Zen Xtra Firmware Problem Fix

[coachop94]

BTW I don't Skype

[CrowdAds]

[JohnP]

The old drive is in the new player and it's stuck on the Rescue mode screen. I can't get any info there. Tomorrow, after work, I'll throw the new drive back into the new player and see what I can see. I'm sure there's a way....just have to find it. (When i say new I mean new to me.)

[coachop94]

Hopefully they have the same firmware. Was the old player working before you removed the drive?

[JohnP]

I'm going to put the new one back in the new player. The old player went out in the trash and was in pieces when it went. IF it's still out there I'll try to recover it and put it back together. This isn't going to be easy, is it?

[JohnP]

I usually don't Skype either. I just thought that it could expedite things. Since Microsoft bought Skype it has been all downhill over there anyway.

[JohnP]

Yes...the old player was fine except the play button broke off of the circuit board rendering the unit useless. I figured a hard drive swap would be no big deal. I didn't think putting a 60 gig into a 30 gig player would be a problem. OF course, I used all the options on the rescue menu except the "format all" option. Now the HD is clean but useless......for now.

[JohnP]

OK.....new drive back in new player. Boots up and operates properly. Old player fished out of the trash. Slapped the board back in the case, inserted hard drive, inserted battery.....nothing. Nothing at all. I didn't put any screws back in but didn't do it to the new player either. The only piece I didn't install was the bottom plate with the latch to open the cover. That should not affect anything. I don't get it. Anyway....I plugged the new player into the computer and it's now "syncing". I guess it's taking all my music from Media Source and putting it on the new player. This is gonna take all night. Besides.....there is only 15 gig available and my library is over 30 gigs. Now I'm gonna have to go back and delete all the music that was on the new HD to begin with. No great lose cause a lot of it isn't to my liking anyway. It looks like I am using a 30 gig now, for a while anyway.

Where do I find the firmware version anyway? I went through all the menu items and didn't find it.

[JohnP]

Ha! Just bought another one on ebay. 60 gig.....$56.55.

[coachop94]

Originally Posted by JohnP

Where do I find the firmware version anyway? I went through all the menu items and didn't find it.

Go to the settings>about>the firmware version should be the top entry.

[JohnP]

2.10.03

[coachop94]

Originally Posted by JohnP

2.10.03

That is the latest firmware for the Xtra. It is also the firmware that makes it a MTP device & able to sync with Windows Media Player 10 and higher. So your old player had a different one. That would be why the player was is recovery mode. To load the new firmware would have erased all the music on it. If you wish to use the 60GB drive in the player you'll need to reload the firmware on the player once you install it. This will require that you have a copy of the firmware, an XP/SP2/WMP10 computer to reload it.

[JohnP]

Well.....I have the XP/SP2/WMP10 computer to reload it but it's a moot point now. What's the sense? The new one has the latest firmware and my music is all on it. Thank goodness it was in my computer as I went through all the Rescue Mode options and the 60 gig is now empty. I'll throw it on the shelf in case of emergencies. When the NEW (to me) 60 gig comes we'll see what firmware is loaded on that one. Maybe we'll upgrade that and transfer all the music onto that one. Then.....I can swap 60s and see if I can get the old one loaded also and keep it as a backup. Then...I'll eBay the 30 gig.

[JohnP]

The next 60 gig arrived today. Has new firmware. Needs a new driver to sync with media source. I'm guessing that 2.01.00 is the newest?

[coachop94]

If the new player has the same firmware version as the first one you recently purchased then you don't need a driver.

[GooberTronic]

Hi guys, if your struggling to get you Zen Extra back please have faith it can be done.

DaviCastro's post on the 03-13-2011 saved my zen extra. My 40gb Zen has been a paperweight for about 5 years now, but today she is fully revived to her glorious best.

So problem i has was the dreaded "Firmware Problem" on booting up the Zen.

To fix this i followed DaviCastro's post like this,

"As I don't have any Windows XP machine available I decided to attempt the firmware upgrade using a virtual machine (it sound a little crazy and the ideal was to install it in a real machine - but I thought it would be too much trouble and decided to take the risk). My choice was VirtualBox (VB).

