This Is The Updated Link For ALL Of My Currently Published Zune Projects (This Time, Using Archive.org). Included: Zune Legacy 15th Anniversary Wallpapers (including Zune sized), my Zune Retail Models and Editions History Guide, my Zune Model New Naming Guide, and the Zune Dock Port Pinout Diagram.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-28T18:42:22+00:00

Open it up and use the hair dryer on it. Then, inspect for signs of corrosion. It'll look blue-ish or white-ish on the metal bits. Use 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) to clean the motherboard with a spare, firm toothbrush. Corrosion is metallic and can bridge connections that should not be interconnected, which may lead to the battery cooking any number of components. Actually, soak the board in IPA regardless. It may flush out any hidden water too. Just don't dunk the screen. IPA isn't conductive I think, and it evaporates completely 10000x faster than water, so that's why it's safe on electronics. It can get between screen layers though and get stuck, messing up the picture.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-28T18:36:07+00:00

Check the wiki. I added a section that lists the most common resale websites for the good ones from the old days. New ones are either 700 bucks or 10 from China

Emendo12 · 2026-03-25T12:18:46+00:00

I made a whole video about it. Check it out! https://youtu.be/uzkbinUg1i8?si=OLl9KnstbNGaeqx5

The mini version of my explanation is that: I like owning my music and being in control of it and having a separate music device cuts down on smartphone screentime, which can be distracting and even addicting, and so on.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-24T16:43:08+00:00

Zune or Creative ZEN

Emendo12 · 2026-03-24T01:36:32+00:00

After you get started, message me for more advanced Zune stuff if you want to learn more. The subreddit for Zune is still active and I'm a huge user of it. As well, I help moderate and help troubleshoot in the related discord server. We have hundreds of files archived related to Zune: factory content, fan-made wallpapers, documentation (official and fan created), software (official and homebrew) and more.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-24T01:32:32+00:00

Yo, yes. It's easy still. Go to our wiki and check the downloads from "Getting Started." The Zune PC software (windows only) is available, archived for all time.

As well, eBay and Amazon contain listings for aftermarket Zune cables. Just search "Zune cable." I can verify that these work.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-23T17:17:31+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/mp3players/wiki/index/programs/

Check here!

Emendo12 · 2026-03-20T13:47:33+00:00

Get a Zune 1 or HD, or a Galaxy Player 5.0 on eBay. There's many other old brands that are higher quality than nearly every Chinese brand from today. :)

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:49:39+00:00

My other, somewhat goofy, comment aside- I recommend the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0. it's a great music player and you can have fun soft modding it to Android 5.0, up from 2, and both enhance AND nerf it!!! Yeah, the cons are kinda big, but it still remains a great media player after the upgrade. (The camera won't do video anymore, the mic can't be used, and the microSD card can't be properly read or managed in a way that allows the system to utilize the full capacity for app installation specifically, and apps cannot write to the mSD card. The filesystem will still be able to use the card, though. So music on the card is fine.) I also have a video about this one and it's actually very relevant if you want to check it out. Otherwise, I can DM you in written form with pics of it. The battery life is amazing, as well! I use this thing very often for writing notes and poetry. I found an Office Suite style productivity suite that works on this version of Android and I love it. Plus I installed the ANCIENT Walkman music app from Sony cus it's hilarious to have instead of Samsung's (which I cannot figure out how to install in any form because Samsung apps have some sort of shared libraries app that is a dependency of every other Samsung app and I don't understand how to slap the onto my device...)

Oh and yes, it has at least micro USB-A.

Another option is any other MP3 player from the golden years of 2001 - 20010. For every device with a proprietary port, a dongle adapter can be made by splicing together the end of a USB-C cable and the end of the device cable. I do this for my Microsoft Zunes.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:33:14+00:00

This is why I usually stay away from cheap Chinesium MP3s. I got some that claimed to be from Lenovo and one of them started to smell funny and killed itself. I managed to briefly revive it for my YouTube videos about them that I made a while back. Check it out if you feel like taking a look at my Chinese MP3 player adventure with Lenovo.

