Zune 'bug' fixed, says Microsoft

The glitch hit the oldest Zune music players.

The glitch that froze many older Zune music players should now have been cleared, says Microsoft.

Many owners of 30GB Zune players found that the gadget froze up on the last day of 2008, thanks to a problem with software on the device.

But, said Microsoft, players should function properly once fully charged and switched on again on 1 January.

However, some Zune owners were still reporting lingering problems with their portable player.

Disgruntled owners filled Microsoft's support forums with complaints on 31 December, searching for a solution to the problem with their player.

The glitch revolves around the fact that 2008 was a leap year and had an extra day for which software on the Zune was not prepared.

This should have been corrected on 1 January when the gadget's software consults the internal clock and gets past the missing day.

By charging the device and turning it on 1 January owners should be able to get the gadget back to normal, said Microsoft spokesman Brian Eskridge.

"It worked for me and it seems like it's working for customers," Mr Eskridge told the AP newswire. "From the limited time I've looked on the forums, it seems customers have had good success with it."

The few customers who were still reporting problems were being urged by others to let the gadget recharge fully before trying to turn it on again and see if it had been fully restored.

The glitch only hit 30GB Zune players which were the first model to be released in mid-November, 2006. Later models are unaffected.