i don't even have the energy to explain this whole thing. essentially i built a new pc, tried to reinstall zune software, didn't work and have been in *censored* on earth ever since. i can't tell you how many things i've done to try to fix this problem to no avail. if any of you out there are experiencing this same problem or have in the past and have any helpful suggestions i would love to hear them. sad thing is i probably already have over at answers.microsoft.com and tried each one 20 times and none fixed the problem. seriously. if there is any budding computer enthusiasts out there who are looking to hone their skills, particularly in the windows fields, then this is your white whale.