Fixing Frozen Creative Zen V / V P

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aILm_-djY
Goodluck

owsik992,
You posted this question in some unrelated threads too, I deleted those posts.
Where do you li've? If you can post up details on that, I'm sure someone can tell you where you could buy the player and how much it is there.
Cat

Similar Messages

Bug Found and Fix Found Creative ZEN XFI Style 32 Gig

9Bug Found and Fix Found> Creative ZEN XFI Style 32 Gig?Hello I was having problems getting my MP3 TAGS to show up on a number of my MP3's.
Whenever I loaded my files onto my ZEN it would show up as a Voice under Recordings.
And the file name would be "MIC and the date file created etc..."
I noticed that these files where all starting with the letters MIC at the front of the filename...
For instance: Michael_Jackson_Thriller.mp3?? or? Michael_W_Smith_Let_it_rain.mp3
and so on and so on... ANY file that started with the letters M I C? would be thrown in as a voice recorded file and the TAG would not operate.
I have the latest Firmware on my MP3 Player.
The fix was just to change the file name so it did not start with MIC... so i went and switched Michael Jackson to M.Jackson and also switched Michael W Smith to M W smith.
The tag showed up appropriately and I have had no problems since.
It would be nice if there was another Firmware update so that MP3's could start with the letters MIC also I was hoping to bring awareness to this situation for other users.

=Re: Bug Found and Fix Found> Creative ZEN XFI Style 32 Gig?I did three methods of?loading the files.
I used Windows Media Player to sync the files.
I used Creative Central to transfer the files.
These two methods produced results where the file starting with MIC turned into a voice recordings.
I also had problems just copying and pasting the files (using windows explorer).
I have not had any problems with any other file. I normally use MP3Tag to tag my files.
However i even tried using Windows Media to tag the file and I even tried using Creative Central to tag the files.
I tried as many work arounds as possible. But once i renamed the file it worked.

Fixing the creative zen xtra - creative firmware won't bring me dow

Hi all,
Recently my zen xtra crashed as a result of Creative's shoddy firmware! Anyway, I'm out of warrenty, creative want to try charge me about 20 quid and I ain't having that (read my other posts you'll hear the whole story)
Well now I've decided I'm gonna try fix things myself. I've ripped my player apart to reveal the 2.5" harddri've. I've got hold of a caddie to hold this in and connected to the computer. Dri've is not recognised (as i suspected, the firmware has corrupted toc and whathaveyou). So I'm formatting the dri've now, seems to be going ok (i'm thinking if I can't get the player working again at least I can make a 40gb external mini hard dri've)
Anyway, what I need now is to compare this hard dri've to another zen xtra one thats working and well. If anyone has (for some bizarre reason) backed up their zen dri've in this way cause you let me know. I need to know the file structure that it uses (as the software hides the real structure) and also the firmware (a working copy please!) that is as how it is installed rather than by using the installation software for the more conventional way :smileytongue:
Any help with that is appreciated, and those of you who are like me and have a ?200 paperweight should consider making it an external dri've like this also. (cheap caddies on ebay for those who want to know!)
hope this helps
phil

if i get a friend's zen xtra dri've and put it in mine, would you reckon it would work or am i likely to bugger up that too?
if the firmware is part in hardware then i doubt there's a lot i can do, but my intention was to copy my friend's dri've to mine then put it in and see if it works...
any ideas?

Creative Zen products and "Frozen" probl

Hi,
I'm one of many owners of the zen micro who faces this very problem. I don't really want to caveman it but it seems like creative is intent on not really helping as I don't see a FAQ or an answer to this oh-so-common problem anywhere on the website or doesn't give tech support on products older than 6 months (which is a very short amount of time for an electronic device that costs almost as much as month of my rent). Would you please be so kind as to indicate me the proper technique to fix this?
Because you see I bought an iPod following the departure of my zen micro and it's been working really well so far but I'd really like to make use of the money I spent previously as a backup player and I don't think it's fair that a problem so common seems to get ignored.
A brief example, early playstation 2's optic dri've were a major problem, most of them broke in x years/months/days. This was a known problem which anyone using a playstation 2 of that generation would experience at some point. I bought a PS2 second hand which managed to work for 3 years and bam the optic dri've stops working. I call Sony and I get told "mail us the unit, this is known problem and we will fix it for you". Granted it did cost me 5$ to mail the unit, I was very satisfied with Sony's service and now own a PlayStation 3.
My Creative Zen Micro breaks in a common way and I get told to either smash it hard and have it work for a few more weeks, or I mail it, pay for pieces, repair and mail-cost to have it work for... less than 6 months apparently? I am lost for words, I truly am! Please provide us with a solution because I believe most people using a Creative facing this problem do NOT intend to buy another Creative product.
Thanks for reading this long text, but I believe it's a fair review of the situation,
Khanate

