Zune Boot Device

whyt3boi · 10-28-2011, 04:46 AM

My Zune just seems like it's bricked.

I have researched the issue before but didn't pay much attention to fixing it. I'm having the issue with not being able to put a lot of songs on it or else I get an error or whatever.

That is not my main concern. The zune is responsive and works just fine unless I do the above.

I do understand there is a modification you can use to make the zune appear as a logical drive on the PC which allows you to store files and such. But my main objective is to make this go even further.

I want to use my Zune as a boot device for the PC. Meaning it reads just like any other logical drive you use on a PC. I want to try and format the drive using an NTFS system.

Going deeper into details. What I want to do is basically use the Zune as an Operating System Storage Unit for OS ISO Multiboot Images.

If your not familiar with this it's basically using a USB device. And installing Windows, Linux, Ubuntu, Mac ... What ever you choose as an ISO Format onto a USB Device and being able to Boot from the device in the Computer Post Boot window and finding the device to choose an operating system to install.

Now there are programs which will allow you to format a pen drive or any memory card storage device to allow ISO Images to be installed and change the device to a boot device.

Now my question is. Is there any programs or any current modifications out there that will allow you to format the Zune in such a way so it reads as an NTFS Formatted Drive by your PC since it is using a USB Connection ?

Charge · 10-28-2011, 07:20 AM

Not at the moment, no. Sadly, the firmware is locked down so much reverting it to a normal drive is quite hard. You could buy another ZIF 2.4inch drive, load your image onto the drive, then insert it into the Zune, but you still couldn't use the Zune, it would just be a case (you would have to remove all other components, when powering on, if the bootloader is not on the hard drive, it automatically turns off). In other words, this seems very unlikely to achieve I'm afraid.

It used to work, and that's what you have heard, but that was back in 2.x days, over 2 years ago. It's very hard to find the pre-existing Zune Software and Firmware for this to work, not including the actual hack.

Sorry about this, but it's not really possible.

boohbah11 · 10-28-2011, 03:55 PM

that would be so cool if you could make an app like that on the zhd, but it would probably just take up way too much space(let alone actually programming it)