Zune Shows Up As Guest When Connected
Zune Shows Up As Guest When Connected
If you’ve connected your Zune to another computer, you might have seen this message:
Relocating?
This Zune already has a home on another PC.
* Connect this Zune as guest
* Sync with your library on this PC. Remove all the content on your Zune and replace it with the content in this library instead.
You get this screen as the result of a little-known Zune feature, guest sync. What it essentially means is that you can take your Zune device, and sync it with multiple PCs - via guest sync. Went to a friend’s house and he/she has a couple cool songs that you like? You can get copy them onto your Zune with no problem, while keeping your previous content intact, and when you sync back to your original computer, that content will be added to your library.
That’s because while you’re in guest mode, you can add content, manage your library, delete music, etc. And you can guest sync to an unlimited number of PCs - with ripped content, and with songs individually purchased from Zune Marketplace. Subscription content is a little different, though - there’s a two device sync limit on ZMP subscription content.
This is definitely better than iPod’s sync options, which systematically threatens to delete everything when you try and sync it to another computer. It can be synced with other computers, but you have to use software other than iTunes, or use to “Manually Manage Songs” in iTunes.
You can run into some problems with guest sync, though. Let’s say for example that when you first purchased your Zune, you used to sync it to a computer that wasn’t yours, or that no longer works, and that you purchased music from the Zune marketplace on that PC. Even if you managed to save this content on a flash drive or external hard drive, you’ll find out you don’t have the right to play them on your other computer unless you login to Zune with your Marketplace account, and try playing the purchased songs. It will then pull the required licenses. You’re also free to re-download content that you already bought, by selecting “Account Management” from the login icon.
Also, one other thing is that if you plug in your Zune to another computer and use guest sync, then the battery gets charged, but you can no longer listen to the player itself. You can solve this by closing the Zune software, you’ll then be able to use the player while it’s charging. Or you can have the Zune application set to manual start. As long as you don’t launch the application yourself, you will have full functionality on your Zune while the device is charging.
Zune Shows Up As Guest When Connected
Filed Under Zune How-To's, Zune Software |
Tagged With guest sync, Microsoft Zune, zune, Zune Software
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