Win XP Pro SP2 (fully updated)
Creative MediaSource 3.30.2 & WMP 0
*btw I used a USB. port because my PC doesn't recognize USB2*

I JUST FIGURED IT OUT. HOORAY!
First of all, I started with a bad firmware of ZM 2.20.05. I did a clean uninstall of all Zen Micro related software and drivers (excluding what Audigy 2 needs). I restarted. Then I uninstalled all the drivers under USB in Device Manager. Then I restarted again. Then I installed the Zen Micro Explorer from the CD. Restart again. Then, during the registration autorun comes up, I plugged in the MP3 to my PC (USB. port). The PC didn't recognize it for a while, then it recognized a MTP. I skipped registration, because it was not able to detect ZM. I went into Device Manager, uninstalled the MTP device (just press Del after selecting it). Then I ran the Firmware Update ..0 (2.2.02 failed for some reason). After it said to insert the MP3, I scanned for hardware changes in Device Manager. Voila! The firmware update recognized it as 2.20.05, and successfully upgraded (well, downgraded) it to the ..0 version. After that it was all pretty simple because I updated all my Zen Micro drivers and Explorer. Remember that if you do get stuck, uninstalling all USB drivers is a good start. Beware that if you do uninstall USB ports, you will temporarily lose control of all your USB devices (including all USB mice and keyboards). WinXP usually does detect it again very soon. If not, then restart. Well now, I have successfully fixed the firmware, successfully put tracks on it, successfully changed the settings of it, and then successfully put the same tracks on it again with my USB2.0 port (it really does make a difference).
This should be made permanent or stickied. I bet lots of people are gonna do what I did, and then attempt to suicide while waiting for Customer Support.
PS: You can use this same method to fix the problem where you connect your MP3 into the PC without installing any drivers (v or v2). Just skip the Update firmware part.Message Edited by rbinc on 0-29-2006 04:29 AM

Zen Micro undetected, after PlaysForSure Firmware upgrade! *USB 2.0 er

Half way through the PFS?firmware installation, a Found new Hardware window pop up, prompt me to install software for USB 2.0 device. I carried on to install hardware, but it just can't find the suitable software. After I close the pop up, the upgrade installation went dead. The next time i plug my zen micro, the pc can't detect it! The only thing workable is the removable disk. I can't reinstall the software becos the pc cannot detect the zen micro (i tried all usb ports)?Some other info:-Everytime i plug my zen micro in, the Found new Hardware window will pop up, prompt me to install software for USB 2.0 device. Before u tell me it's my chipset problem, i have no problem with other devices that use usb 2.0, and this problem occurs ONLY after i tried installing the firmware, ONLY on zen micro. My zen micro was working PERFECTLY fine before this. -My?zen micro's system information states that the firmware is 2.2.02, though i mentioned earlier that the installation went dead. I am pretty sure this undetection problem is cause by the firmware upgrade. I hope all zen micro users who read this post will stop their intention to upgrade to this firmware, until a solution arri'ves. Hope i can have some "real" help on this. Any user from this forum who has the same problem, can post to share. Anyone who are able to solve this, pls post too, much appreciated.

Dear Creative!
You screwed the upgrade program a bit, because it is works ONLY IN ENGLISH version on Windows XP. Shame! You are pushing me into the sea of warez...

Zen Micro RMA questio

I got a question for all the creative zen micro mp3 player owners. My sister and I just just our Zen's back from Creative for the RMA services. Mine had the earphone jack problems and was freezing up @ the creative bootup logo. My sisters problem was only locking up and freezing @ that bootup logo screen. Now im wondering since mostly all Zen Micro's have this problem... did they fix our players or just PIITB us over with a replacement? If they sent us a replacement than most likly it going to face the same problems in the near furture. We both received the same colors back, but it looks kind of new but were not exactly sure.
Oh ya, i sent it in on monday and they sent it back out on friday ;/ Kinda of quick huh?
ASSY, Zen Micro 5GB Red PD-MD0004 xxxxxxxxxxxxx Product Not Yet Tested
Well i never rcheked my RMA Status before i got it back.. i just got it back and checked online and it says that lol. :/ WTH
Heres my RMA Number for any CL mods- 5nov36339
:/ My serial number is differnt i just notice fro mthe RMA screen. So did you guys reinforce the earphone jack problem or just sent me another which is going to break just to shut me up for awhile? Or sent me a new player with a fixed earphone problem?
Thanks- Just a curious owner.
-edit: So, its smart to buy the "ZEN Micro Protection Plan" for $40 =( ?Message Edited by s4rge on 2-07-2005 02:48 PM

i searched the interweb when i first got the problem. lol =) Abunch of people said the earphone problem is common on the micros. We have 4 zen micro in the family and have 4 had the earphone jack problem. Don't get me wrong i like my ZM alot, but i just dont wanna run into this problem again =( I searched on this forum and read people complaing about getting the replacement and having to RMA the 2nd ZM for the same problem later on. Makes me a sad panda lol and the 4 micros we have in the family all are treated with care and still devlopled the jack problem.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=zen+micro%2Bearphone+jack&sp=&fr2=sp-top&sm=Yahoo%2+Search&toggle=&ei=UTF-8&fr=FP-tab-web-t&SpellState=n-66788595_q-u2NF0xPoJABS%2FeS0xFAq3wABAA%40%40Mess age Edited by s4rge on 2-07-2005 03:46 PM

