Charging your Creative ZEN

How long does it take to charge your Creative ZEN using the ZEN wall charger? I've left it charging overnight but it never said full, the blue light was still blinking. Also, I turned my player off when I was charging it but I saw it turned on and playing songs a couple of times. Is this normal? Should I wait until it says full? Because I disconnected it already, I was afraid of overcharging it. The battery icon is full though but the lightning sign was still there and the blue light was still blinking.

zy wrote:
How long does it take to charge your Creative ZEN using the ZEN wall charger? I've left it charging overnight but it never said full, the blue light was still blinking. Also, I turned my player off when I was charging it but I saw it turned on and playing songs a couple of times. Is this normal? Should I wait until it says full? Because I disconnected it already, I was afraid of overcharging it. The battery icon is full though but the lightning sign was still there and the blue light was still blinking.
It will not overcharge. Turning on after you turn it off while connected to the charger is not normal. WQhen it is full the blue light should stop & the lighting bolt should stop.

Similar Messages

I forgot to charge my Creative Zen mp3 player fully before first using it

I forgot to charge my Creative Zen mp3 player fully before first using it, and started syncing music onto it while it was charging for the first time. How much damage do you think this would have caused, and is there anything I can do to correct my mistake?Thanks.

I didn't fully charge my player the first time I used it and it works fine. The battery life seems to be on par with everyone else's. Also if you just plugged it into the computer and started syncing music you don't have anything to worry about. Even though you were syncing music you were still charging and not depleting the battery. I think the recommendation means that you don't "use" the player meaning unplug it from your computer with only a half charge and then run the battery out. Anyways, your player will be just fine.

Keep the "juice" always flowing in your Creative Zen MP3 flash play

The only charging method Creative supplied with your Zen is the short USB cable
to charge it when there is a PC USB port around.
Note: Creative sells car/auto & AC wall mount chargers and (international) travel chargers.
How to always keep the "juice" or Zen battery charged under these conditions?
#1. Camping, hiking or outdoor travel - no PC or no? AC 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
You could buy separate charging devices BUT when you total up the final bill
for all the devices you will be totally shocked at the cost plus the hassle of carrying all the
modules and cords around.
I found, the other day, a perfect solution in a "all in one compact device"
from "Earhugger Powerpod" There are several models but the one you
want is the (white) "EARHUGGER IPOD POWER POD - MP3-8370"
If it is good enough for the "fruit company" then it is good enough for Creative.
Do not pay over $27 (including shipping) (retail $40) or you will be paying too much.
Keep searching the web for the best price. Make sure its sealed in plastic security wrap.
What is the "EARHUGGER IPOD POWER POD - MP3-8370" (white)?
Charge your player, in your case, a Zen ( Not Ipod)? in your car's 2v cigarette lighter,
at home via wall outlet, via USB on your computer, or a 9 Volt Battery with this handy charger!
Note: A standard alkaline battery has ~ 544 ma and the Zen has an internal 550 mAh. Lithium-Ion polymer
battery, so it would take several alkaline batteries to charge up the Zen battery. You could also use
the more expensive Lithium 9 vdc @ ~ 200 mAh.
Note: This unit is NOT for international use!
Warning note: I inspected the model at Brookstone for the specs. but I have NOT purchased or tried one because
I am waiting for the price to drop even more on the Internet.
Cheers.

Zenandy wrote:
As for losing the current track location, I really don't know but I don't think it is extremely critical is it's
I think by plugging in the charging cable it resets/reboots the player which loses the current track?
It may not be a big deal for people who only listen to music on their MP3 players, but it's "extremely critical" to people who listen to talk shows, Podcasts or audio books. Think about it, you're 2 hours into a 4-hour audio book and you're running low on juice. So you charge it and then your place is completely lost! And since the Zen Stone Plus doesn't accelerate when scanning forward, it take minutes to get back to your previous position. Very frustrating!
Even my cheap Muvo FM TX remembers its current position between battery changes or adding new files. As long as I don't?delete the current file (obviously), it will return the the exact location it was at when I last turned it off.

