Just lost my library

[priesmeyer]

Well, it happened. My first big headache for my Zune. I don't even know what I was doing- just listening to songs on the marketplace, I think.

I think I was closing the application when I got a popup error- something about a corrupt library. I have my mouse pointer to auto-jump to the default button on the screen and I was click happy and clicked the mouse before I read what I was looking about. Then it was gone and I had an empty library screen.

I tried to do a search for media items on my computer and it had all the folders that I was monitoring listed right there but clicking search didn't do anything. So I rebooted.

When it came back up, I repeated the "find media" process but this time the screen came up and it's forgotten all my monitored folders. This is what I got:


http://www.wildknights.com/images/carlix/zunelibrary.jpg
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I'm so excited about this new development. I don't have the spirit right now to set up those folders so I'm going to go watch the office and deal with this later.. or tomorrow...

EDIT: Okay, I figured I'd just add a folder and click "Ok" and nothing's happening. When I go back in, the same screen you see above is presented.

I think I'm going to have to reinstall this software.

***huge image that was breaking our forums edited out by moderator JD. please don't post images bigger than 500 pixels wide to our forums, thanks!***

[priesmeyer]

After a reinstall of the software, media search found all my music again.

However, no amount of plugging in and out of the Zune allows the software to detect the Zune. Let me clarify that- when I plug in the Zune the software launches. Then nothing much happens. The Zune isn't displayed in the device column to the right.

Oh, I just feel I'm going to have to call support. :eek:

[LPD]

It does not recognize your Zune because when you reinstalled you wrote over the file that Zune Marketplaces (ZM) uses to know which Zunes to sync with.

The USB driver launches ZM when any Zune is connected (and that option is enabled), its basically Windows AutoPlay, so the launch is rather dumb (as it should be).

So when started ZM knows nothing about 'your' Zune. Try going to Options > Sync > Find Connected Devices. That should resolve it. Good luck.

[priesmeyer]

Thanks for the words of encouragement. But, no dice.

It says the search for devices is complete but it doesn't see it. The Zune software only sees my 2 DVD drives listed.

[priesmeyer]

No luck. Any other thoughts? Do you know the name of that file? Can I delete it manually?

[LPD]

You should call Zune Technical Support.

[priesmeyer]

After 2 40+ minute sessions (the 2nd was closer to 60 minutes) I have a repair order for my Zune.

I went through every article I could find on the issue on support.microsoft.com related to my Zune problems over the weekend. This morning, I went over them 2 or 3 more times with support and finally got the relief from hearing that they'd ship me a box with which I can send my Zune back in for repair/replacement (whichever).

So, it's kinda disheartening to have to go through this, but at least it's closure of some sort.

[LPD]

What a pain! If it started on the PC with a corrupted library then I don't see the connection to the Zune being defective. Do you have another PC (or access to one) that you can install the software on and connect the Zune to? You might want to try that first before shipping it off. If the Zune is ok, then when you do get a replacement, you will still have the problem.
Did tech support suggest a hard reset of the Zune?

[aitrusskyy]

I found a slight fix for this, or rather perhaps this well help...

I purchased a Zune just yesterday after doing hours of reading on choices of MP3 Players...

2 Things I found screwed up about Microsofts programs involving WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER and ZUNE because they are pretty much the same and both manage your music library the same...

#1 I have 4,600 songs +, when I used WINAMP to manage my LIBRARY it would scan and say I had 4,600 songs +...

Everytime I would add the EXACT same folder to WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER or ZUNE it would scan and only find 1,800 of my songs...

MY first theory was that perhaps WMP and ZUNE didnt scan Subfolders within Subfolders... For example...

C:\My Music> Coldplay > song.mp3 would be found and added to library...
C:\My Music> Coldplay > Album Parachutes > song.mp3 would not be found...

I rearranged most of my music folders to test this theory, making all of them simply a SUBFOLDER of the MY MUSIC subfodler of C:.

In the end I did not proved my theory was INCORRECT after rearranging both WMP and ZUNE only added 1,800 of my songs of the 4,600...

*****************

The Fix? I cleared both my WMP and ZUNE libraries and Recently Added lists... I then instead of adding folders to manage in both programs, opened MY MUSIC folder directly and SELECTED ALL of my music MANUALLY, I then DRAGGED AND DROPPED IT into the CLEAN library of ZUNE...

It ADDED ALL SONGS... Problem fixed...

*************

THE CORRUPT ISSUE.

WITHOUT MY ZUNE BEING PLUGGED IN, I clicked in ZUNE
OPTIONS > LIBRARY > FIND INFO FOR ALL ALBUMS...

It proceeeded to start updating my info... It got to 3 percent, then started saying the SERVER WAS BUSY TRING AGAIN...

After 30 minutes of this it suddenly said my LIBRARY was corrupted...

All of my library totally dissappeared...

I immediatly restarted my computer, still no library.

I plugged in my ZUNE, and to my surprise " THIS ZUNE IS HOME TO ANOTHER COMPUTER< WOULD YOU LIKE TO LOG IT IN AS A GUEST OR ERASE THE LIBRARY AND ADD IT TO THIS COMPUTER""

Well, I erased all my crap on it...

I re-manually dragged my entire library again as previously stated into the LIBRARY, and SYNCED MY ZUNE again...



Ok so there is no real fix here, but I didnt have to call tech support... I dont know what went wrong, but its gone now. Perhaps we will see a fix in the next firmware update.

Hope this helps to get you set right with your ZUNE though.

[CJLanglois]

Well, it's 2:40am, I had EXACTLY the same problem as priesmeyer. But it seems I did get it working again after flailing away at it untill the wee hours. Here's what I did

Reboot to start fresh
Made sure the Zune was disconnected
Ran regedit and reanmed the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Sofftware\Microsoft\Zune\Preferences
to...
HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Sofftware\Microsoft\Zune\PreferencesOld

Started up the Zune software, said cancel when it wanted me to connect my Zune. Logged into the marketplace and waited for everything to settle down.

Checked my library, all there.

Connected my Zune, was detected and works fine.

Tried syncing some new tunes, works fine.

So cross fingers that this is a final fix. Give it a try and see what happens.

[armani96]

you could have just drag-and_dropped a folder into the gray area, all my music is well organized in "my music" folder, so it only takes one folder to upload everything. i have a large library so it still took about five minutes to upload everything. i think that a lot because im impatient, even with my ultra fast futuristic out of this world computer. =D