The Creative Zen V Plus 2GB still holds up as one of the best personal media devices out there. Capable of video, audio, voice recording and FM playback, the Zen V Plus can play most any file type and its integrated flash memory and low price give it an edge over the competition. You know all this and you're sure you've made a sound decision. So why won't the darn thing charge?

Creative Zen V Plus Home Charger Issues Explained

There's one term to describe Creative Zen V Plus when it won't charge, and that term is "Brick." After all, what can you do with an MP3 player that doesn't work except hurl it through a window? So why do Creative Zen V Plus media devices, which seem so accommodating in file type and interface, seem to have trouble when it comes to charging? Don't go building your paperclip and rubber band slingshot just yet; here are some common reasons why the Creative Zen V Plus will not charge on a home charger and some solutions which may solve all your problems. Firmware Recognition:This is the most common reason why a home charger will not work on Creative Zen V Plus 2 GB players. The 2GB players were some of the first released on June 20, 2006. They came with software and design that won the CNET editor's choice award for 2006. While the software design was revolutionary, the charging system was not automatic, and designed to work only when the software recognized a computer interface. Solution: If your home charger is not charging your Zen V Plus, chances are you need a firmware update. This firmware update is available at support.creative.com free of charge. Device corruption: If your device isn't charging at all, the problem may be the firmware on your device is altogether corrupt. In these cases, loss of charge is usually pre-empted by errors or automatic resets during play just before the power cuts out. This is bad news, but actually has a very convenient solution. Solution: Creative offers an MP3 player recovery tool which makes locating and resolving issues fast, easy and free. This program scans the hardware when plugged into the computer and in many cases, will resolve the issue automatically. Communication Breakdown:As we've seen, the Creative Zen V Plus can be touchy has quite an elaborate system interface. This includes the charging software, and many of the "universal" chargers out there will not charge the Zen players. Additionally, the max charge for this device is 5 volts. Any more than that for an extended period of time could result in a fried battery. Solution: Accept no substitutes. Buy Creative-authorized accessories and you can't go wrong. Dead means Dead: If you've had your Zen for ages, it's possible that the battery is dead. Unlike iPods (which are notoriously difficult to disassemble), the Creative Zen V Plus, while far from fool-proof, is relatively easy. Solution: There are kits available at Creative.com and Amazon.com that are reasonably priced and come with detailed instructions on replacement. Point of No Return: Sometimes there is no easy solution. Your Creative Zen may not charge because either your wall charger or your Zen may have a missing or broken pin at the charge interface. If all the above fixes don't work, this is likely the problem. Solution: Buy a new machine. Prices have come down, even on the larger Zen models and the repair cost would be comparable to buying a new unit.

Source:

Creative Support

SeriouslyTrivial.com

CNet.com