Battery problem I bought one, exchanged it, and am now having the same problem with the second that I did with the first:How long should it take to charge the battery *the first time*? The manual says a charge should take about five hours. I've had mine plugged into the computer's USB port for eighteen hours now, and it's still showing less than half-charged. Exactly the same thing happened with the first unit I owned. Has anyone else had this problem? Battery problem I bought one, exchanged it, and am now having the same problem with the second that I did with the first:How long should it take to charge the battery *the first time*? ... » Read More Battery problem I bought one, exchanged it, and am now having the same problem with the second that I did with the first:How long should it take to charge the battery *the first time*? The manual says a charge should take about five hours. I've had mine plugged into the computer's USB port for eighteen hours now, and it's still showing less than half-charged. Exactly the same thing happened with the first unit I owned. Has anyone else had this problem? « Show Less
401206
You can get a charger for $9.99 through Creative labs...lol. That's pretty inexpensive.
401207
No need to get a separate adaptor. Many basic USB chargers for cell phones also fit this device. I use my Motorola Razr phone charger to charge this mp3 player. Works just fine.
401208
Buy a regular wall charger. Your zen will not charge as fast when hooked up to your PC. When you use a regular wall charger, you will hae it charged FULL in about 4-5 hours.
263179
I found that mine won't charge at all when connected to my computer at work. It DOES charge on both of my home computers, and I did install the Creative software on those computers. I e-mailed Creative's support to inquire if the software was required on a computer for it to charge the player, but I've heard nothing back from them. Since then, I've bought a second battery (non-OEM Lenmar battery) until I can find a reliable and inexpensive A/C charger (this also means non-OEM since Creative's prices are nuts).
401209
Thas one problem with this mp3 player.It doesnt come with an a/c chjarger. When you charge via the usb cable it takes much longer since very little current is passed through it. Try buying an a/c charger separately. You might find cheap ones at bizrate.com
702527
I checked with my daughter, since I bought it for her laptop and she's the one who installed it. She did not get that message, but did mention that the battery needs to be charged before it will work. I don't imagine it would charge, though, if it's "not detected", but maybe you could leave it on for a while and see. You can probably tell I'm not very "techy". We didn't know until after we bought the battery that the laptop would work perfectly well just plugged in, with the battery uninstalled. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have bought the battery at all. Sorry I can't be more help. I checked with my daughter, since I bought it for her laptop and she's the one who installed it. She did not get that message, but did mention that the battery needs to be charged before it will work. I don't imagine it would charge, though, if it's "not detected", but maybe you could leave it on for a while and see. You can probably tell I'm not very "techy". We didn't know until after we bought the battery that the laptop would work perfectly well just plugged in, with the battery uninstalled. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have bought the battery at all. Sorry... » Read More I checked with my daughter, since I bought it for her laptop and she's the one who installed it. She did not get that message, but did mention that the battery needs to be charged before it will work. I don't imagine it would charge, though, if it's "not detected", but maybe you could leave it on for a while and see. You can probably tell I'm not very "techy". We didn't know until after we bought the battery that the laptop would work perfectly well just plugged in, with the battery uninstalled. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have bought the battery at all. Sorry I can't be more help. « Show Less
508362
Did you charge the battery for the length of time indicated in the instruction manual prior to use? The first time or two I used mine the battery ran down pretty fast. After recharging it, the battery definitely held a charge longer than it did initially. If it continues to not maintain the charge as long as you think it should, I would contact the manufacturer or return it.
97992
I had problems with this not charging - but each time it turned out to be the usb cable that had gotten too loose. I would try a different USB cable and see if that will charge it. We have had ours for a year and the battery life, while not great, is still a good hour or so.
