How to charge the battery in your Zune device

This article describes how to charge the battery in your Zune device. This article discusses the following topics:

• Power sources that are supported
• How to verify successful charging
• Charging times

For more information about how to maximize the performance of the Zune battery, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

A rechargeable lithium-ion battery comes installed in your Zune device. If you notice that the battery power is low, you can recharge the battery. To do this, see the following section.

Power sources that are supported

To charge the battery in your Zune device, you must connect the Zune device to one of the following supported power sources:

• A computer’s USB port that you can connect to by using a Zune Sync Cable.
• A Zune AC Adapter that you can connect to by using a Zune Sync Cable.
  Note The Zune AC Adapter is sold separately.
• A Zune Car Charger or a Zune FM Transmitter/Charger.
  Note These items are sold separately.
• An Xbox 360 console's USB port that you can connect to by using a Zune Sync Cable.
• A “Designed for Zune” mobile battery pack

Zune devices do not support third-party power adapters that were not designed to meet the specifications of the Zune device. For more information about “Designed for Zune” chargers, visit the following Zune Web site:

How to verify successful charging

After you connect your Zune device to a supported power source, the Zune device starts to charge. You can verify successful charging by observing whether a “lightning-bolt” charging-battery icon ( ) appears on the screen of the Zune device. When fully charged, the charging icon is replaced by a solid green battery icon ( ).

If the correct charging-battery icon does not appear on your Zune device, the Zune device is not receiving sufficient power. Typically, you experience this behavior if the Zune device is connected to an unsupported power source. In this case, connect the Zune device to a different supported power source.

If you experience general difficulty when you charge the Zune device, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge base:

Charging times

Typically, if your battery has no charge, you can expect the battery to take approximately three hours to fully charge when you use a high-power 500 mA USB port. If you have the Zune software running on the computer on which you are charging the device, the charging process may take longer because the software connects and syncs to the device. If this is the case, close the Zune software window. The charging time on the device may vary and also depends on the power source that is used. For example:

• If you are charging the device by using a low-power 100mA USB port, you may experience significantly longer charging times. If this is the case, use a high-power 500 mA USB port if this is possible.
• If you are charging the device by using the Zune AC Adapter, the Zune Car Charger, or the Zune FM Transmitter/Charger, you may experience faster charging times.

You do not have to wait until the battery is fully charged. You can disconnect the Zune device during the charging process and then resume charging the Zune device at your convenience.

For more information about the battery in the Zune device, visit the following Zune Web site: