When you try to charge a Zune device, the battery does not seem to charge or charges very slowly. Low battery icons or charging icons may also be displayed.
To troubleshoot this issue, try one or more of the following methods in the order in which they are listed:
Let your Zune device charge for 30 minutes, then disconnect and reconnect the cable to turn on the player. It can take up to 3 hours to fully charge.
Connect the Zune device to a different USB port on the computer. Use a USB port on the back of the computer. Do not use a USB hub.
Use another supported high power source, such as an Xbox 360 console, a Zune AC Adapter, a Zune Car Charger, or a Zune FM Transmitter/Charger.
Note These devices are sold separately.
If you are connecting your Zune device to a mobile computer, make sure that the mobile computer is plugged in and is not running on battery power. Many mobile computers are configured to conserve power when they are running on battery power to extend battery life. This behavior may affect Zune device charging.
If the Zune device is charging slowly, be aware that, for optimal charging, the Zune device requires at least 500 milliamps (mA) of power. Frequently, USB ports that are located on the front of a computer and on some USB hubs are low-power, 100-mA ports. Typically, the high-power, 500-mA USB ports are on the back of the computer. Additionally, when you suspend the computer or put the computer to sleep, high-power USB ports may be switched to low-power, 100 mA mode.
If the device boots to the home screen but is still not charging correctly, continue with the "Home screen is displayed" steps in the following section.
If the device displays the home screen, follow these steps:
Restart the Zune device. Follow the instructions for the kind of player that you have:
Zune HD player:
Press and hold the On/Off button for about 10 seconds until the player restarts.
Non-touchscreen Zune player:
Set the Hold switch to the unlocked position, and then press and hold the Back button
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as you press the top of the Zune pad. When the Zune device starts to restart, you can release the buttons.
Connect the Zune device to the computer that has the current Zune software installed, and then update the device to the current device software version.
For more information about how to update the software on a Zune device, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
926770
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926770/
)
How to update your Zune device
If the Zune device is charging slowly, make sure that you have the device connected to a high power USB port. For ideal charging, the Zune device requires at least 500 milliamps (mA) of power. To determine the total available power for a USB hub and the power that the hub uses, follow these steps:
Connect the Zune device to a computer.
Click Start, click Run, type devmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
Find the listing for Hub that is closest to the top of the list, right-click the listing, and then click Properties.
Click Power, and then examine the list under Attached devices to determine whether Zune appears.
If Zune does not appear, click Cancel. Repeat this step for the next hub that appears in the list that is mentioned in step d.
If Zune appears, go to step f.
Under Hub information, the following should appear:
The hub is self-powered
Total power available: 500 mA per port
If the hub is described as "bus-powered" or if the hub has less than 500 mA per port, move the Zune device to another port on the computer.
Examine the list under Attached devices to determine whether any other devices are listed.
If other devices that use lots of power are listed, temporarily remove the other devices from the computer. Or, move the Zune device to another port on the computer.
Click Cancel, and then close Device Manager.
Important You experience longer charging times when you use low-power 100-milliampere (mA) USB ports. USB ports that are located on the front of a computer or in some USB hubs are frequently low-power 100-mA ports. Typically, you can find high-power 500 mA USB ports on the back of the computer. Additionally, when you suspend the computer or put the computer to sleep, high-power USB ports may change to a low power 100 mA mode.
If the device displays full-screen charging icons, follow these steps:
Connect the device to a supported power source. If the "low battery" icon is not replaced by the "charging battery" icon, or if the "charging battery" icon is displayed for more than 30 minutes, let the battery drain completely, and then again try to charge the device. To do this, follow these steps:
Make sure that the device is not connected to a power source, and then press the Play/Pause button. The “low battery” icon should appear. After the icon disappears, press the Play/Pause button again. Repeat this step several times until the “low battery” icon no longer appears. Wait several minutes, and then again press the Play/Pause button to make sure that the battery is drained.
Connect the device to a power source to fully charge the device. Because the battery is drained, the device may not start, and the home screen may not appear until several minutes of charging time has passed.
When the home screen appears, the device may restart several times if you are charging from a low-power source. This is because the battery charge in the Zune device is insufficient to support the device, and there is insufficient power from the external source to support the device. If this occurs, leave the Zune device connected to a power source until the Home screen appears and remains displayed on the Zune device. To charge the battery as quickly as possible, connect the Zune device to a high-power USB port, to an Xbox 360 console, to a Zune AC Adapter, to a Zune Car Charger, or to a Zune FM Transmitter/Charger.
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