Hey,
If you tried it on a friend's computer and you're still having problems then it may be a problem with the Zen. Before you call or e-mail tech support, here is what they will tell you do to first before they really get in depth with helping you. Go into Rescue Mode (there is an explanation on how to do this at the top of the forum) and do a disk clean up. After that, try it. If that doesn't work then click the reload OS option which will take the firmware (like windows to your PC) off the Zen. Don't worry you can easily put it back on. Go to Support>Downloads>select Zen Touch, etc, etc. and download the latest firmware and run it. Hopefully that will fix it....
I had some connection problems myself with my ZT as soon as I got it as well. and simply reflashing the firmware fixed and now I love my Zen. I hope everything works out for you.
Wilco

Creative Zen Micro headphone jack fixe

I was reading the reviews on the Zen Micro on Cnet.com and someone said that Creative fixed the headphone jacks.. but only for the latest Zen Micros... btw how do I find out which are the latest Zen Micros?
and im also deciding if I should buy a creative zen micro?

so is it truuee?

New Creative Zen Players are not charging so I cannot fix my other proble

I just bought a Creative Zen MP3 Player and the battery isn't charging...it has been about 0 hours and nothing. I am charging the MP3 via wall outlet and still nothing. This also means that I cannot update any firmware or go into recovery mode to fix my other problem which is my Windows XP doesn't plug and play the MP3 player so that I cannot of course update my firmware and recovery mode. I also have another Creative Zen MP3 Player and it works fine, but I think once also have a charging problem asall, but it it does plug & play and connect. Once again I cannot update the firmware and recovery mode beause my battery on my 2nd one isn't charge enought.
So I cannot fix these problems until I get my batterys on my MP3 charged. This is my first problem. So can someone help me with my st problem than I can get my 2nd problem solved. Thanks

How can you tell if your Zen is defecti've/faulty?
1. 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) <-------- Your problem
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!

Creative Zen Unresponsive?

So a few days ago while transferring music to my first generation zen (2gb), I noticed it was taking awfully long so I pulled the player while it had the transfer symbol (I know they tell you not to do it, but I've done many times with my m visions and the other zen with no problem). The player then got frozen so I took a paper clip and reset it. The problem is once I hit the reset button, it just turned off and hasn't turned back on since. I have plugged it to two different usb ports and there's no blue light....some help would be much appreciated.

Hey, I feel your pain. Listen before you throw it through the window, can you try something? Do you have a wall power adapter and a paper clip? The USB port doesn't have enough power draw to work.
If you can, try plugging it back in and unplugging it really quickly in rapid style succession WHILE taking a paper clip and cycling the reset button AND on/off slider. I had to do this like 5 or more times. You have nothing to lose here so it might take 30 or more tries. I know this is almost impossible to pull off with only two hands, trust me, I used my feet to hold the player while I did this...but I was able to shock my seemingly dead and totally comatose player out of it when I did this. I was able to get the pulsating blue light of hope but a totally black screen. If you get the blue light of hope then leave the thing charging for 2-24 hours.
This happened to me in Florida on a trip. The day before it was functioning perfectly. The day after...dead player.
This has to do with the battery drain and instant on feature I have mentioned in other threads. This is a very common complaint with NO official reply or fix from Creative.
Try my method and let me know if it works for you. Please post a follow-up.
Good luck.

Damsel in distress with my Creative Zen!!!

ahhh! iv had my creative zen for about 2 years and its been freezin for the last oo year id say but the reset button never worked but if i left the battery to die and charge it again it was fine. but now it has fully frozen and nothing will work. ... i've got no gurantee not even my recipt .... does anybody now if i can get it fixed? and how? thanku so much....and merry christmas!

At the top of this page is a SUPPORT LINK. You can send an email to Creative asking about repairs but it might cost more than a new player but email and find out.

Creative Zen 32GB - Is it Dead?

