Zune 2.5 Bug List: Start Listing Your Bugs

[Jason Dunn]

<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1210115653.usr1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />As nice as some of the features are in the new update, software is never coded perfectly, so I'm not surprised to see some bugs and flaws in the software. I think it might be helpful from a reference point of view to have a master list of bugs that the Zune Thoughts community has spotted. We can compile a list of feature requests later, but for now let's focus on actual bugs: things that used to work, and were broken by this new update, or things that were broken in 2.3 and remain broken in 2.5. Here's my list:<br /><ul> <li>In the 2.3 software, if you were on the music collection tab, you could start typing and it would instantly filter your songs down and show you what you wanted to hear. That feature is either gone, or broken, in the 2.5 release when you're on the artists view (which is the default when you start up the software). If you switch to the songs view, it will work, and strangely enough it will then start working on the artists view. The performance is much worse - it will consistently miss the first character I type. [Thanks to Grahm from <a href="http://www.anythingbutipod.com" target="_blank">ABI </a>for noticing this first.]<br /> </li> <li>I just re-connected my red Zune 8, the same Zune 8 that I'd connected earlier today for my videos, and the software informed me that this Zune is linked to another computer. What? I've only ever connected this Zune to one computer. I rebooted the Zune 8, but that didn't help - the software refused to recognize the Zune as having been previously partnered with it. This is bad - did the Zune team hire people from the Windows Mobile ActiveSync team?</li> <li>The new Sync Groups functionality is awesome...in theory. It doesn't seem to work properly - I created a sync group for photos, set it to seven days, and watched as it pulled 100 photos, seemingly at random, from my pictures folder. Some of the photos date back to 2002. I found a few of the photos in question and carefully examined the EXIF data, file data, etc. - none of it is stamped within seven days. So however the Zune software is examining the files, it's doing it wrong.<br /> </li> <li>When you delete photos off the device, it removes the images but leaves behind the empty directories - I have a bunch of grey boxes showing the folder name and &quot;0&quot;. I disconnected the Zune, rebooted it, and re-connected it - and all the phantom images were gone. I shouldn't have to do that.</li></ul>So that's what I've noticed so far - what about you? Post your bugs...

[grommet]

Zune "Gapless" doesn't seem to be gapless for any LAME 3.97 VBR MP3 rips I've done via Exact Audio Copy or equivalent. WMA albums are gapless 100% of the time, however... so Zune Pass albums that have audio that bleeds between tracks are 100% covered. Some people have posted gapless success with MP3, but I'm not sure how they were encoded. Amazon MP3 is all LAME MP3 VBR, so their whole catalog might be impacted. Or maybe it's just me? :confused:

Same LAME VBR MP3 albums are gapless on iPod/iTunes, Winamp, etc.

[sboots]

On my Zune 30 with the 2.5 firmware, it appears that TV out may be broken. I have an Altec Lansing speaker/dock and it's connected to an old TV in my workout room. I switched the Zune to TV out and the TV screen blinked and the Zune screen went dark. No picture on the TV. I rebooted the Zune, no change. I've got another Zune 30 here, so I'll check that out either tomorrow or Thursday.
-steve

[qyv42]

While the Zune client was installing on my PC (running Vista), I started to get odd screen flickers, which have persisted even after closing the Zune client once installed, and even through a reboot. It's as though the install updated a video driver or something. I'm assuming it's weirdness with my system for now, but will be interested to see if others have the same issue.

[Lotheric]

While the Zune client was installing on my PC (running Vista), I started to get odd screen flickers, which have persisted even after closing the Zune client once installed, and even through a reboot. It's as though the install updated a video driver or something. I'm assuming it's weirdness with my system for now, but will be interested to see if others have the same issue.

I'm running Vista Ultimate 64-bit and the upgrade from 2.3 to 2.5 went without any issues for me. No flickering or graphical glitches...

[Jason Dunn]

While the Zune client was installing on my PC (running Vista), I started to get odd screen flickers, which have persisted even after closing the Zune client once installed, and even through a reboot. It's as though the install updated a video driver or something.

It sounds like your video card and/or driver isn't fully compatible with the Zune software (which is odd if it's anything from the past few years). Go into SETTINGS > DISPLAY > DISABLE VIDEO ENHANCEMENT. Although I can't explain how/why you'd see screen flickers when the Zune software isn't running - that's just bizarre. :confused: Were you seeing this with the version 2.3 software?

[snap]

There are still problems with Various Artist compilation albums. After the 2.5 upgrade, I lost some "song artist" tags and the Zune software also replaced my album art for some of them by:

1. Picking (randomly?) one of the artists in the compilation
2. Picking (randomly?) one of that artist's albums
3. Using that artist's album as the album art for that compilation

Example: for the Singles Soundtrack there is a track by Jimi Hendrix. My album art for this album was replaced by an album cover from a Jimi Hendrix album.