1716169
The charging unit does not appear to charge anymore (it's about a month old and maybe a week or two in use). I will try a third 9v battery to see if we can get it to charge later on today. However moments ago I tested for any voltage and expected to see none; to my surprise the charging unit appears to be allowing 22 - 23 volts through. Does anyone know if this charger is prone to problems? As soon as I locate the batteries that were delivered with this unit I will use them to test on this charger.If anyone has any info please email me at springfieldcomputers A T yahoo D O T com. Thanks The charging unit does not appear to charge anymore (it's about a month old and maybe a week or two in use). I will try a third 9v battery to see if we can get it to charge later on today. However moments ago I tested for any voltage and expected to see none; to my surprise the charging unit appears to be allowing 22 - 23 volts through. Does anyone know if this charger is prone to problems? As soon as I locate the batteries that were delivered with this unit I will use them to test on this charger.If anyone has any info please email me at springfieldcomputers A T yahoo D O T... » Read More The charging unit does not appear to charge anymore (it's about a month old and maybe a week or two in use). I will try a third 9v battery to see if we can get it to charge later on today. However moments ago I tested for any voltage and expected to see none; to my surprise the charging unit appears to be allowing 22 - 23 volts through. Does anyone know if this charger is prone to problems? As soon as I locate the batteries that were delivered with this unit I will use them to test on this charger.If anyone has any info please email me at springfieldcomputers A T yahoo D O T com. Thanks « Show Less
1030247
Did everyone try charging the unit while it is powered off?It seems to make a different to me. I bought three(3) and so far all battery seemed to be decently averaged out around 2.5 hours or so (mainly net surfing and video conferencing) after few months of usage. Power on while charging seems like charges don't hold too well even it shows 100% charged.Try it out...it may make some different.
1680485
It needs to be charged a full 24 hours when you first get it. If you charge it less than that the first time, the charges won't last as long. A battery can have a memory. If you charge it a short time, you will only be able to use it for short times. Be patient and charge it for 24 hours first, after that keep it in the stand and it will stay charged. In my kit there's a bright yellow taped instruction on the box that held the charging base where it says to charge it a full 24 hours before using the first time or the warranty is void.
1987040
I'm not sure what you are asking? Do you mean why can't it charge? Not sure why but I have two batteries for mine and I charge the netbook once a month because I don't use it that much. Did you try calling tech support on it. Sorry I couldn't give you much help.
1328508
I have not had any trouble except changing the battery. As soon as I put the usb port in my computer.I was ready to go.I hope you find the out the issue soon.
838717
You charge it by plugging into your computer. There is no battery to change. Mine lasts a LONG time before needing to charge and it doesn't seem to take very long to get fully charged. So if yours doesn't work after charging a few hours then it is defective.
2218043
Then there is something wrong with it. It should only take a few hours to fully charge. I don't know any other way other than with the charger it comes with. Sorry
1252353
It didn't take that long to charge my new battery. I would think a few hours would be good. Maybe you got a new battery that was bad?? Hope this helps...
1283028
I'm having the same experience as @JustMe. I bought this as replacement for my Toshiba, and initial it seemed to be just fine. But after using the battery for a while it does not hold a charge very well. I charge the battery to it's fullest, but it seems to drain very quickly. Like JustMe said, I almost always have to have the laptop plugged into AC in order to use it for more than 5 minutes. I'd suggest looking for a better replacement battery that will actually hold a charge for more than a few minutes.
511187
Hi, I'm not sure but the battery is the easiest place to start. is it charged with the right charger ? It should take a while to charge the battery (generally a couple of hours) if it charges faster, it probably is the battery. you have to replace rechargeable batteries periodically.
2126785
THE REGULAR CHARGER TAKES A COUPLE OF HOURS AND CAUSED ME A TIME PROBLEM. I ordered a couple of new battery's and a new 30 min. charger and solved my time issue. That way i always have a charged spare plus one on the charger. Works out very well. thanks
1214325
None of these answers look right to me.. From the manual: "It takes at least 24 hours to fully charge the battery". From the quick start guide: "Before you start, charge for 2 hours minimum". Basically: 24 hours for a full charge. If you can't wait to use it, make sure you charge for 2 hours before using it the first time.
1280923
I know this sounds stupid but make sure the battery is inserted properly and that it is in all the way. My charge time has been 10-20 minutes. My original battery charge lasted 6 months.