[Tutorial] Zune DRM removal

[swooshycueb]

Originally Posted by placebo

my 14days trial (was a great time! comfortable downloadings!!) has expired. since this here is "the zune thread (from A-Z)", does NE1 know if i can use the same credit card for setting up another 14days trial (by choosing a new Windows Live ID)?

let's be clear. RHDY costs US$9.99 and Thumbplay US$9.99 too (per month). Microsoft is really expensive.

Ouch!

You shouldn't need to attach the credit card. But yeah, you can sign up for another Live ID through Zune to get another 14 days. But if you're going to do this a lot, close the accounts when you are done with them please.

[placebo]

entering credit card details is mandatory, it is the last step in signing up for a 14days FREE trial (i.e. the trial zune pass). i logged out from my old account (zune&liveID) and came up with 3 ideas and i went thru all of them:

1) open a new Windows Live ID with a subsequent opening of a new Zune account from within the http webinterface (browser-based process). when i hit the "Submit"-button for the "Zune 14-day Trial Pass -$0.00; Credit-card info is required for age verification. Fields marked * are required." page, it responds with "Error. Please try again soon."

2) open a new Windows Live ID with a subsequent opening of a new Zune account from within the GUI webinterface (zune.exe software-based process). when i hit the "Subscribe"-button, it responds with "THIS CREDIT-CARD INFO ISN'T VALID. PLEASE ENTER THE CORRECT CARD INFO AND TRY AGAIN."

3) i've shut down (closed) my original account (zune&liveID) thinking that by doing so all info i ever entered is erased from the microsoft servers ("reset"). this means my credit card could be used again. so i went thru 1) again, later again thru 2), and also thru 4). no chance. same error messages. cant sign up for another FREE 14days trial (or maybe even any regular subscription?, see 5)), my cc info simply isnt being processed as valid.

4) i've tried to re-create my original account (zune&liveID). LiveID restored (same old email address used), but zune tag was already taken. i am given the option to sign up for trial (exactly as in 1) and or 2)) and when prompted for credit card info, my info (as given) is not accepted. possible reasons for rejection (i guess): 1. it's just today a bad day (improbable), 2. system recognizes used card (very probable), 3. system doesnt accept address details which doesnt fit to cc number (improbable), 4. system recognizes that i am not U.S. citizen (improbable). Other reasons are conceivable but even less probable.

Since i would never pay 15 bucks for MZMP, i was willing to risk it with 3). Now i've lost all: game over!! There are still 2 possibilities left to find out more info on the whole situation:

5) i could try to use my old cc info for signing up for a standard zune pass (14.99$). if i did so, my cc info could be finally accepted (improbable).

6) i could reformat my hdd (format.exe ), install everything anew from scratch, and finally use a totally new credit card to sign up for a FREE trial. It is as if some other natural person (non-U.S. citizen) applied for a trial. chances are high that this leads to a new trial (probable).

7) i wait until i really need MZMP and until the service is offered officially in my home country. NAPS already is. Zune downloads, too. But the flatrate (zune pass) isnt yet (improbable).

[...]

One day, sooner or later, i will try 5), just for the sake of knowing... The point is that MZMP is not essential to my life or happiness and my recommendation still goes to eMusic.

EDIT: since 5) was improbable, i've tried it. i've tried to sign up for regular Zune pass (Zune Pass - 1 Month-$14.99 (plus applicable taxes)) using my good ol' credit card. And? Fail! Tried hard enough. My conclusion is that M$ has changed something in their system so that only U.S. citizen (with a local U.S. ip number) with a credit card issued from a U.S. bank are able to sign up for any Zune subscription. In other words, 6) is improbable.

EDIT2: other users (legit for that matter) seem to have similar problems..
ref1: http://forums.zune.net
ref2: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/zune/
ref3: http://www.zune.net/en-US/support/contactsupport.htm

GAME OVER ZUNE. GAME OVER PLACEBO.

