Have some questions about syncing your songs and videos and other stuff for Zune? Here you'll find some common questions—and the answers—about syncing.
Sync is how all content gets onto, and is removed from, your Zune player. When you sync your Zune player with your computer, Zune software updates any changes made to your collection with your player, adding or removing content according to the sync options that you choose.
What should I do if I have problems syncing?
If sync seems to have stopped working, you can try several things.
The first time you sync your Zune to a large collection of media on your computer, be patient. It will take some time to sync all the songs, DRM info, pictures, and podcasts. Plus, videos have to be converted to a supported format before they can sync. Depending on the size of your collection and the types of media it contains, it might take an hour or even longer to sync everything the first time.
If sync doesn't appear to have completed after a long time, try one or both of the following:
Disconnect and restart your Zune. Press and hold the back button while pressing up on the Zune Pad until your Zune restarts. Then reconnect your Zune and try to sync again.
Connect the sync cable to a different USB port. If you're connected to a port on the front of your computer, try connecting to a port on the back—back ports are usually more powerful. If you're using a USB hub, try connecting directly to your computer, preferably to the back.
Why doesn't my sync progress advance beyond 0% complete?
Several things could cause this to happen. When you sync a large media collection for the first time, it can take a long while.
Occasionally, problems do come up beyond simply taking more than a few minutes to sync, such as:
If you've downloaded a lot of songs from Zune Marketplace using a Zune Pass, you might experience a delay (potentially minutes) while DRM info for protected songs is processed. Once that's done, the songs will begin to sync.
On the first sync after an upgrade to Zune software, sync may take additional time while album information is updated. If you have thousands of songs in your collection to sync, it might seem as if the computer is doing nothing. Eventually the process will complete and the songs will sync.
During sync, videos are converted to a supported file format before items actually begin to sync to your Zune. If you are syncing videos, that could create the appearance that sync has stalled. Once videos are converted, they and the rest of your content will sync.
If sync appears to stall for a long time, try disconnecting and reconnecting your Zune to the sync cable. You can also try connecting the sync cable to a different USB port. Sometimes the USB ports on the front of your computer don't provide enough power for the sync process.
If sync appears to stall on a particular podcast (check device status in the Zune software to see the currently syncing item), it's possible that it's misidentified as an audio podcast when it's a video podcast, or vice versa. You can still play these podcasts in Zune software, but currently the only way to sync an episode like this with your Zune is to delete all other episodes in the series.
How has sync changed with the latest version of the Zune software?
When you upgrade your Zune software, you'll notice that sync works a little differently than it did before (check out Sync Options.)
First, your default sync settings depend on the Zune model you're using. Zune 4 and Zune 8, having smaller capacities than the larger models, let you choose what you want to sync rather than syncing everything at once. Zune 30 and Zune 80 default to sync all media except videos and friends (which can take a while). Of course, you can still customize these settings for any player to match what you want to do with the media in your collection.
If you choose to sync everything, all the media in your collection will sync (provided there's enough room on your Zune). Whenever you add new content to your collection, it will automatically sync the next time you connect your Zune.
If you decide to choose what you want to sync for any media type, you can drag items—songs, pictures, artists, albums, folders, podcast series—from your collection to the device icon in the lower-left corner of the Zune software. When you do this you create a sync group for that specific media. Then, whenever you update that sync group—say you add a new album or add songs to a playlist—your Zune player is updated accordingly.
And if you decide you don't want certain songs, albums, or podcast episodes on your Zune, change your Sync Groups settings or delete them from your Zune. Next time you sync, they'll be skipped and won't sync unless you drag them to the device icon again.
What's the difference between Smart sync and Manual sync?
With Smart sync, Zune software will sync to your Zune player all media of a particular type (all your music, for example). With Manual sync, you choose exactly what songs, pictures, and videos sync with your player.
Does Zune sync all protected content?
Zune syncs all protected content from Zune Marketplace. If you have protected content that you got elsewhere, Zune software will not play it, and won't sync it to your player.
Can I sync from my player to Zune software?
Yes. Zune will sync content from your player back to Zune software, so if you have media on your player that is not in your collection, you can add it from your player.
How often should my Zune be updated?
You should update your Zune whenever updates to Zune software or firmware become available. The most current version of Zune software is 3.1. If you are using an older version of the software, you should update now. To see what version of the software you have, open it then click Settings,General,About Zune, and if needed, download the latest version.
You should also connect your Zune to Marketplace at least once every two weeks to ensure that the media licenses for your Zune Pass subscription content are up to date.
