FnR means flatten and rebuild, which is referring to the operating system (OS). This is a common acronym used in Ops [since they do it so damned often] to describe formatting [and perhaps partitioning] a computer then reinstalling a 'clean' OS. In layman's terms, this drains the evil and let's you start over.

But the Zune software is heavily tied to your music/video/picture libraries, especially if you have downloaded or subscription content with those nasty little DRM licenses attached. So here's a question I often see on our internal Zune discussion list:

How do I maintain my Zune library if I need to rebuild or reinstall my operating system (i.e.: Windows XP or Vista)?

There is actually a method for doing this built right in to the Zune software. Go to Marketplace...Downloads...[Purchased or Subscription]...[Songs or Videos] and select "restore all". But if you have hundreds or thousands of songs downloaded [as I do] it will take quite a bit of time to download them all again. Add that to the time it takes to sync 30+ GB and you've got yourself a full day ahead. Go get some coffee.

For the typical computer enthusiast (aka: geek) it's quite simple to avoid that step. I've done it a handful of times over the past year and only encountered a few minor glitches. I recently went through the process again and took notes, so here ya go. It looks long, but it's simple really.

Before uninstalling Zune software (or flattening your OS):

1. Backup (copy) all of the following directories:
   1. From:
      1. C:\Users\YourName\Music\Zune [includes Playlists, Podcasts, Received Pictures, Subscription and Videos]
      2. C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\
      3. Note: These are the default locations for your "Documents" path assigned automatically by Windows Vista. They will be slightly different for Windows XP or if you have changed the location of your "My Documents" folders.
   2. To:  A folder on another (logical or physical) drive that won't be affected by whatever you're doing (e.g.: don't just copy them to another folder on a drive you're about to format...tsk, tsk, tsk).

Now feel free to do what you gotta do. Uninstall, format, partition, pray to the Vista gods, yada-yada-yada.

After installing new Zune software (or installing your new OS):

1. Update Monitored folders:
   1. If you want to leave the default settings, then you need to copy the backups you made earlier to C:\Users\YourName\Music\Zune (again, this is Vista's default location for your "Documents" which will be different for Windows XP*).
   2. If you want your files/folders in a non-default location [my preferred config] then you need to tell the Zune software where to look:
      1. Go to Settings...Collection...Monitored folders.
      2. For each category [Music, Video, Pictures & Podcast] select “Add Folder”.
      3. Browse to the folders where the respective content is located (e.g.: D:\Users\Tod\Music\Zune).
      4. I then remove the default folders so I don't get any 'extra' crap being synchronized.
2. Plug in your Zune.  It should be automatically detected and take you to the settings screens:
   1. Note: These steps assume your linking the Zune to this computer as it's primary (aka: home PC), not a guest.
   2. Linking screen - Select “Link your Zune to this computer….”
   3. Name your Zune screen – If you previously named your Zune then just leave it alone and select “Next”.  If you want to rename your Zune, then do it here.
   4. Sync Options screen – Make the choices that make sense to you.
   5. Select Finish and your Zune will start syncing.
3. If you have downloaded or subscription content then you will need to login in order to authorize the DRM stuff during sync.

That should be about it. Normally I don't have to do anything special, but this last time a few videos I purchased [my 4 year-old daughter loves Foo Fighters vids ] wouldn't synchronize, so here's what to do.

DRM'ed content won't sync:

1. In the Zune software, go to Marketplace...Downloads...[Purchased or Subscription]...[Songs or Videos].
2. It will start retrieving your download history, which might take awhile if you have a butt-load of songs. I have a few thousand songs via the Subscription and in 2-3 minutes it only downloaded 10%.
3. Select "restore all".

Unfortunately, that didn't work for my purchased videos, so I had to delete them from my PC first.

1. In the Zune software, go to Collection...[Music or Videos].
2. Select the content that refuses to sync or reauthorize.
3. Right-click...Delete.
4. Select "Delete file(s) and remove from collection".
   1. Note: If you select the default option to "Keep file(s) but remove from collection" you'll end up with 2 files on your PC.
5. Then go back to the "restore all" steps above and try again.

Note that this method would also work if you just want to move your Zune collection to a new PC. Depending on your internet pipe, it should be faster to copy/paste your content files from PC to PC then to re-download them through the Zune software. Once you run Zune, add the files to your collection and sign in it will authorize all of your DRM'ed stuff.

You should be golden now. Happy listening!

