Playstation portable or creative zen mic

what do you guys think I should do should I buy a zen micro or a plyastation portable because it is one or the other need help deciding?I love music and have lots of it but not alot alot also whats the usual amount of songs that are able to fit on a zen micro alos when using the calander,address book what not how much space does that take up?thanx

Dude, go with the PSP. Not only can you play games, but you can also buy a memory card for the PSP big enough to store all the music you want. They have up to Gig cards now that are compatible with the PSP. (I forgot the name of Sony's cards that they use, sorry). If you want just an MP3 player, buy an MP3 player. If you want a portable gaming system that also has MP3 player and UMD movie capabilities, buy a PSP.

Similar Messages

Need info on Creative Zen Mic

<SPAN class=postbody>I'm thinking of buying Creative Zen Micro and I have a few questions: What exactly is "Removable Disk mode"? Can I transfer mp3 between Removable Disk mode space and normal space? Can I transfer mp3 from my pc to Zen without installing any programs (just by pluging it into usb and drag'n'droping it in "My Computer" explorer)? Are there any copyright protections in Zen?
<SPAN class=postbody>Thank you.

butch wrote:Are you stupid? After all the raplies saying it's a horrible device you are still planning to buy it's Don't act stupid and buy an ipod like I did. For 20$ more you get 5gb more.
I thought about buying IPod or IPod Mini, but what realy turns me off them is ITunes (the only way to transfer songs onto IPod) and all those crazy copyright protection schemes that IPods have.

Suggestion for new mp3 player (had a creative zen mic

Well time for me to get a new mp3 player. Because Creative wasn't very good at honouring my warranty (four players didn't work properly and they wouldn't replace the fourth) I am reluctant to get another creative. But if you guys tell me they have come along way AND I can use my previous charger with a new player, then I'll consider it.Suggestions?

i have the zen v plus and i am quite happy with it, i just updated to the latest firmware, it charges by plugging into your computer USB (cable provided) its a budget nano competitor that has great user interface and i personally thing the design is really cool and it plays videos, but im trying to get creative to include compression video support in future firmware cause the video it supports is like 4 MB to 8 seconds of video :| the sound quality is pretty good, but then again i dont know your standards it has an inbuilt FM receiver and line in/mic recording
im really happy with it.

Disapointed in Creative (zen mic

Ive had 3 zen micros (all silver) all 3 have lasted 2 months before the headphone jack starts up (the "headphone jack problem"). I would like to say im EXTREMELY disapointed in creative for making such a lackluster product, then not acknowleding their mistake. This has cost me numerous trips to the futureshop(much like a Canadian version of the American Circut City) where they hesitate to replace my micro, and thus causing me alot of annoyance with the product. From a usually reliable company such as creative I must say this has come as a shock, I purchased the micro because I felt it was top quality player from a top quality company. I find my faith in creative to be shaken at this point as 3 zen micros in a span of 6 months is ludacris. I feel after I spent about 370 doller Canadian of my hard earned money I deserve to have a product that will work. What I would like is creative to announce there is a problem with the micros and possibly fix this problem or they may loose a customer.

Bad luck , and it is bad of Creative not to apologise.
You are however in a very very small minority (not that that's much comfort...)

Creative Zen Mic

Hello!
I have had a Zen since february, and it developed a problem with the headphopne jack. I then retured the zen to amazon and got a replacement.
I have recieved the replacement, and now i am having some problems! When i try to "audiosync" the zen, it seems to take a long time, and then when it is finished, there is nothing transfered. I then unplug the zen and it freezes on the creative page, and then freezes on the "rebuilding libary" page on the zen aswell!
This has happened quite a few times now, and i have reformatted the zen as many times as this has froze! and NOW aparently the zen is froze on the format function!
I am using windows XP, and tryin to use the creative media source!
HELP!

If Rescue Mode functions aren't working the player is faulty unfortunately. You need to contact Creative Support.

Downloading Audiobooks for Creative Zen Mic

Hi!
This is my first mp3 player, so, does anyone know where i can download the 'Gorillaz rise of the orgre' audiobook?
I don't think you can from the itunes because its apple.
But can the Micro download audiobook tracks?
If you know, then please let me know.
Many thanks!