I used VirtualBox 4.0.4 and installed Win XP Home SP2 on it as the guest OS.
My machine OS is Win 7 ultimate 64-bits."

So with a fresh install with Windows Home XP sp2, in virtual box i downloaded media player 10.

I then followed Walkertron's initial post as follows,

"3. Re-install the Zen Driver JB3mv2_PCW_US_2_01_00 from the creative website and reboot
4, Plug Zen in.
5, Make sure you have the firmware update ZenXtrap74SAudible_PCFW_LB_2_10_03 ready, run it but don't click the language bit yet), leave the mouse hovering over your language selection.
6. On the Zen- select "reload OS"
7. As soon as it flashes up "reload new firmware now via USB" click the language button"

After doing this it didnt work but going back through DaviCastro's post on using VirtualBox doing this,

"Put the Zen Xtra in the USB Filter list of VB in order to VB get control of the device and pass it to WinXP"

Tried to update the Firmware again and bang it worked.

Holy cow my Zen is back!!

I spent hours on this, felt like giving up but finally after much Shouting Swearing, crying i finally sorted it.

Hope this helps you guys..

[seba75]

Hello Zen users,

3 days ago i got my "new" creative Zen Xtra and after playing it for 30 minutes i was able to brick it.

So lets talk me, what i do.

I'm a php programmer and i write my code using Ubuntu. (That's reason why i don't have Windows on my computer with is important for thing what i make).

I have problems with connecting with "gnomad2", after some reading i found this problem caused by old firmware (1.x) with is not fully compatible.


I don't have Windows, so i think "it will run on Virtual Box with Windows XP".

I was stupid and don't connect zen to usb as "filter" but connect using right click from status bar.

I run update "ZenXtraP4SAudible_PCFW_LB_2_10_03". Zen was connected successfully and start copy new firmware. Then zen "restart" itself. I was trying to reconnect it with right click on VBox usb list, but without result. Updater firmware application "crash".

AI was pretty sure that nothing bad happend because i don't interrupt flash progress itself. So i start flashing again.
Boom, application says "Your player not connect".

Basically now zen after power on:
Stuck in "rescue boot".

I read everything what i found on internet about this problem.
I'm trying:

XP (without any service packs)
XP SP1
XP SP2
XP SP3

( do all of them using virtualbox)


Today i follow this instruction:

Originally Posted by moonman

Hey guys, thanks for all the tips. I finally restored firmware using windows xp sp2 + WMP10 using virtualbox.
If somebody is interested, here's the complete VM for virtualbox (right click on the link -> Save As): winxpsp2wmp10.ova (886MB)



Make sure that you add your ZEN into the USB devices under Settings -> USB and reconnect it for the VM to recognise it. Cheers!

I've tried other ways as well. For example dd <source> <dest> under Linux works well as well, but only if the new hdd is the same capacity. Otherwise the reported capacity will be the same as of the old hdd.

But still without any success.

After plugging zen to USB i got nice information about MTP device plugged in, would you like sync with windows media player, i hit cancel.

Start firmware updater tool, and put mouse over "English".

I got docking screen on creative, but i'm able using scroll down select "Reload OS". And when display "You can flash" i hit "English".

Always i got "Your player not connected".
I repeat that clicking almost 30 times, faster, slower... without any results always same result.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
I'm loosing my mind.
What's im doing wrong, could anyone help me ?

I don't know am i understand correctly but "Reload OS" should put firmware from HDD to ROM.
If this is right, maybe we could copy "firmware" partition using linux tool DD from working device ?
(of course if dd is able to recognize partition and we will be possible to select it via number /dev/sdX where x our firmware partition ) i don't see possibility to send 30GB full DD image over internet.

But maybe, if someone could filled his hard drive with zeros, then install firmware, then dump using dd we are be able to compress it by many many many times.


The last thinking about DD, is my open idea ( i'm not sure is this possible because i don't remove HDD yet)

I'm still thinking that we could fix it, because some of You, have success.

If any idea, please share.

I like it... nice massive size... looks good for me, hdd spin sound when play music mmm brilliant ;-)

Regards