Zen problems hi stonebrake i need some help because my zen keeps freezing on me and won´t even charge! i reloaded all the latest firmware, recover tool, reset the player etc etc a few weeks ago and it worked fine, but no i get nothing from it not even a charge or blue light or anything. Its completely unresponsive even when attached to the computer. Do you have any ideas what i could do cos at the minute its useless! Cheers.

Troubleshooting



How to enter the Zen’s Recovery Mode for Clean Up, Format All, Reload Firmware, and Reboot:



1. With the Zen off, press and hold the "play/pause" button.



2. Continue to hold until you perform Steps 3 and 4. If you accidentally release the button, start the procedure again.



3. Gently push the end of a
thin object (like a pin or straightened paperclip) into the Reset hole.
You should be able to feel the release click of the button.



4. Slide the On/Off/Lock switch towards the power button and hold until the boot screen appears on the display.



The Recovery Mode screen appears, and four menu items are shown:



Clean Up:
A cleanup of the file system and database files takes place. All
(uncorrupted) data should stay in tact. When the cleanup is complete,
select Reboot. Your player restarts and starts rebuilding its music
library. All files should remain intact unless they were detected as being corrupt.



Format All: This will completely reset the Zen and remove all user stored files on it.



Reload Firmware:
This will prepare the Zen to accept a reload, new, or older firmware
based on the specific firmware file you download and execute on a
computer. Selecting this option will prevent your Zen from being able
to boot, so make sure you have the firmware file on you computer and
ready to load.



Reboot: This will execute a soft reboot of the Zen's operating system.



How to Clean Up, Delete Temp Files, and Reformat the Zen using Zen Media Explorer:



1. Plug the Zen.

2. Go to Zen Media Explorer.

3. Select "Settings and Information".

4. Select the "Tools" Tab.

5. This page will show you the options to Clean Up, Delete Temp Files, and Reformat the Zen.



(Warning: When reformatting, you will lose all files you put on the Zen)



Before upgrading firmware:



Most manufactures will tell
you to not use a USB Hub in between their device and the computer
during a firmware upgrade. The recommendations are usually to plug it
into a USB port on the back of the computer. The issue they are trying
to cut down on is the risk for some using a bus powered USB hub
(especially with other USB devices plugged into it) instead of an
externally powered hub. Bus powered hubs rely on the internal power
source of the USB controller that has a max output current of 500mA.
With other USB devices plugged into the computer, you may not get the
max power requirement for the device you are trying to upgrade and
could result in data corruption and possibly ruining your firmware. For
the most part, you will probably be ok if you are using an AC powered
hub, but why risk it.



To be safe, I usually like to make sure the following are in order when upgrading firmware to:



1. Make sure you already have
a good, working connection with your Zen before attempting to reload or
upgrade the firmware. This means that when you connect the Zen, make
sure the Zen is being detected and its driver is loading in Device
Manager without error. It should be listed under the category "Portable
Devices". You should also be able to see the Zen listed under "My
Computer" as an attached portable device. Verify this step can be
critical especially when attempting to reload the firmware from within
the Recovery Mode.



2. If you ever do decide to
reload the firmware from within Recovery Mode, it may be a good idea to
at least try connecting the Zen to the computer while it is booted into
Recovery Mode to make sure there are no connectivity or driver issues.
When you reload the firmware from within Recovery Mode, the currently
loaded firmware is erased to prepare for a new firmware load. (this is
a failsafe option to use when the currently loaded firmware is
suspected of being corrupt and preventing a reload). Doing this will
prevent the Zen from booting regularly and will boot directly into
Recovery Mode until a new firmware is loaded. This is why a good,
working connection is critical and verifying it is so important.



3. Make sure your Zen is
plugged into a USB port on the back of the computer (one built onto the
motherboard) to help ensure you are getting the proper power from the
USB port.



4. Do not use a USB hub of any kind due to possible power related issue that could interfere with the reload/upgrade.



5. Unplug all unnecessary USB
devices from the computer during the upgrade to help ensure no possible
power reduction or interference to the Zen during the reload/upgrade.

Please note: If you are still having trouble loading firmware, download, install, and use Creative's MP3 Player Recovery Tool. Make sure you follow their instructions here.



Prerquisits before trying the possible fixes below:



In the BIOS:



- make sure that USB is enabled and assigning an IRQ to USB.

- enable Legacy USB support if it was disabled. Disable it if it was enabled.

- make sure no other USB devices are plugged in besides a keyboard and mouse.

- even try disabling Power Management in the BIOS.



