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Thousands of Microsoft Zune players worldwide were rendered inoperable on December 31st due to a bug in the media player's internal clock, but Microsoft says it has identified the problem and is offering instructions to Zune owners on how to resolve the issue.

According to Reuters, the problem "was caused by an error in the way the device accounts for leap years," and the issue arose on December 31st because 2008 had 366 days. The problem affected Microsoft's "Zune 30," a 30-gigabyte version of the media player manufactured in 2006. Zune owners use the player to listen to music, watch videos, and play games. The device is Microsoft's answer to Apple's iPod.

Microsoft is instructing affected Zune owners to disconnect their Zune from power sources, let the battery drain, and then re-connect the device to a power source. This should resolve any problems related to the internal clock.

• From Microsoft: Zune 30 FAQ | Zune Support
• Reuters: Microsoft Blames Leap Year for Zune Glitch
• CNET: New Year's Hangover for Zune Users
• San Jose Mercury-News: Microsoft's Zune Suffers Worldwide Glitch
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