Storex USB charger with Creative Zen V Plu

Good afternoon
I've buy one week ago the Creative Zen V Plus 8 Go and I'm globally happy of it. However, I've to buy an USB charger for using during holiday.
I bought this :
made by STOREX
The Zen turn on when connecting USB port but the charging light don't appears and battery seems don't recharging
Is here any manipulation needed ?
Thanks for your answers
Regards
Fran?ois
(MP3 player and USB charger bought at FNAC, Paris, France)Message Edited by Ubuntero89 on 07-09-200707:08 AM

Hi,
Can you try running the recovery tool?
If the screen stays black, please get in touch with support. Check the "Support" folder on your installation CD for Customer Support contact details.

Charger for creative zen jukebox 40

Hi guys...my charger cable for creative zen got caught up in a door and got nipped and is now not working, i know it is this as i've used a friends charger and it charges ok,Where can i get a charger in the UK any advice would be great

Which Jukebox do you have? Zen Xtra 40GB or Zen Touch 40GB?
Check here first to see if the adapter you need is available on our store:
http://www.europe.creative.com/shop/category.asp?cate=5
If it isn't, it would be best to contact Customer Support directly.
Cat

What is the charge voltage CREATIVE ZEN V 1 GB by USB ca

I have CREATIVE ZEN V GB . I want to learn charge voltage and current on? connect PC by usb cable.

I am not sure if I understood you. Are you looking for a charger?try this link:http://us.creative.com/products/prod...t=5283&nav=acc

How To: Get Your Creative Zen Working With Vis

I am an owner of the now outdated Zen 20gb HD0005. Upgraded to Vista Business recently and have not been able to get the player working, the installation cd wouldnt work and neither would the updates at uk.creative.com There is a way! Go to http://us.creative.com/support/downl...ame=Windows+XP (from the US Creative download archi'ves), download the driver to your desktop or where ever. The driver is originally for XP, however, once it is downloaded right click the setup file and select properties. In the new window go to the Compatibility tab and select: Compatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2And, at the bottom, check that the box next to 'Run As An Administrator' is also ticked. Click Apply and then OK and run the setup. It should now (at 67% through the installation) update drivers (this may seem to hang, please be patient!) and then will ask you to reconnect your player. Unplug it, click ok, then plug it in at the end of installation, go to my computer and you should hopefully see that your Zen is under 'Other Devices' I hope this is help to some of you with the same problems as I had!

it seems that it now detects the player but wont run in organiser, only in Explorer. Only thing i can think of is burning songs to disc and then adding them to comp again, unless anyone else has any suggestions?

Charging my Creative Zen Xtra 40 gig by

Is it possible to charge my player by using the usb cord. I thought I saw somewhere that you could but now I cant find it.
Geoff

You can, but not with the out-of-the-box cable, and not through the data port. And it's only enough power to charge, not to run it while charging.
If you solder the power leads from a USB cable to the right size of adaptor plug, you can. USB uses the right voltage and it provides anough amperage to charge. If you try to do anything that makes the hard disk spin, you'll draw too much current and the USB port will shut off (either until you unplug the device or until you reboot the computer, depending on the port).
I used a GameBoy Advance SP USB charging cable and tapped into the wires. I added a RadioShack AdaptaPlug tip of the large yellow size. I soldered the red USB wire to the far terminal and the black one to the nearer terminal. (Use a continuity checker to see which is which and solder the red wire to whichever one goes to the inside of the barrel.) Then I used hot glue and electrical tape to secure the plug onto the cable. The resulting cable can charge my GameBoy Advance SP, my Zen Xtra and my MP3-compatible CD player.

How do I charge my Creative Zen MP3 using macbook air

I plugged in my external harddrive with mp3 installation disc but macbook doesn't recognise it. What next please?

This would give you 2 plugs for one outlet.
http://www.amazon.com/LiteFuze-Grounded-Universal-Adapter-Israel/dp/B005JK67US/r ef=pd_sim_hi_1/183-6187530-9246133
Also, I have the original iPad and the adapter fits my iPhones as well so I only need one charger for all. I'm not sure if this is still true with the latest generation iPad but you could check.
You might want to get an ungrounded adapter as well in the event you need it.
http://www.amazon.com/Going-In-Style-VP5-8amp/dp/B0012DM2KK/ref=pd_cp_e_0

Creative Zen 16GB with iPod USB wall charg

I have a wall charger my wife uses for her iPod. Can I use this to charge my Creative Zen 6GB, or will it burn it out?

