Microsoft KB Archive/927710

Knowledge Base

How to help maximize the time that a battery lasts in your Zune device

Article ID: 927710

Article Last Modified on 12/18/2007

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APPLIES TO

• Zune Digital Media Player

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SUMMARY

This article describes how to help maximize the time that a battery lasts in your Zune device.

The way that you use your Zune device strongly affects the life of the battery. For example, if you frequently interact with the device UI, the battery will not last the maximum time possible.

MORE INFORMATION

To help achieve maximum battery performance, follow all these guidelines:

• 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 How to update your Zune device

• Fully charge the Zune device. When the device is fully charged, the battery icon will appear green ( ). For maximum battery charge, we recommend that you allow the battery to discharge to half-full before you fully charge it.
• Recalibrate the Battery. For Zune 4GB, 8GB, and 80GB devices, the battery icon may not accurately represent the battery charge that is available until the battery has been fully charged and then discharged one time after you update the device. To properly cycle the battery, follow these steps:
  1. With the battery at a half-full charge or less, connect the Zune device to a power source.
  2. After the battery icon appears green ([GRAPHIC: battery full]), disconnect the Zune device from the power source.
  3. On the Home screen, select settings, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  4. Select display, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  5. Select backlight, and then press the center of the Zune pad to toggle through the settings until the backlight is set to always on.
  6. Select brightness, and then press the center of the Zune pad to toggle through the settings until the brightness is set to high.
  7. Press and hold the back button until the Home screen appears.
  8. Select music, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  9. Select genres, albums, artists, or songs. Then, select shuffle all.
  10. Set the Zune device aside.
  11. Once the Zune device turns off, press the play\pause button.
      
      Note If the Zune device turns back on, wait until it turns off again, and then press the play/pause button. Repeat this step until the Zune device no longer turns on.
  12. When the Zune device no longer turns on, connect it to a power source.
  13. Change the display settings back to your preferred choices.
  14. Fully charge the device until the battery icon appears green ([GRAPHIC: battery full]).
  Note Remember to set backlight and brightness to their previous settings. The default settings are 15 seconds and medium, respectively.
• Charge and use the Zune device at room temperature. The Zune device operates most efficiently at room temperature.
• For maximum battery charge, we recommend that you allow the battery to discharge to half full before you fully charge it.
• Use the "Play all" option or the "Shuffle all" option. The less that you interact with the Zune device, the longer the battery will last. When you play music, try to use custom playlists. Additionally, try to use the songs, genres, albums, or artists views together with the Play all option or the Shuffle all option.
• Use the "Hold" switch. By using the Hold switch, you can help prevent unintentional activation of the Zune device. The Hold switch is located on the top of the Zune device. Set the Hold switch to the locked position when you do not want to interact with the Zune device. For example, you may want to set the Hold switch to the locked position when the Zune device is in a traveling pouch or in your pocket.
• Play Windows Media Audio (WMA) audio files. You experience the best battery performance when you play WMA music at 128Kbps. For the most efficient use of the battery, try to use WMA files at 128Kbps to sync, to store, and to play your music on your Zune device.
• Turn off your Zune device when it is not in use. To turn off the Zune device, press and hold the Play/Pause button [GRAPHIC: Play/Pause button] until the Zune device turns off. When you turn off the Zune device, the Zune device remains in low-power standby. Typically, the Zune device resumes operation approximately one second after you press one of the buttons. The Zune device also automatically turns off after 10 minutes of inactivity.
• Adjust the backlight. You can set the backlight to the following display times:
  • 1 second
  • 5 seconds
  • 15 seconds
  • 30 seconds
  • 1 minute
  • Always on

  For the most efficient use of the battery, select the shortest display time that works for you. To change the backlight setting, follow these steps:

  1. On the Home screen, select settings, and then press the OK button in the center of the Zune pad.
  2. Select display, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  3. Select backlight, and then press the center of the Zune pad to toggle through the settings.
• Adjust the brightness. You can set the brightness to the following display levels:
  • low
  • medium
  • high

  For the most efficient use of the battery, select the lowest brightness level that works for you. To change the brightness setting, follow these steps:

  1. On the Home screen, select settings, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  2. Select display, and then press the center of the Zune pad.
  3. Select brightness, and then press the center of the Zune pad to toggle through the settings.
• When you transfer files by using wireless send or wireless sync, we recommend that you have the device connected to a power source. The number of files that you send or receive has a significant effect on the time that a battery charge lasts. If you send or receive many files, you may have to charge your Zune device more frequently.
• Adjust the Wireless setting. The Wireless setting alone has little effect on the time that a battery charge lasts. To share files and to experience the social environment that Zune offers, we recommend that you keep the Wireless setting turned on. However, you can turn off the Wireless setting to preserve a small amount of battery power. To change the Wireless setting, follow these steps:
  1. On the Home screen, select settings, and then press the center of the Zune pad
  2. Select wireless, and then press the center of the Zune pad to toggle between On and Off.
• Turn off the radio when it is not being used. When you are finished listening to the radio, you may have to turn it off. The radio automatically turns off when you play music, view a picture, or play a slide show. Pressing the Play/Pause button [GRAPHIC: Play/Pause button] or unplugging the earphones mutes the sound from the radio. However, the radio remains on. To turn the radio off, briefly play music, view a picture, or play a slide show or video.
• Remove back-to-back songs in your playlist. If the same song appears consecutively two or more times on your playlist/quicklist, the device may have to frequently access the hard disk. To limit excess hard disk accessing, avoid adding the same song multiple times, or at least avoid having the same song appear consecutively.
• To make sure that your Zune device is operating reliably after extended usage, restart the Zune device. To do this, set the Hold switch to the unlocked position, and then press and hold the Back button as you press on the top of the Zune pad. When the Zune device begins to restart, you can release the button.

For more information about the battery in the Zune device, visit the following Zune Web site:

http://www.zune.net/batteries

Keywords: kbzunehardware kbexpertisebeginner kbpubtypekc kbzuneamericasportal kbhowto KB927710

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