Installing Zune software on Windows Server 2003 SP2 (x86)

committed to database on February 22, 2008 at 4:18 pm Eastern Standard Time 13 comments digg this

Update (March 27): Guide link repaired. 

Zune logoShortly after announcing my boredom, via Windows Live Messenger’s personal status message feature, I received an interesting request from Ryan Hoffman. He wanted to get the Zune software installed on Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

After some research and digging around, I successfully installed and used the software on a virtualized production server. I put together an installation guide and threw it into the hacks section for those interested in repeating my success.

Anyone want to send me a Zune to conduct more testing?

  1. Ryan Hoffman February 23, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    Thanks!

  2. AlphaAlien February 25, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    wait, I thought all the zunes were in secret land fills in nevada by now

  3. Bryant March 2, 2008 at 10:16 am

    Mine hasn’t gone to a landfill. I don’t plan on sending it there either; it rocks :P

  4. Lloyd March 27, 2008 at 10:13 am

    I don’t see the install guide anywhere, tried all links I found on these pages….nada. Am I missing something?

  5. Bryan March 27, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    The link for this seems to be circular? I cannot find the hack anywhere on this site either.

  6. Rafael March 27, 2008 at 2:09 pm

    Sorry, I screwed up. I fixed the link in the article.

  7. Matias Nino March 30, 2008 at 10:06 pm

    Nice job.

    Now if you can get the Windows Live software (specifically Windows Live Gallery) to work on Server 2003/2008, you will be officially made a deity. :)

    Cheers.

  8. Matias Nino March 31, 2008 at 3:18 pm

    Well, looks like I figured out how to get Windows Live running on Server 2003/2008/XP64.
    1) Download your Windows Live software of choice onto a legal computer (XP, etc)
    2) Go into explorer and remove the option to hide protected operating system files
    3) browse to C:\Program Files\Common Files\WindowsLiveInstaller\MsiSources
    4) copy the MSI files to the 2003/2008/xp64 computer and run them.
    5) Presto!

  9. Rafael March 31, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    Can I still be made a deity?

  10. Mike May 13, 2008 at 10:33 pm

    I have Server 2003 x64 bit so veryfew of the links for this don’t install and I can’t find anything else but this. Can you do some for us with the 64 bit version?

  11. Derek July 3, 2008 at 6:52 pm

    For those who are interested, I put together a guide (with the help of this site) on getting wireless sync working with Windows Server 2003.

    http://derek.theblog.ca/zune-wireless-sync-in-windows-server-2003

  12. Rob November 21, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    Anyone install this and get wireless sync to work? I followed the instructions and had a successful install. I also found that the upnp and ssdpsrv services were non existant. UPNP is a dependant service of the zune services. So I found some guies that explained how to install these services on 2003. The services have been installed and are able to start but I still can’t connect over wifi for syncing. That was the whole point of having this on the server. If anyone has goten this to work I would love to hear from you.

    Thanks,

    Rob

  13. Rob November 21, 2008 at 5:46 pm

    Guess I should have read the last post huh? Sorry, Long day.

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