Zune software crashes

[Jimmy1]

Hi,

I've installed Zune software 2.3 but when I try to launch I get an error message:
"Microsoft Zune has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

My operating system is XP SP2. I've tried uninstalling, re-installing, lowering firewall, disabling my virus software, and yet I keep getting the same error message. (Interestingly I receive the same error message when I try open MSN Explorer---which isn't a huge deal as I use Firefox for my browser; maybe it's a general MS incompatibility problem?)

When I hit the button for the Error Signature this is what I see:

Event Type: clr20r3 P1: zune.exe P2: 2.3.1338.0 P3: 47881c46

P4: zuneshell P5: 2.1.0.0 P6: 47881b32 P7: 27f P8: 1c

P9: system.typeloadexception

[Jason Dunn]

Hmm. I haven't heard of that exact problem, so my suggestion is to phone Zune tech support at 1-877-438-9863 and hopefully they can help...

[Jimmy1]

I actually already tried your suggestion. The Zune tech support couldn't help me. They finally said I should try re-installing XP.
What?! Just to get a DAP to work? I suspect that the release of the 2.3 software was packed full of bugs, but I didn't expect the tech to admit that.
Oh well.

Thanks for your suggestion, but getting this thing to work should not take a couple of day's worth of hairpulling in frustration. I'm returning it to Circuit City for a refund. Thank god for their decent return policy.

Maybe I'll look at something else like an Archos, a Samsung P2 or an ipod touch.

[Jason Dunn]

Thanks for your suggestion, but getting this thing to work should not take a couple of day's worth of hairpulling in frustration. I'm returning it to Circuit City for a refund. Thank god for their decent return policy.

I hear you. That's indeed completely unacceptable, and based on your experience I wouldn't keep the Zune either. I wish Windows XP didn't get so crappy the longer it's installed, but that seems to be the way it goes...:(

[Jimmy1]

I've done a fair amount of googling about the error message I'm receiving.
From other boards and forums I've come across it seems like a common problem: that the Zune software crashes upon attempting to open it, with the very same Error Signature.

Now, I'm not sure how true this is, but in one forum, I read a message from a member who told his story about being on tech support regarding his Zune software, with the final result being that the tech guy at the other end (in India?) informed him that the new 2.3 version of the software has known severe compatibility issues with computers running the 2002 version of Windows XP, even with Service Pack 2. There are no such issues with the 2005 version of XP.

Has anyone heard anything similar? If there's any truth to that, Microsoft will be hearing collective bellows of rage from any Zune owners with the same problem.

[ZuneZuneZune]

I had this very same issue and spent 2 days working on it myself. I tried all kinds of things including uninstalling and reinstalling the Zune Software and uninstalling anything that I installed or upgraded since the last time the software worked properly. The final fix however, was to go to Microsoft, download the .NET 2.0 redistributable package (do a search on microsoft.com for it) Installed it, rebooted and viola...Zune software was working properly again. I hope this helps someone avoid the days of frustration I encountered, and the other side effects of the attempts to fix this software happened. ---About the 2002 vs 2005 XP issue. Certainly not true.

[David Tucker]

ZZZ, thanks for the advice. Probably about a week too late for Jimmy (understandably :( ) but that'll be good to know for others with the same problem!