Make sure both of these services are running and set to automatic:



- Plug and Play

- Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework



Make sure you have disabled Power Management on all USB Root Hubs under Universal Serial Bus controllers in Device Manager:



- Right click and select Properties for each USB Root Hub and then select the Power Management Tab.



- Make sure the box is unchecked for "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

Troubleshooting

How to enter the Zen’s Recovery Mode for Clean Up, Format All, Reload Firmware, and Reboot:

1. With the Zen off, press and hold the "play/pause" button.

2. Continue to hold until you perform Steps 3 and 4. If you accidentally release the button, start the procedure again.

3. Gently push the end of a thin object (like a pin or straightened paperclip) into the Reset hole. You should be able to feel the release click of the button.

4. Slide the On/Off/Lock switch towards the power button and hold until the boot screen appears on the display.

The Recovery Mode screen appears, and four menu items are shown:

Clean Up: A cleanup of the file system and database files takes place. All (uncorrupted) data should stay in tact. When the cleanup is complete, select Reboot. Your player restarts and starts rebuilding its music library. All files should remain intact unless they were detected as being corrupt.

Format All: This will completely reset the Zen and remove all user stored files on it.

Reload Firmware: This will prepare the Zen to accept a reload, new, or older firmware based on the specific firmware file you download and execute on a computer. Selecting this option will prevent your Zen from being able to boot, so make sure you have the firmware file on you computer and ready to load.

Reboot: This will execute a soft reboot of the Zen's operating system.

How to Clean Up, Delete Temp Files, and Reformat the Zen using Zen Media Explorer:

1. Plug the Zen.
2. Go to Zen Media Explorer.
3. Select "Settings and Information".
4. Select the "Tools" Tab.
5. This page will show you the options to Clean Up, Delete Temp Files, and Reformat the Zen.

(Warning: When reformatting, you will lose all files you put on the Zen)

Before upgrading firmware:

Most manufactures will tell you to not use a USB Hub in between their device and the computer during a firmware upgrade. The recommendations are usually to plug it into a USB port on the back of the computer. The issue they are trying to cut down on is the risk for some using a bus powered USB hub (especially with other USB devices plugged into it) instead of an externally powered hub. Bus powered hubs rely on the internal power source of the USB controller that has a max output current of 500mA. With other USB devices plugged into the computer, you may not get the max power requirement for the device you are trying to upgrade and could result in data corruption and possibly ruining your firmware. For the most part, you will probably be ok if you are using an AC powered hub, but why risk it.

To be safe, I usually like to make sure the following are in order when upgrading firmware to:

1. Make sure you already have a good, working connection with your Zen before attempting to reload or upgrade the firmware. This means that when you connect the Zen, make sure the Zen is being detected and its driver is loading in Device Manager without error. It should be listed under the category "Portable Devices". You should also be able to see the Zen listed under "My Computer" as an attached portable device. Verify this step can be critical especially when attempting to reload the firmware from within the Recovery Mode.

2. If you ever do decide to reload the firmware from within Recovery Mode, it may be a good idea to at least try connecting the Zen to the computer while it is booted into Recovery Mode to make sure there are no connectivity or driver issues. When you reload the firmware from within Recovery Mode, the currently loaded firmware is erased to prepare for a new firmware load. (this is a failsafe option to use when the currently loaded firmware is suspected of being corrupt and preventing a reload). Doing this will prevent the Zen from booting regularly and will boot directly into Recovery Mode until a new firmware is loaded. This is why a good, working connection is critical and verifying it is so important.

3. Make sure your Zen is plugged into a USB port on the back of the computer (one built onto the motherboard) to help ensure you are getting the proper power from the USB port.

4. Do not use a USB hub of any kind due to possible power related issue that could interfere with the reload/upgrade.

5. Unplug all unnecessary USB devices from the computer during the upgrade to help ensure no possible power reduction or interference to the Zen during the reload/upgrade.
Please note: If you are still having trouble loading firmware, download, install, and use Creative's MP3 Player Recovery Tool. Make sure you follow their instructions here.

Prerquisits before trying the possible fixes below:

In the BIOS:

- make sure that USB is enabled and assigning an IRQ to USB.
- enable Legacy USB support if it was disabled. Disable it if it was enabled.
- make sure no other USB devices are plugged in besides a keyboard and mouse.
- even try disabling Power Management in the BIOS.

Make sure both of these services are running and set to automatic:

- Plug and Play
- Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework

Make sure you have disabled Power Management on all USB Root Hubs under Universal Serial Bus controllers in Device Manager:

- Right click and select Properties for each USB Root Hub and then select the Power Management Tab.

- Make sure the box is unchecked for "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".