Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft's 30GB Zune digital music player experienced a "leap year bug" that caused the device to freeze and become unusable, prompting the company to post a fix on the Zune website that suggests users let the battery drain completely before rebooting the device.

While Microsoft was looking into the problem, some Zune users found that opening the device and disconnecting the battery fixed the problem -- although the act of opening the device also voids its warranty.

"This is a bad idea and we do not recommend opening your Zune by yourself," the company wrote on the Zune site under the heading, "What if I took advice from the forums and reset my Zune by disconnecting the battery?"

Related Links:
http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/12/30gb-zunes-kill.html

http://www.zune.net/en-us/support/zune30.htm