~tod

* Windows XP default location is C:\Documents and Settings\[YourUserName]\My Documents\My Music\Zune\

If not bigger, than at least more is better. I'm referring to computer monitors by the way.

A recent study at the University of Utah found that "people using the 24-inch screen completed the tasks 52% faster than people who used the [single] 18-inch monitor; people who used the two 20-inch monitors were 44% faster than those with the [single] 18-inch ones." (emphasis mine)

Wow. If you were a manager wouldn't you want to help your employees become 44% faster? Do I hear a resounding, nay, deafening YES?

Personally, I have been using 2 monitors at work for the past 3-4 years and I feel like it made a significant improvement in my productivity. I usually have at least 5-8 applications open at any given time and am actively switching back and forth between 2 or 3 of them. I could be writing code in Visual Studio on one screen with a browser open on the other for research. Or I could be writing a document in Word and referring to email in Outlook and an internal web site in the browser. No matter what the configuration, having 2 monitors is so much easier.

Any person or company that doesn't realize the benefit of bigger and/or multiple monitors is being penny wise, pound foolish.

~tod

In 2004, President Bush pledged that all Americans should have affordable access to high-speed Internet service by 2007. A report to be released Thursday by the administration says it has succeeded — mostly.

Bush promises broadband and delivers [drum roll please]...diddly. 

If this article is accurate about the report's findings, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has their collective heads up their collective asses for issuing said report.

They say:

The NTIA report drew its conclusion using data from the Federal Communications Commission and other sources. The FCC reported that more than 99 percent of all U.S. ZIP codes received broadband service from at least one provider by the end of 2006.

With the applied definition of broadband:

The FCC defined it as 200 kilobits per second.

Whoa! That isn't even 4 times as fast as the standard 56k dial-up modem. For comparison's sake, Verizon's bottom-of-the-barrel DSL package provides a 768k connection. I suggest the FCC consider the marketplace when defining their terms. Come on guys, check out Economics 101 at your local community college for an exercise in fair market valuation.

So, in a nutshell, the NTIA has issued a report stating that Bush's broadband pledge is a success based on a measurement with limited value [only 1 provider per zip code] that uses invalid definitions [200kbps = broadband]. Nicely done! Um, not.

Yes, there has been significant progress in broadband availability, but to claim 99% penetration in the whole of the United States is ludicrous. Suffice it to say that I have two sets of parents living in 2 different states and neither of them have access to affordable broadband internet access that delivers comparable service to mine (3,000kbps). Ludicrous.

~tod

Clever. Dare I say, almost as funny as the Get a Mac ads.

• Home Sweet Server? (video) - "You don't strike me as somebody that's very, uh, smart."
• Clash of the Generations (video) - "Kids should lose files. It teaches them a lesson. Life is hard and cruel."
• Dueling Experts (video) - "Everyone gets a cup."
• Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House? (book) - "Offices are why big people get grumpy, and say bad words."

Now if only some of the other Microsoft product groups will follow suit with entertaining, non-insulting [dinosaurs anyone?] advertising!

~tod

PS: The product itself, Windows Home Server, is also getting rave reviews.

A quick update to my previous post. My opinion was given as that of a consumer with no window into the Microsoft/Zune world.

Here's the timeline of events (from the outside looking in):

• 11.13.2007 - Zune released version 2
• 11.19.2007 - This thread started in the Zune forums
• 11.26.2007 - I posted the work-around that was hinted at in the forum thread and worked for me. This was scooped by Zune-Online and Engadget.
• 12.14.2007 - Zune Insider acknowledges the issue.
• 12.18.2007 - Zune releases a fix.

Zune users [vocal ones I might add] waited 4-1/2 weeks to receive official confirmation that there was a known bug and the Zune team was actively working on it. The update/fix was released a mere 4 days later. As an internet-savvy consumer that experienced this problem I was really irritated with the lack of public accountability during those first 4-1/2 weeks, as were many others.

Now for the flip side....

I consider myself pretty damn lucky that I work inside Microsoft and sometimes have access to information/processes that others don't. That was the case this time. I know for a fact that the Zune team was working their asses off on a fix for us [the consumers] while we were bitching and moaning. And they did it. Found the problem, debug, fix, test and released...all since November 13th. Look at the timeline above, that's 22 work days! That's a great accomplishment and kudos to the team for doing so!

It's obvious the team is passionate and talented. Now they just need to work on their transparency and public relations.

~tod