Hi. I bought a Creative Zen 32gb Flash player in January 2009.
It was mostly OK for the first year or so. By then, it was almost full.
Last summer, it began crashing on me every so often. I assumed it was just because it was almost full, but as time went on it crashed more and more.
Sometimes it would play slightly garbled songs, almost like in the good old days when your cassette deck would chew up your D-90s.
When using the locking function, it would crash completely, requiring the judicious use of a pin to reset it.
Then it would crash when plugging it into headphones or the cable connecting to my AUX port on my car stereo.
The other day, it crashed and I thought - right, its been going a couple of years now, I'll back it up and then go into recovery mode, clean up the memory and then reboot, as recommended in the user guide. I tried backing up the player but it got about halfway through and crashed out.
I then thought to hell with it - I've got most of my music backed up anyway, and the clean up might not mess with it too much, so I tried to follow the cleanup instructions but everytime I let go of the Play button, it would crash out.
If I held the play button down, it would work, but the buttons are so close together, if I changed pressure on the play button while selecting "clean up", it would crash out. Still, I thought I'd managed it but it would not restart or dock, or pretty much do anything except let me go into recovery mode (while pressing Play, of course).
I then thought I'd just reformat the player - again, through the recovery menu since it would not dock with my PC (Win Vista, 32bit). That made no difference. It would not start, would not dock etc etc.
I then thought I would upgrade the firmware, downloaded it from Creative, and managed to get it to go so far, before it crashed out. And that's it - I can just about get it to start, sometimes, and then the screen will go black, or white, or red and black striped once. It will not dock at all. I can press reset as much as I like but the best I can get it to do is get to the recovery menu for a few seconds before crashing, or I can get it to display the Creative logo for a few seconds before, again, it crashes.
Its sat right now with a black screen and the blue light on. I cannot turn it off, or get any response from it at all.
So, is this now a dead mp3 player? Is it likely a hardware fault? If firmware/software, is there any way to fix this or should I just chalk this up to experience and accept that ?60 odd of mp3 player just isn't built to last very long?
And if its dead, what to replace it's I want Creative stuff to be better than it seems to be, and I am loathe to buy iPod. Sony? Wife has one and its fine, but not enough storage. Any recommendations?

Stormgeer wrote:
I've had my Zen32GB for a year and have loved it up to this morning. I added a few photos to it and now its been stuck in "Rebuilding" for the last two hours. I can dock it and get into it, copy files, etc, but it will not play. I have been using a handy pin to reset it, then it goes back into Rebuilding. It doesn't appear to be a hardware problem as the buttons were working fine. A lost cause?
On the recovery mode screen, can you try doing a CleanUp>Reboot?

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.
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

Creative zen touch problem - mediasource says it's emp

i've had my creative zen touch for more than a year and a half and used it every day with it working fine. a couple of weeks ago mediasource loaded it as empty on my pc. however all my music is still on it and i can play directly from the player but not through my computer. i've tried opening the player through other programs but this doesn't work either. i've tried uninstalling and reinstalling all of the creative software that came on the cd with it (mediasource, nomad explorer etc.) but it hasn't worked. does anybody know why this is and how i can fix the problem it's a bit annoying because i can't put any new music on it. thanks very much in advance. jonny.

Hello Roknoch,
Welcome to Creative forums!
You might want to check on these threads:
Scroll Pads gone Bad
ZEN touch: Button on face not responding

Having Trouble with Creative Zen Touch 20G

Hey everybody. I bought me a 20G Creative Zen Touch (you know, the one where the scroll thing is in the middle of the player, vertically?). Anyway, i bought it a couple of weeks ago and it's pretty **bleep** cool. No problems with it.....until today. I was watering the lawn, listening to my music (no, it didn't get wet), when all of a sudden it stopped working all together. Well, at first i saw some "Voice Recording" thing i had never seen before and no matter what i pushed, nothing happened. I couldn't even turn it off. I tapped it on the side, then it began working again. I decided to shut it off and put it in my room. Later when i went back to it,it wouldn't turn back on at all!!! Even though it's battery was charged, i decided to plug it into the charger where, once i plugged it in, i got a screen that said:
"CREATIVE ZEN
Copyright (c) 2004
Creative Technology Ltd.
All Rights Reserved"
And thats how it is currently: Nothing at all happens when it's disconnected from the charger and i try to turn it on. When connected to the charger, i get said screen, but thats it. No music, not even the blue backlight or the blue blinking light on the power button indicating that it's charging. :smileyindifferent:
Can someone tell me what's going on/how to fix this? We have been getting unbelievably hot weather here in So. Cal and i have the feeling that the hot temperature may have something to do with this. I've tried keeping the player in the coolest place in the house (besides the freezer) which would be near a fan so it could be in a cooler place, but even leaving it in such place for a couple hours isn't helping me.