[placebo]

Originally Posted by swooshycueb

OK, I'm going to try to make this easier for people.

which people? who?
i dont have the feeling that ppl are getting interested in zune more than in RHDY (or emusic). my revised instructions (the megaupload link) were downloaded 10 times only and if i had to decide for 1, a single, subscription service (trial + subsequent regular) i would vote for RHDY because you have 4 pricing options (4.99$, 9.99$, 12.99$, and 14.99$) and a really huge database of albums.

Looking forward to your new package of instructions .. but the main obstacle is getting a valid zune pass (trial or subscription). People from Denmark, Russia, France, Greece and Canada/UK/Australia follow "our thread". They're busted without a zune pass.

[placebo]

Originally Posted by placebo

1) ..., it responds with "Error. Please try again soon."

google is full with users complaining about this error message and not getting thru. hard to tell if those users are U.S. citizens currently residing on U.S. ground and use correct (and matching) U.S. address details and their credit card is issued by a U.S. bank
i've called the cc company to check the card balance: interesting to note, my non-U.S. cc was pseudo-charged $1.00 for each time i had hit the "Submit" ("Subscribe") button, so there are 10-15 lines (rows/entries) in my monthly cc invoice saying "charged by Microsoft"

15bucks for nothing. thanks Microsoft!
( no doubt i could call them to refund the 15x 1bucks but they wont be pleased to know that ..etc.. )

[Griff1324]

Swooshycueb,

The Zune software will no longer let me log in due to the fact that there is an update to the Zune software that is required. Any chance of updating this tutorial to use the latest version of the Zune software? Keep up the great work!

[swooshycueb]

Originally Posted by Griff1324

Swooshycueb,

The Zune software will no longer let me log in due to the fact that there is an update to the Zune software that is required. Any chance of updating this tutorial to use the latest version of the Zune software? Keep up the great work!

Are you using the tutorial in the fourth post in this thread? I can't edit the first post.

EDIT: I just saw that MS did push out an update this month. Let me do some research, and I'll post the updated tutorial.

EDIT2: I also see multiple sources telling me different things. What is the file version of ZuneWmdu.dll? Of Zune.exe? Are you running this in a VM?

EIDT3: If you DID follow the tutorial in the fourth post, download this, extract, and run ZuneWmdu-x86.msi. Did this fix the problem?

[Griff1324]

Swooshycueb,

I actually got this to work last evening after posting here. I extracted the new Zune installer from the MS Zune website. I then ran zune-x86.msi first and then zunewmdu-x86.msi. I was able to then sign-in and all is working well.

After reading your post, I am not sure if running zune-x86.msi was need or not.

[placebo]

i am back on zune too. new albums are encoded with Windows Media v12.0 (encoder/codec) but no problem

i setup a new account (Windows Live) with RL-name and new e-mail address and new foreign credit card. faking location (ip) and address and phone details wasnt a problem, i got accepted. 14days FREE trial. when the trial ends, i will pay the US$14.95 (per month), again no prob. maybe then, another time(?!), they wont let me pay the monthly fee, we'll see.

[r122513]

Nice discovers, I'll try to play with this tools, I've spent too much money on M$ and sometimes the albums are not available anymore and i can't play them.

[placebo]

Originally Posted by placebo

when the trial ends, i will pay the US$14.95 (per month), again no prob. maybe then, another time(?!), they wont let me pay the monthly fee, we'll see.

my trial has ended, and i was able to renew my zune pass (choice given: 1month pass, 3months pass, 1year pass) without any problems. i didnt have to re-enter my credit card info. with a few clicks my zune pass was renewed and i got charged US$14.95

so this is to confirm that people from outside the U.S. (with a credit card issued from a non-US bank, e.g. a bank from Zurich Switzerland ) are able to subscribe to MZMP (microsoft zune marketplace) and download zune.

i dont have a zune mp3 player. not even that!