It shouldn't burn it out unless there is some sort of major diviation in wiring?from the USB standard. I couldn't imagine Creative or Apple doing such a foolish thing. Best thing to probably do is to give it a try. It should either charge or not charge. All USB should be nominally 5V @400-500 mAh, the AC adapters often deli'ver higher current to enable faster charging. More current won't hurt, the player will only use what it needs.

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.
One click is all it takes to update your player to the latest available firmware, and to give your player a clean bill of health.
Link: http://www.creative.com/products/mp3...me.asp region=
Note: You can also go to "Creative" "Support" "downloads" choose your MP3 Player type to obtain the latest firmware and software releases.
Note: On your Zen you can look under "System" & "Information" and then compare the firmware download
releases OR you can have the "MP3 Player Recovery Tool" (above) do it for you automatically.
Note: Creative Zen 4/8/6 GB "MP3 Recovery Tool" DOES NOT stop on a firmware comparison match.
Note: All firmware releases/revisons for the 4/8/6 GB Zen also works (is the same as) for the 2 GB & 32 GB Zen.
Recovery Mode - If you experience one or more of the following symptoms, it is recommended that you boot the player into its unique Recovery Mode, and then clean up, format or reload the firmware.
. 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.
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.
#5. The recovery mode screen appears and four menu items are shown - see below
<Alternati've Method For Recovery Mode Without The Paper Clip>
#. 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. 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!
#4. The recovery mode screen appears and four menu items are shown:
< 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

How to make best videos/audios for Creative Zen/Zen Vision W/Zen Vision M/Z

4Easysoft Creative Zen Video Converter is an all-in-one Video Converter for Creative Zen software with high output quality and powerful video editing functions, which can help all the zen users to make the best video/audio effect.
First of all, let’s make clear what kinds of videos/audios can get the best effect in the zen players.
Video:
MPEG, WMV, and AVI (MPEG-4 SP, DivX, Xvid), while MPEG-1, and MPEG-2 are supported, but must be transcoded with the included software.
Audio:
MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, and Audible 2, 3, and 4 formats.
Settings:
Video resolution: 320×240; Video Bitrate: 500 kbps; Audio Bitrate: between 96 to 128 kbps.
Then, let me show you how to make a full use of this powerful converter.
Preparation:Download and install 4Easysoft Creative Zen Video Converter
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/main.jpg
Step 1: Run this software and add video/audio files.
Step 2: Select output video format from the profile drop-down list.
Click the “Profile” button to select the output video format from the drop-down list button.
Step 3: Customize output settings.
Click “Settings” button in the output settings area, you are allowed to customize the output parameters, specify output folder and select output format.
Step 4: Start conversion
Click “Start” button on right bottom of the main interface, you can begin the conversion. All the tasks of conversion will be finished at fast speed and high output quality.
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/steps.jpg
Tips on editing videos:
1: Capture your favorite picture.
Just click the “Snapshot” button to save your favorite image.
2: Merge videos into one file.
Just check the “merge into one file” option if you want to merge the selected contents into one file As default the merged file is named after the first selected file (either a title or a chapter)
3: Select preference
Click the “Preference” button and a dialog pops up, you can select the output destination, the Snapshot foler, the format of the snapshot image. You can also choose to shut down your computer or do nothing after your conversion. You can also select the CPU usage.
4: Trim video
You can get any clip of your video and put it on your zen.
5: Crop video
You can crop your video by selecting your video mode, setting crop values, or drag the frame.
http://www.4easysoft.com/guide/creative-zen-video-converter/tips.jpg
Ok, just enjoy movies and music with your Creative Zen player now!
More useful tools:
MP4 Converter is a powerful MP4 Video Converter which is designed to convert almost any video formats to MPEG-4 standard formats; WMV Converter provides perfect solution to convert common video formats to WMV with the best quality of picture and sound; Apple TV Video Converter is the excellent Apple TV converter software to convert all video files such as AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4, MOV, RM, ASF, 3GP, VOB, etc, to Apple TV movies.
Edited by: user11254370 on 2009-6-9 下午11:58

Just wanted to mention - I bought the IR Remote thinking to make the player useful without navigation keys. Now I feel like I wasted more money instead of shifting to some other player by some other company with better customer service.