Hey buddy
same problem with me. The zen got little moist due to rain, after that it froze at the 'Creative screen' that too comes on when i connect it to charger. I disconnected the battery, it worked for a while but it is back to same position now. It dosent responds to resetting pin... nothing happens it is dead. Only when i disconnect battey and connect charger ... give it a big whack it works for a while then hangs again.
Still trying my stuff on it. Otherwise i will format it and reload the firmware later on.
if u get any solution let me know on [email][email protected]][email protected][/url]
thankx

Trouble with creative zen 16b

Hello
I just bought a creative zen (6B) with version .20.02. I was able to transfer music from my windows media player once. But now i plug my zen to my laptop (windows vista 32b service pk) and nothing happens....does not recognize my zen. I had it setup to sync automatic when plugged into my pc but still Shows No player Connected, when indeed it is. What Can I do to fix this problem?

Is the player recognised in the Device Manager, do you see it listed there (perhaps as an unknown device, or with an exclamation mark)?
Check out this knowledgebase article for some useful tips if the player isn't recognised, it'll take you through them step-by-step:
http:// us.creative.com/support/kb/article.asp?l=2&sid=9287
Cat

Creative Zen Touch Vs. Mi

I am looking for a new mp3 player to buy, and would like to get a creative one but I am having a few problems, hoping some of you could help me.
On the tocuh version (20gig) is there ANY way that you could make it so you can use it as an external dri've (so you don't have to install the software)? Then, once the battery dies (not discharges but I mean dies) what do you do? On the Ipod you could hack it and put another one in for a much cheaper price than apple offers, but what do you do with the zen touch?
And for the Zen Micro is there a way where you can use it with plain windows explorer (drag and drop).
For someone that has tried both, which would you recommend?
Thank you all for your comments.

Note the headphone jack fiasco has not been confirmed (read below). There is only speculation and hope that someone at Creative has worked out how to turn on the soldering iron.
As for the battery fiasco, Creative have 'officially' said that they intend to release updated firmware this month that should reduce 'sleep/standby mode' from 24 hours to 4. Fingers crossed!
DreL wrote:
how do u tell if u have the fixed batch of zen micros?
[b]Based on information within this forum, the last known hardware revisions has been November 2004. And this revisions was not to the headphone jack, but to the faceplate.
To date, no one can officially confirm if the headphone jack on newer players has been revised. There have been Creative (Phone) Technical Support implying changes have been made to the jack, however this has been verified by a forum moderator to be false. There are however, "ongoing hardware revisions" which you can interpret how you like, but don't appear to impact the headphone jack design/manufacture.
Right now, if you believe the estimated numbers, only a minority of owners are affected. Alternati'vely, those who have opened the Zen Micro will concur the headphone jack is extremely vulnerable due to it's weak connection to the circuit board (which consist of 3 "glued" points). It is only time before this is a growing problem due to the poor design described.
Do you buy a Zen Micro and take the risk or wait until the issue is resolved? The answer really depends on how good you are with a solder gun...

Creative Zen Vision 30GB - How to set IR Remote ON with Navigation keys not working in the play

I have Creative Zen Vision 30GB player. Within a month of buying, its navigation keys stopped working. I took it to the customer service of store where I bought it and they fixed it (their solution was to make firmware update, even though I do not understand how come that can fix this issue). Anyways after another 5 months of not so often use, the same problem returned (key pad stopped working and without it this player is useless). I sent it to Creative and they returned it saying that as it has few scratches on the edges, they believe it has been hit. I never dropped the player and these are normal scratches at the end if you do not use any skin (which I could never find for this player). Btw from my other friend's experiences, Creative always does like this, never considered warranty (so beware!). Anyways now the problem is that I have IR remote for Zen vision but it can not work till IR Remote setting in System->Player Settings is switched ON. And this can not be done as the navigation keys are not working. So please please suggest me some other way if anybody of you know to enable this setting through software. Otherwise this costly player is just a 30GB harddisk for me

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.

Fixing Frozen Creative Zen V / V P

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