Zune Software Not Supported by 64-bit Windows XP

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ericd.net/2006/11/zune-bad-voodoo.inc' target='_blank'>http://www.ericd.net/2006/11/zune-bad-voodoo.inc</a><br /><br /></div><em>&quot;A buddy of mine today went to MicroCenter in Boston and picked up a Zune player. I cautioned him beforehand, but until Apple releases a wide-screen or larger display iPod for video playback, he went for the Zune. He got it home - and no dice, it doesn't work with his 64-bit XP. We knew about Vista, but this was a new, friendly development. He called Zune support, got a real Microsoft employee (not someone in India, etc.) and was told, &quot;This was coded very rapidly, so not all the newest OS versions are supported. We have no answer for you. Your operating system is not supported at this time.&quot; Microsoft made the Zune (kinda), and they make various OS. It would make sense for them to support their own operating systems. But they didn't. They rushed it out the door. If they held off and did it right, they might have had a decent chance with this thing. If people have so many problems with the player, OSs, the Zune software, legacy media formats, etc. how do you expect to get a solid foothold, even in order to come out with 2 dot 0?&quot;<br /><br /><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/zt/2006/windows64bit-not-supported-nov17.gif" alt="" /><br /></em><br />More ugly news. I wasn't terribly surprised that the Zune software didn't work on beta versions of Vista, but I was fully expecting a new version of the Zune software to be released on the 14th and it would support Vista. You have to figure that the bits on the CD in the Zune box was finished and shipped to the factory sometime in August or September. So it not supporting Vista makes sense, even if it's a bit ugly that the early adopter-types, the ones running the Vista beta, are also the ones who are likely to rush out and buy the Zune on the opening day. What doesn't make sense is that Vista has now RTM'd, and will be available for download on MSDN any day now - yet there's still no software release in sight. XP 64-bit isn't mainstream consumer, but it's certainly been out for quite some time and the lack of support for this is more than a little surprising. Why is the Zune team having so much trouble supporting Microsoft operating systems?

[Darius Wey]

What doesn't make sense is that Vista has now RTM'd, and will be available for download on MSDN any day now

It's already available. Go get it. :D

Why is the Zune team having so much trouble supporting Microsoft operating systems?I've always felt that XP 64-bit has been more of a "proof of concept" OS than anything else, since not many applications and drivers support it. Earlier, I was considering the x64 version of Vista, but now I'm having second thoughts.

[mcsouth]

Vista is not supported??? It is only something that MS has been working on for how long now, and their big push into the MP3 player market launches with software that won't work on Vista?

Just out of curiosity, how many folks here think that the Zune team probably spent lots of time fine tuning the hardware and the online experience, and the desktop software was considered to not be an issue? Based on the number of stories circulating (which, granted, are probably not the majority of Zune purchasers), it seems the biggest negative to the Zune launch seems to be the desktop software, which should have been a non-issue, since its coming from a software company.

Given MS's fast response to launch issues with the Xbox 360, I have to believe that some of these issues will addressed very promptly, but it is still unfortunate that this happened. I would have thought the software would have been the easy part of this launch...

[Aaron Roma]

It's already available. Go get it.

Done and done. :) Now just to get it installed.

[Janak Parekh]

I've always felt that XP 64-bit has been more of a "proof of concept" OS than anything else, since not many applications and drivers support it. Earlier, I was considering the x64 version of Vista, but now I'm having second thoughts. Darius has hit the nail on the head. Among many other applications, iTunes doesn't work on XP x64 either.

--janak

[Covert]

Darius has hit the nail on the head. Among many other applications, iTunes doesn't work on XP x64 either.

--janak
For what it's worth, my roommate has an iPod and uses iTunes on 64-bit WinXP all the time. I'm not sure if he had to do something special to get it running, but he doesn't seem to have any trouble with it now.

[jdmountford]

I hear that MS is working on something special for Zune and Vista and to expect more/better around the Consumer launch of Vista.

[Janak Parekh]

For what it's worth, my roommate has an iPod and uses iTunes on 64-bit WinXP all the time. I'm not sure if he had to do something special to get it running, but he doesn't seem to have any trouble with it now. Ah, interesting. From Apple's own site (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301301):

"iTunes is currently not supported in Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (the 64-bit version of Windows XP). Features may or may not work correctly. One example is reading or writing to an optical drive (CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RW). It's also possible iTunes for Windows may not successfully install."

According to my officemate, iTunes 7.01 refused to install. It's possible that the installer does a check and stops primarily just for the CD burning drivers, and that can be worked around. My friend gave up, though, and ended up blowing away the machine and putting on 32-bit XP. ;)

--janak

[Jerry Raia]

Why is every little tidbit that comes out about the Zune always a negative? Why would MS launch such a great idea with so many anchors?

[MarxMarvelous]

Why is every little tidbit that comes out about the Zune always a negative? Why would MS launch such a great idea with so many anchors?

1. Because most of the scenarios missed (podcasting, 64-bit, Vista) are minority scenarios.

2. To hit the X-mas season despite limited development time.

3. Because all of these things can be corrected with updates to the existing hardware (firmware)/software.

[Jerry Raia]

I think #2 was the biggest one.