The Microsoft Zune team has officially become “region control” extremists. First, they locked down the Zune Originals site with geographic IP blocking so you couldn’t even fantasize about the cool and stylish new Zunes if you didn’t live in the United States. If that wasn’t enough, they’re also blocking enthusiasts from populating their Zune Card with play lists. Now comes a third restriction which hides the Zune Marketplace in the latest version (2.5) of the Zune software.
If you installed version 2.5 of the Zune Software and you don’t live in the United States, this is what you see. There is no “Marketplace” button in the menu bar.
After some digging around, I’ve found a quick and dirty, but effective, workaround anyone can use to restore the Marketplace back in the Zune software, until at least the Zune team realize there are people outside of the North American continent who share a passion for music too.
To apply the workaround, find the “Regional and Language Options” settings in your Control Panel. Vista user can get to this by searching for “regional” in the Start menu. Under the “Locations” tab, select “United States” as the country. Apply generously.
If you now launch the Zune software, you should be in business.
As far as I know there’s little or no side-effects to this workaround because the “Locations” setting is not widely utilized. At most you’re losing a bit of national pride. Perhaps one day you won’t have to lie about your nationality to discover some music on Zune.
Comments for "Workaround to enable Zune Marketplace in Zune software v2.5 for non-US users"
Fabio
I love my Zune 30, but these regional restrictions are stupid (i live in Brazil).
Pharod
This is worrisome, because at least, if you didn’t have a credit card from the US then you couldn’t buy, but at least you could get the free songs and podcasts. How does it fit anyone’s mind to ban users from getting their favorite podcasts… Amazing… not.
I’m getting tired of all these restrictions. I bought a Zune from the US Amazon store. I don’t live in the US (I live in Venezuela), but I should be able to get my FREE podcasts.
sibbl
It’s easier to use firefox and change the location only in its settings
Fabio
Install a crappy browser just for this? No, thanks.
Patrick Jakubowski
This isn’t really the Zune team’s fault, Long. The issue has more to do with licensing agreements between Microsoft and the record labels. These labels are very controlling about how their music gets distributed around the world and it normally takes a long time to get the right structures in place. Don’t be so hard on the Zune guys.
Fabio
But Patrick, the Zune guys are blocking even the play counts for those who aren’t US residents.
tino
I think this has something to do with the new TV content and licensing.
JamieT
This fix sorts out the plays not uploading problem as well. See here: http://jamiethomson.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!550F681DAD532637!3149.ent ry
Pharod, why can you not get podcasts? I live in the UK and it works fine.
wetlegs6
Damn, I really want to use the Zune social but im in the UK and it keeps telling me to naff off.
It’s stupid, I have an Xbox Live account so I have a Zune account automatically with all my friends, but I cant sign in to it?!
The whole regional thing is ridiculous, the one part of the Zune experience I hate.
AW
WELCOME TO THE SOCIAL*
*social available only in United States of America.
fiji
It’s pretty frustrating that the Zune is USA exclusive. Even though I live in Canada and the Zune is coming here soon. I can see how annoying it is for other countries to have nobody (Microsoft) assuring them that the Zune is coming wherever.
Pharod
JaimeT,
I meant that if i don’t change the region, I suppose that I wouldn’t be able to get podcasts because the marketplace link wouldn’t be there (haven’t tried it yet). Of course, I can, but not everybody is not as resourceful as us.
peacho
Aw: I love that.
And Long, that’s a good song ya got playing.
gary
how do i get rid of marketplace? i’ll never use it.
Drvec
Ok, this works, but when it comes to actually buying something you need a credit card. The credit card form only allows the country as US, so if you submit it won’t you end up getting a fraud call from the bank or something??
mj
that’s why people wanna go to america
Mel
To buy things from the marketplace, you need Microsoft points. There’s sites on the internet that sell them (e.g. Xbox live points). To buy from the marketplace you need to make sure they’re US MS points though as I don’t think MS points for your Xbox in your country will work (the marketplace will recognise it’s not the right region).
Adrian Godong
gary: just rename the ZuneMarketplace.dll to something else.
Mel: I’m using Singapore XBOX Live Points, and it worked.
Imran
Its crap that i cannot buy Zune here from UAE, its truly crap while Ipods are available in truck loads
marijan
sice dec 07 I have a zune 30 - and I’m living in austia. with my austrian credit card (I typed the adress from an friend in the us and I can purchase MS points for songs, etc) I buy microsoft points music, music videos AND tv shows
this little hint is necessary if you want to sync your zune with your computer. I had some issues, but I solved them by changing my area.
To sum up: never had problems with regional restrictions here in austria.
Ignacio
Something weird happened to my zune account after the 2.5 update.I live in Uruguay and zune card never worked for me
http://social.zune.net/member/Not+falling5
marijan
I can see your zunecard…
http://1985bestyear.19.funpic.de/Zune.net%20-%20Profile%20-%20Not%20fa lling5_1210196844643.png
Drvec
@Ignacio: after the 2.5 update, I got a message asking to accept the new terms and aggreements. Until I did this, it wouldn’t log me in. The annoying thing is that everytime I have to log in to the web I need to use a proxy server to get past the regional restriction.