Gum56 wrote:
I know that getting the Zen to play them in order has to do with the id tags, so can anyone recommend a program that can handle the job?
Do the files have tags already? If not you can pull the data from the filename into the tag using a program like Tag & Rename or The Godfather (Google to find these).
Both of these should also be able to autonumber the track number field of the tag, which governs order, which typically they do in filename order. For more on order see the "how to make sure tracks play in order" link in the FAQ post.
Also as a side note how do I get organize the audiobook files on the Zen say for instance if I put 5 Stephen King books on there it looks like all the books are one album when I have put them on using the nomad explorer in their own folders i.e.,
Stephen King - The Stand (Complete Parts & 2 in stereo)
Stephen King - The Talisman (in stereo)
But when I go to organize the Zen all of the Stephen King will be under his name like they are all on album. I just got the Zen about 3 days ago and trying to organize it has been a BIG headache. Can anyone help me with this please?
To have books under different albums you need to use the album tag to diffentiate between them. For example those for The Stand should have that, or similar, in the album tag.

How do I reset my creative zen mic

I've been trying to figure it out but I just don't know.

A reset is basically a case of removing the battery and reseating. You can perform a further reset by doing the disk cleanup.

Recovery mode and firmware-creative zen mic

I am stuck in recovery mode and cannot get out help!!!!!!!!! it says also there a firmware problemMessage Edited by jchandler on 0-2-2006 0:44 AM

Try reloading the firmware, you can obtain upgrade firmware from the website here
This is the PlaysForSure firmware version 2.2.02
This is the Origional firmware version ..0
Message Edited by 2027746 on 0-2-2006 02:24 AM

Creative Zen Portable Media Center + Windows 7 = Good Stuff

Found my old Creative Zen Portable Media Center the other day while cleaning. I had put it aside since I found the process of moving/converting AVIs to it really cumbersome. Just for fun I hooked it up to my new laptop running Windows 7. It found the device instantly and loaded drivers.
Then came the best part, from Windows Media Center I am now effortlessly able to move my AVI movie files onto the
Creative Zen Portable Media Center. Mind you, they still get converted but all that happens in Windows Media Center, no more wonky 3rd party stuff.
Then I was able to play those movie files on my Creative Zen Portable Media Center. Yes, woohoo!? I don't have to donate it after all.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing Sprung. Welcome on board!

*FIXXED* Issues updating firmware on Creative ZEN portable devices after installing Media Player

<font face="Times New Roman" size="2">?Quote from windows website ?If you have a Creative ZEN device, see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player//readme.aspx#RollingbacktoapreviousversionofthePlay er Read the ?Rolling back to a previous version of the Player? instructions (by the way windows website is even willing to address the problems with creatives products. And they offer possible solutions)
*Some people said this was all you needed to do but it did not work for me.
2. I uninstalled every program which mentioned creative.
a. Click my computer
b.click Add / Remove programs
c. Find anything that is made by creative and uninstall (or if you hate creative as much as me just look for anything that says creative or might hint at being a creative product)
3.Go into My Computer / Program Files? and delete the folder named ?creative?
4.Click ?Start? Click ?run? type in ?MSCONFIGOK? on the tabs click ?Services? then click on ?manufacturer? and uncheck anything that says Creative, click ?service? and also uncheck anything which mentions creative? if you think it has to do with creative technologies ltd. *RESTART*
Tried to load firmware again... ?Nothing
5. Installed old software from ?creative zen touch? & ?Creative Media Source? from the Creative Zen Touch CD. On both just did the full install. They congratulated me on my purchase of my zen touch! They could have?congratulated me on burning 250$. *Restarted
*THIS IS THE KEY*************
6. Download Microsoft media player 0 from some website, I used oldversion.com
http://www.oldversion.com/download.p...e4e5bbb7694ded?
7. I then updated windows media player ten... just updates for 0 I didn't install .
8. On this WINDOWS site http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...dme.aspx#57877 click on and read ?Issues with devices after removing Windows Media Player?. When you are done with the procedure of deleting and reinstalling your the portable device I plugged in my mp3 player and it recognized it's not a big shock because it recognized it as a zen touch before I deleted the drivers. So I got the new drivers it noticed it, just like other systems noticed, but this time the Creative horribly programmed firmware update recognized it. I will never buy another creative product again, probably most of you wont either. But I have already paid the money for this product so I plan on using it until the battery dies on me. Hope this helps!
Message Edited by diezentouch on 02-04-200709:47 PM

P.S. Goodluck to all of you I dont know if I will check this again but it took me about 8 - 0 hours to fix. I tried to make it as descripti've as I could so I cant be of much more help. But feel free if you have other fixxes to add or questions

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

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.

Creative ZEN 8GB + WMA Lossl

my creative zen player WAS up to date with the latest firmware (before v .2.0). as a test, i tried a WMA Lossless file (COldplay - Clocks) as well as an uncompressed WAV file. anyway, the WAV file didn't even show up in the browser, but the WMA Lossless file managed to play despite the "Having difficulties playing this file" error appearing over the timer. i was genuinly stunned, as i had read everywhere on this board that it wouldn't play.
anyway, i stupidly updated my firmware to the latest one, and found that it now COULDN'T play WMA Lossless files. so i downgraded the firmware to what i thought was the previous version, and now i can't play WMA Lossless files at all.
so now i'm stuck at what to do, i was about to rip my favourite CD's as lossless, but now i can't *sob*
has this happened to anyone else?

