How to use a Microsoft Zune as a Hard drive from Windows XP
December 14, 2006
aka How to copy music files onto your Zune.
We might be giving out Zunes at work as a reward for a fitness program. I didn’t want to lose this information. The original place that posted it is gone. It would be a shame to have a 30 Zune and not be able to use it to transfer files. Luckily a simple change in how Windows sees the Zune can take care of this problem.
In short, find the list of all USB devices you’ve attached to your computer. Under the unique ID for your Zune, you’lk find the PortableDeviceNameSpace Key. Under that key change the EnableLegacySupport=1 and PortableDeviceNameSpaceExcludeFromShell to 0.
Step by step:
- Plug your Zune into your computer.
- Close all the Zune software
- Run RegEdit32 from the Start>Run field
- When RegEdit comes up, click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Hit Ctrl-F and enter PortableDeviceNameSpace as what you want to search for and hit OK.
- When it finds what you are looking for you should be in the tree HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\ControlSet001\Enum\USB\Vid_[A BUNCH OF JUNK]\PortableDeviceNameSpace If you are not in the right place, you can browse around and see if you can find it manually.
- Double click on “EnableLegacySupport” and enter 1 for the value and click OK.
- Double click on “PortableDeviceNameSpaceExcludeFromShell” and enter 0 for the value and click OK.
- Double click on “ShowInShell” and enter 0 for the value and click OK.
- Close RegEdit
That’s it. The Zune should be listed under My computer and you can drag and drop items right to it.
Cheers!
Comments
5 Responses to “How to use a Microsoft Zune as a Hard drive from Windows XP”
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mira mi prolemas es que cuando yo me meto en regedit.____-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ sistema \ ControlSet001 \ Enum \ USB \ Vid_ no me aparese esta carpeta que tu me dices (PortableDeviceNameSpace) y quisiera que me ayudaras con esta duda
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ya know, when I first got my Zune I thought it was the greatest, until I had you use the software to sync it. I hope this works.
Please help me!!
I did everything and all seemed to be ok because the Zune was listed under My computer…but if I erase my photos from my pictures they will also erase from the zune software and from the device. That’s not suppose to happen!!!
Well I don’t have a zune but there must be some setting about syncing it with the desktop. turn that off and you should be OK.
When i access the zune,i cannot copy files from zune on pc.please help!!!