I now have the problem that I can’t install the 2.5 update onto my Windows Home Server. If I could find a redistribution then I know how, but otherwise I get the message ‘operating system not supported’. I’m wondering if I can change something in the registry to make it think it’s xp, not whs.
@Mel and Marijan: Thanks for the ideas on buying MS points, I’ll give them a try.
Joeszune74
What The Hell is going On?
I also live in Venezuela, a friend of mine did me a huge favor (that´s what I thought, now I don´t) and bought me my Zune 80Gb in New York only 2 months ago! When she went there on a trip.
Everything was going fine until 2 days ago when I upgraded my software to the 2.5 version and now I can´t access to the marketplace!!!! I loved my Podcasts, there were my windows to the world & now just because I don´t live in the US I can´t download them!!! THIS SUCKS. I PAID 270 BUCKS FOR MY ZUNE,JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE I SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS EVERY OTHER CONSUMER!!!!
alex
dude, chill out. close the zune software. go to start->control panel->regional and language settings (or something similar). change the location from Venazuela to United States. Open the zune software and the marketplace tab should be there. it worked for me (from the United Kingdom).
hope this helps.
me
worked for me too - allthough I’m from austria
I’m buying TV shows, music, etc with me MS points, never tried the zunepass, because I don’t own the music and because I cannot burn the songs.
that’s why I pay only 50 euro cents for one song; and that’s cheap. in the itunes store one song costs 99 euro cents…
ms points rock, because the dollar is weak and the euro is strong
alex
lol kl. shouldnt matter where you are, as long as the software THINKS your’e in the US.
Ignacio
my zune card is working!!!II can use all zune social features and im not in the US!
Pharod
@Joeszune74
Do what Long said in his post and everything will be fine. I can attest for that.
Joeszune74
Thanks for the advice, I did as you said and I’m Okey now, Marketplace is up and running.
I apologize for my initial reaction.
Joeszune74…..
Hope to keep on receiving e mails from my new zune community.
alex
yh the zune social features and tab arent affected by the update but the marketplace and the marketplace tab wont appear or be usable.
kupac
Simply outreageus.
I thught I was making the right decision over an ipod. Not sure anymore.
Tom
Right, so I’ve got MarketPlace going, but to register I had to make a new Windows Live ID, when I got as far as creating a “ZuneTag” (How original) I discovered that the tag I wanted had been taken, by none other than myself, I haven’t registered my true Windows Live ID to the Zune Social but apparently, my Xbox Live Gamertag seems to be auto-tied to it, so has my friends.
To test this, go to http://social.zune.net/member/PhenomenonTom (which is my Xbox Live Gamertag), then replace the PhenomenonTom bit with a gamertag from xbox live you know is not tied with Zune, if you look at mine, it is obvious that I live in the UK, as I said, I tried this with my other British friend’s GamerTags and it works. So it looks like either Microsoft auto-linked everyone over to the Social or perhaps the Zune is about to land not only in Canada, but in tke UK and perhaps elsewhere…
John
Just upgraded to ver 2.5 and now when I sign in it says I need to accept the new Terms of Service, but when I click to accept them I just get a page saying “Not available in your region”(UK).
Is tere anything I can do to get a workaround? btw I have changed all my regional settings to US and can see the marketplace link in the software, just can’t sign in.
alex
You shoud be able to. You say you have changed your settings to the U.S, which means you should be able to sign in (you may want to just double-check those settings). If that doesn’t work then you could try to make another zune social account and using that one in the zune software.
Drvec
@John, You can try a proxy server to get past the regional block - or otherwise ask someone you know in the US to login to your account and accept the terms of service. It’s not as simple as others are saying - I know because I had this same issue myself.
It worked out for me that one particular company machine let me in, I don’t know why, perhaps the companies network was based on a US server of some sort. I tried for a while with proxies when originally trying to make a login and had some success, but this can takes ages to get past because of the SSL (https encrypted).
Overall, I’d recommmend emailing a friend in the US to help you, it’s only a one off because the TOS was updated to account for the video store.
Wankerboy
Hello i live in Denmark and i just got a Zune 80gb from United States. I tryed to change my computer to United States, but that option isent there. I can only choose USA… Please help me fast
i just got it two days ago and i hunger for music 
Mauron
Hello,
I bougth a 30 Gb zune, I am in Spain and I can’t register in the web. I tried to use a USA proxy address and changed the location to US. Anybody can help me to register my account in zune.net.
Thanks in advace.
Jeremy
hi, I’m trying to log in but the link it gives me for the terms of service i need to accept is bogus. it links to set up a new account. do i have to set up a new account or something weird like that?
levi
well can you still purchase music i let say canada?cuz if you cant i might just go back to pyrating music the free way
Vito Raliffe
I am having the same problem as Jeremy.
Every time I try to sign in to my Zune account, it says I must accept the new terms of service, but the link takes me to the page to create a new account. This is getting really annoying.
MikE
I have had my zune over a year in canada (imported it from the usa) and I managed to get into the zune account (marketplace and social) before they blocked it in canada (the Canadian zune release was this year) but since the release I cant buy music. I also can not create a new zune account for my friends due to region blocking.
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