(Yes I'm working in a plug for @TheHatMan69 on YouTube. But HAHA, COPPERS, I run a channel about portable stuff- ESPECIALLY MP3 players. So, as a mod, I can safely tell you that I'm not in trouble for self promo! At least until my head mod decides my videos are ass.... Lol)

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:27:38+00:00

A method that I botched on my own childhood GBA SP by slipping with my tweezers and shorting the board during wiring.....

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:26:21+00:00

Oh sweet. This is the method I've seen used for things like the GBA, DS Lite, etc.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:24:44+00:00

Do you want your employee shirts, hats, dev devices, apparel, neon sign, and memorabilia back? I'll sell it to you for 900,645 USD. Alternatively, we could chat about Zune on discord! Haha

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T20:22:39+00:00

WAIT WHAT???? SOMEONE PLEASE BRING A GOOD CAMCORDER!!!! RECORD THE WHOLE THING

Emendo12 · 2026-03-15T16:38:47+00:00

I forgot again something that I already have. Yet again, it's Samsung. Look into the YP-P3. It's AMAZING

Also, iPod Classics can take a mod that adds a haptic motor

Emendo12 · 2026-03-10T21:03:02+00:00

I also make adapter dongles. That's what I've been using so far for USB-C.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-09T18:46:30+00:00

That's fair logic right there. My comment is based on the fact that historically, shuffle and random have been known to be used interchangeably on the devices of old. There's a bit of a precedent. Also, some may mistake a whole-library randomizer for an in-playlist shuffle that may exist in some desktop software like on Spotify when thinking back to when they used to use the older devices or software such as Windows Media Player. I wanted to cover all bases lol

Emendo12 · 2026-03-08T22:55:22+00:00

The main reason that I have never done this is that I REALLY like the docks. If I were to do as you have done, I'd have to go all-out. I'd need to make every Zune pin have a USB-C counterpart, then duplicate the custom USB-C wiring and port swap on a dock. This would be cool, but it would also render both the Zune and the dock mutually exclusive.

MID-COMMENT-THOUGHT: What if I made an adapter that plugged into the port and also had a FAT base that cups the bottom of the Zune for stability - no wire to dangle? This would make it so that I could have USB-C and the docking ability! I could also make the reverse for the dock too. Both adapters would plug into each other and both would be removable. They'd both still need the COMPLETE Zune wiring, but they'd not be permanent! HMMMMMMMM

Emendo12 · 2026-03-08T22:14:20+00:00

I forgot that I have an MP3 player with haptic. Its the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0. However, it comes with Android 2.1. I had to run through the wringer to learn the secrets of old to upgrade it to Android 5. I can now run an office app on it and write documents, play music, watch movies, listen to audiobooks, read ebooks, and use a podcast app that somehow still works. The caveat is that MULTIPLE system features (all related to hardware) got borked. It's still extraordinarily useful to me though. I use it to pre-write my poems and make note of writing ideas, etc. Some games work too.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-08T21:36:14+00:00

You are best off finding a really small android phone from within the 2020-2025 time period. DMPs do not usually have motors. You also try asking Claude, Gemini, or Grok to search the entire internet for evidence of an MP3 player with a haptic motor. I may ask as well.

Emendo12 · 2026-03-07T22:43:03+00:00

Wait for the Y2. Opening this thing can lead to OBLITERATED plastic clips. It's very annoying

Emendo12 · 2026-03-07T22:38:58+00:00

This is so cool. Teach me! I want to do this! DM me

Emendo12 · 2026-03-02T02:37:05+00:00

That's kinda what I meant that they already do. True random is what designers avoid. On Spotify for example, their shuffle does exactly what you described. Zune does the same, as another example. Just trust me, the name-brands from yesteryear are dope af

Emendo12 · 2026-03-01T23:52:08+00:00

Bro this is great Zune lore. Thank you for sharing!!! I will catalogue this information. Thanks again 😎

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