Zen Micro has died and I need to fix it myse

Hi,
I was using my Zen Micro one particular morning for a couple of hours (full battery) where everything was working perfectly. Later that afternoon I attempted to turn it on but nothing happened, not a single thing. Nothing lit up, I couldn't hear the HDD sound either. I thought at first it could be the battery, so when I got home I tried running it from the charger with and without the battery, both times nothing happened.
Under normal circumstances my first course of action would be to simply to get a replacement however I don't believe that will be possible as I voided the warranty recently by fixing the infamous jack problem. I fixed it myself because getting a replacement seems futile as all Zen Micro's continue to have the same design flaw.
Does anyone have any idea why my Zen has completely died on me?
Any chance I can I get a replacement?
Can any of you tell me how I could possibly fix it myself (I take full responsibility if anything breaks)?Message Edited by mark_s on -0-2005 2:05 AM

5G Zen Micro, green
Hey, I had my zen micro for a long time since aug 9 and yesterday it broke down on me. Somehow I can't play anything. When I turn it on, it freezes and doesn't go to the menu. I tried using the recovery mode and clean it up but it froze again.
I don't know how i'm going to send it back to the factury to repair it. My micro was previously repaired like two weeks ago. The bad news is that sending back the my micro requires the reciet, but I have given it to them before and I was sure that they would give it back, but no. So how can I send it back without a reciet.
Message Edited by kemar_frankson on <SPAN class=date_text>-04-2005 <SPAN class=time_text>04:4 AM
Message Edited by kemar_frankson on -04-2005 04:5 AM

Zen Micro headphone jack horror stories, truth or scar

I've been looking for an Mp3 player for over 4 months(since January), and I have looked through many Micro-Hard Dri've and Flash Memory players, including: Dell Pocket DJ, iPod Mini, Rio Carbon, Creative Zen Micro, iPod Shuffle, Creative MuVo Micro N200, and Creative MuVo TX FM. I'm glad to say that I decided on the Zen Micro. I've had it for 4 days now(including today), and so far, it is working great, better than I had hoped. Everything is nice about it; the only that scares me is the problem that many people have with the Zen Micro, the headphone jack problem. I've heard numerous reports of people with a Zen Micro who complain that after about 2-5 months of usage, the headphone jack will break, and little or NO sound will come out of it. And they say that this is a problem that is meant to happen with all Zen Micros. Hmmm is this true? I hope this doesn't happen to me. Do you think that upgrading the firmware will help fix the problem(btw, I still use ..03....or something like that, I haven't updated it)?

thug_outlaw69 wrote:
Just don't use a straight angle headphone plug like the ones that came with the Zen Micro. Use one with a 90 degree angle.
That doesn't make any difference, reportedly... just prolonges the problem so it doesn't break until the warranty's over....

Zen micro headphone ja

iv had two zen micros, my first had to be retruned because of the headphone jack was faulty, the sound would cut out and become destorted, slightly annoying, i have another one it seems to be ok so far but it did have some fireware problems but it fixed then itself, i want to know if this problem of the headphone jack comming loose is a problem for all zen micros or just a one off, i love the play its so much better then the ipod but let down as i feel it was a little rushed with all the problems that people were discovering

Hello -I am sending my player in for fixing / replacing because of the now infamous audio jack issue. (I gotta say it happened so soon after purchasing that I am very disappointed in this device)
But moving right along, I have a few other gripes I am hoping someone else can confirm / comment on...
. I noticed that I loose one full bar when the player is stopped during the night, for example. Is this happening to everyone?Does anyone know if a way to completely shut the player down (as opposed to the regular shut down where it seems the player remembers what song it was playing. I can only imagine that this is what eats the battery
2. has anyone noticed that when the player is shut down, juggling the audio jack connection starts the player? I swear it happens on mine all the time...
3. more of a long term question: when I imported a bunch of mp3 files, I choose to use the folder structure as artist / album when importing. Well - it did not work...(what a surprise). Is this working for you folks?
thanksTP

Are ALL Zen Micros DEFECTI

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