The glitch that froze many older Zune music players should now have been cleared, says Microsoft.

Many owners of 30GB Zune players found that the gadget froze up on the last day of 2008, thanks to a problem with software on the device. Microsoft advised that the players should function properly once fully charged and switched on again on 1 January.

However, some Zune owners were still reporting lingering problems with their portable player.

Disgruntled owners filled Microsoft’s support forums with complaints on 31 December, searching for a solution to the problem with their player. The glitch revolves around the fact that 2008 was a leap year and had an extra day for which software on the Zune was not prepared.

By charging the device and turning it on 1 January owners should be able to get the gadget back to normal, said Microsoft spokesman Brian Eskridge.

The glitch only hit 30GB Zune players which were the first model to be released in mid-November, 2006. Later models are unaffected.

If you are still experiencing problems, it’s recommended that you let the player fully charge before turning it on.