[Jason Dunn]

Another new bug: for whatever reason, I can no longer use my infrared control to start up Media Center on the computer that the Zune software is installed on. It was working just fine when 2.3 was installed, and now it doesn't work. I've done a system reboot and I can't figure out why it's not working...:confused:

[qyv42]

I have a terrible fear this is by design...but why do the podcasts on the device now automatically sort oldest to newest (when viewed top to bottom)? I checked my Zune client settings on the PC, and even switched from new to old and old to new again (syncing each time), and the order remains the same no matter what. :(

The workaround is simply to press Up once and you're at the bottom of the list (and thus at the newest podcast) but it still seems like an annoying step back. But maybe I'm just weird and everyone else has wanted it that way all along?

[smileyguy]

My Zune software will not update through the settings interface. I'm a student with a laptop provided by the school. I cannot download and install the full setup package as I don't have admin rights on the computer. :(
You ask why not have IT just install the update for me? It took two months for my original install request ticket to get filled. I'll be leaving for the summer in 1 month and 2 days. I don't have the time to wait unless I want to wait until September to get updates.:eek:
Why bother having "update" capability built into the software and then break it on the next release of said software?:mad:

[jfreiman]

I had a successful update from 2.3 to 2.5 last night, resynced all my audio and video fine.

Tonight I connect my Zune, the new auto setting deleted the items on my Zune and started replacing the ones on my device.

I came back to the computer and the Zune software had crashed with a Visual C++ window.

All the text and graphics on the screen looked as if it was shaddowed.

The software closed, generated a bug report.

I manually restarted the software and we'll see if it continues.

I am running Windows Vista 32-SP1.

-John

[inteller]

i had this bizzaro problem when I tried to rename an autoplaylist. It would say the name was invalid. Sometimes it would change and other times it wouldn't. Actually going it and editing the list (not "rename") seems to work more consistently.

[onlydarksets]

I now have a "friend" I never signed up for. I have no idea how to add friends, so I know I haven't added anyone on purpose. I can't figure out how to remove this "friend", either.

EDIT: OK, I found the option online. I'm really not thrilled about the separation of settings between the Zune application and the website. It's really confusing.

[onlydarksets]

OK, another followup. I found this email in my online profile:
Welcome to the Zune Social! We've pre-populated your friends list with some folks we know who love to share their favorite music.

WTF?!? Why would it possibly assume that somebody with no Friends setup wants random people to be able to see what I am listening to?

[Jason Dunn]

I have a terrible fear this is by design...but why do the podcasts on the device now automatically sort oldest to newest (when viewed top to bottom)?

Whoa...that IS strange - you'd think you'd want the newest at the top. :confused: Didn't it work that way before?

[Jason Dunn]

I cannot download and install the full setup package as I don't have admin rights on the computer.

That does seem pretty ridiculous that the software requires admin rights to install - I wonder if that's a design oversight or a necessary step due to something that the software needs to hook into?

Although I have to say, that's some bizarre school you have that makes it so hard for you to use the laptop. :eek:

[Jason Dunn]

WTF?!? Why would it possibly assume that somebody with no Friends setup wants random people to be able to see what I am listening to?

I agree. There was some discussion of this at the MVP Summit. I felt it was fine to offer these "default friends", but it should be opt-in, meaning people would be offered these "friends" and could chose whether or not they wanted them.

[sboots]

On my Zune 30 with the 2.5 firmware, it appears that TV out may be broken. I have an Altec Lansing speaker/dock and it's connected to an old TV in my workout room. I switched the Zune to TV out and the TV screen blinked and the Zune screen went dark. No picture on the TV. I rebooted the Zune, no change. I've got another Zune 30 here, so I'll check that out either tomorrow or Thursday.
-steve
Same problem on the other Zune 30 I have here. I'll have to dig up the A/V cable set and see if it is the Zune or the Altec Lansing dock that is having a problem, but I don't think it is the dock. The picture was fine the evening before the firmware update.
-steve

[sboots]

There are still problems with Various Artist compilation albums. After the 2.5 upgrade, I lost some "song artist" tags and the Zune software also replaced my album art for some of them by...

***long quote trimmed by mod JD***

I had a few tags screwed up in compilation albums. I also had an entire album that is from the marketplace (subscription) pick up the art from a compilation on which one of the songs from that album appears.
-steve

[onlydarksets]

Same problem on the other Zune 30 I have here. I'll have to dig up the A/V cable set and see if it is the Zune or the Altec Lansing dock that is having a problem, but I don't think it is the dock. The picture was fine the evening before the firmware update.
-steve

I'll try to give it a test with my Zune 80 - maybe it's just the 30?

[Jason Dunn]

Hey guys, if you're having problems with the Zune software reading your metadata properly - screwing up the song associations with albums and album art - use the Zune collection reset tool (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=86B2A33D-9BF8-45F6-89FF-B9A6236AA37D&displaylang=en). It seems to have fixed all my problems...