Microsoft managed to fix the bug reported by the users of its 30 Giga Byte Zune MP3 player.

Earlier this week, Zune users began asking on blogs and support forums about the glitch that locked up their devices. The problem was identified by Microsoft in the player’s internal clock, which failed to switch from the past leap year to 2009, which is not a leap year.

A support bulletin was released, instructing the users to unplug the device from its power source and wait for the battery to be fully drained. Once this phase was completed, users were advised to power up their Zunes, only after 7 a.m. Eastern time New Year’s Day Thursday.

"No other action is required," and "You can go back to using your Zune!" concluded Microsoft. 

Still, the company mentioned that Zune owners with copyright-protected songs saved on their devices might have to resync their devices with their PCs once the reboot is complete in order to restore DRM files that allow the songs to be played.

Before the company released its solution, some users posted on the Web their own thoughts on how to resolve the issue, such as opening the device and removing the battery to force it to reset. Microsoft noted that this is a bad idea and that it does not recommend users to open the devices by themselves. Also, users should know that such a move will immediately ruin the warranty on thei devices.

Microsoft should make sure that these incidents won’t happen in the future, as it needs to cover every single aspect in order to compete with Apple’s iPod.