Creative Zen 16Gb is crazy 0.O

Creative Zen 6Gb is crazy 0.OVSince yesterday's night I have a problem with my MP3 player Creative Zen 6 Gb. I don't press any buttom but it acts as if every buttom were press at the same time, it suddenly activate menus, change song, blocks itself while block was in the middle, if I press up it changes song, if I press down volume goes up, if I lock and unlock it doesn't do anything, if I press side buttoms do other things.. is very rare wtf < . <
I tried to connect to computer, to lock ON / OFF a lot of times, pressing reset and switch on arround ten or twelve times... I don't know what to do! T_T
It haven't received any blow or been mashed or anything like that... please, help me <3Thanks for reply
Greetings, NMSX from Spain, world champion's!! hehe

Hi NMSX,
Welcome to Creative forums!
See if you can boot your Creative ZEN from the recovery mode. You can find the instructions here. If yes, do a Clean-Up the Reboot. If it won't help, you may need to boot from the recovery mode again and select Format this time. Do note that formatting will delete all the contents of the player so you may need to backup your data first before formatting. If this doesn't help, then this could be a hardware issue. You may need to send it in for repair. Well I remember a similar case before but that was because the user accidentally applied a strong pressure on the player. I'm not saying you have the same scenario but its possible specially if you usually put the player on your pocket.

Creative ZEN Mozaic EZ Series Firmware 1.03.05 released

Hello everyone,
There is a new firmware available for download.
Creative ZEN Mozaic EZ Series Firmware .03.05
Filesize : 7.7 MB Release date : 2 Jul 09 File Name : ZENMozaicEZ_PCFW_L22__03_05.exe This download contains an improved version of the firmware found on your Creative ZEN® Mozaic EZ player. It ensures smooth music playback when your player is locked. For more details, read the rest of this Web release note.
Fixes:[*]Ensures smooth music playback when your player is locked.[*]Improves the language support for certain non-English characters.Requirements:[*]Microsoft® Windows Vista®, Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later[*]USB port[*]Creative ZEN Mozaic EZ playerNote:[*]Before you upgrade the firmware, back up your player's contents.[*]To install this firmware, do the following:[*]Download the ZENMozaicEZ_PCFW_L22__03_05.exe file to your local hard disk.[*]Close all application windows that are currently running on your computer.[*]Connect your player to your computer.[*]Double-click the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen.
Message Edited by Loi-CL on 07-04-2009 03:49 AM

Hi Rich_T,
You might have misread it but the link that you're looking is actually for the Zen Stone Plus w/ Built-In speaker while the new firmware is for Zen Stone (only) w/ Built-In speaker.
Here's the link to that new firmware.

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.
Fix:
Ensures smooth operation of your player's FM Radio.
Requirements:
Microsoft® Windows Vista®, Windows® XP (Service Pack 2)
Windows Media® Player 0 or later
USB port
Creative ZEN player
Note:
To install this firmware
Download the ZEN_PCFW_L22__2_03.exe file into your local hard disk.
Close all application windows that are currently running on your computer.
Connect your player to your computer.
Double-click the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen.
If your player fails to restart after the firmware upgrade:
Turn off your player.
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.
Gently push a straightened paper clip into the Reset hole.
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.
Select Reload Firmware, followed by Yes.
Connect your player to your computer.
Double-click the downloaded file and follow the instructions on the screen.

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.
You might try some of the following (no promises they will help, but can't really hurt):
Re-download the firmware updater. Maybe you got a bad download.
Make sure your Zen is directly connected to a system USB port (i.e. not to a port on a monitor, keyboard, ext USB hub, etc.)
Try running the firmware update as Administrator if you aren't already
Try uninstalling the Creative drivers before the update.
In my case I got stuck on a message that another application was using my Zen. Turned out the simple act of hooking up the player resulted in Vista running a headless "wmplayer.exe *32" process. I had to manually kill it from TaskManager in order to proceed. Even then the first update attempt ended with the Zen reporting a firmware problem and rebooting into the Recovery Menu. I had to use Reload Firmware to erase what it had and then try again. Second time was the charm.
After all that I can't for the life of me see any changes/improvements in the new firmware. The forum is full of gripes and wishlists yet none of them complain about the radio functionality. I've used it almost every day for year without issue (aside from the rare Zen hang/crash when messing with the headphone jack and/or sliding the power switch). Thank goodness after waiting 0- months since the last update they got around to fixing something nobody noticed was broken. /2?:smileyvery-happy:

Charging your Creative ZEN

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