When I connect the Zen, that is where the change happens in the Device Manager trees. It is not recognised as Creative Zen, Portable Device or even a device with a yellow exclamation triangle.
In other words, when I plug in the player, that is how it is represented in the Device Manager trees. As an Unknown Device in the USB controller section.
For your information I have tried this player on 3 other systems.
Laptop A with Win XP/Service Pack 3/WMP
Laptop B with Win XP/Service Pack 3/WMP 0
Laptop C with Windows 7
RESULT IS ALWAYS SAME.
UNKNOWN DEVICE!
The player works fine in and of itself and charges normally when plugged.
Please confirm what are the system requirements for Firmware Version: .20.02e which is the currently installed version on my Creative Zen 8GB

Creative Zen 8Gb-Unknown Device!

Creative Zen 8Gb-Unknown Device!? Player: Creative Zen 8gb
Firmware Version: .20.02e
OS: Win XP with Service Pack 3 (Unknown Origin)
Windows Media Player: Version .0.572.545
Motherboard: ASUS P5Q PRO
My problem is that when I connect the player to my computer it is recognized as a Unknown Device and listed as Unknown Device in the Uni'versal Serial Bus Controller of Device Manager.
There is no yellow triangle, there is no section for Portable Devices. It simply registers as Unknown Device.
There is no apparent way to synch with the device. It does not show up in Creative Media Explorer, Windows Explorer or Windows Media Player.
The Original Creative CD installation package does not detect it.
The newest Creative XP installation package from official website does not detect it.
The newest Creative firmware installation package from official website does not detect it.
I have tried several USB slots from front and back (am using back mostly) and short black USB cable (0s long) as well as another USB cable. All USB ports are 2.0.
The player charges normally when connected to the computer and works perfectly for listening to music etc.
Help please! Im poor as hell and will go insane without this player :/

When I connect the Zen, that is where the change happens in the Device Manager trees. It is not recognised as Creative Zen, Portable Device or even a device with a yellow exclamation triangle.
In other words, when I plug in the player, that is how it is represented in the Device Manager trees. As an Unknown Device in the USB controller section.
For your information I have tried this player on 3 other systems.
Laptop A with Win XP/Service Pack 3/WMP
Laptop B with Win XP/Service Pack 3/WMP 0
Laptop C with Windows 7
RESULT IS ALWAYS SAME.
UNKNOWN DEVICE!
The player works fine in and of itself and charges normally when plugged.
Please confirm what are the system requirements for Firmware Version: .20.02e which is the currently installed version on my Creative Zen 8GB

Creative zen 32gb question

looking at this one: [url="http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Portable-Media-Player-Black/dp/B002YPMOC/ref=sr__2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=23633786&sr=-2">zen 32gb[/url]
my question is this:
does this mp3 player require proprietary software to put songs on it or can i just take a folder from my computer, and put it in the music directory on the player using drag and drop
i did a search but so many "creative zen" players came up i dont know which one to even look at. seems like some can and some cant. im trying to research it now through other means but im just kind of hoping someone on here that owns one can let me know what is required.

First of all, I'm assuming that you are already clued-up on moving your CD albums onto your hard disk. You should, by the way, always create a folder for each CD/Album, and put all the tracks into that folder.
From your question, it appears that you haven't yet purchased a Zen. Your Zen comes with some programs to help you do things. In the context of your question here, you get a "Zen Media Explorer" which allows you to do the following:
. Move your CD/Album folders into your Zen.
2. Make a playlist for each of the above folders.
Then if you want to play an album in your Zen simply select a playlist and click "Play".
There are other ways of doing things, but the above strategy keeps everything tidy and easy to find (and play).
You can, for instance, create your own"mixes" (putting each into a playlist). You can of course select individual tracks, and (if you want) set "random play".
You might also find it useful to always set the sleep timer to (say) one hour - then if you forget to switch your Zen off, you won't flatten your battery. When you switch on again, you'll automatically be put into the playlist/track/position-in-track that you were in when "sleep" kicked in. This "return-to-place" also works if you deliberately switch off.
One other recommendation - always switch to "lock" when playing. In "lock" the display is switched off, so you'll get about 24 hours of audio play on one battery charge. If you don't use the lock, the extra drain by the display will shorten your battery life before you need a recharge to something between 2 and 5 hours.

Playstation portable or creative zen mic

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