How to add local Audiobooks on your Zune

[ScotchtapeLoser]

How to Sync locally stored Audiobook files to your Zune.
     MP3 or WMA only
Tested on Windows XP 32bit, Vista 32bit, Vista 64bit, Windows 7 32bit, Windows 7 64bit, Windows Server 2008 32bit, Windows Server 2008 64bit

If you have over 199 files, Overdrive will NOT sync them in the correct order.
This is a caused by overdrive renaming files by Title and then appending Part# at the end of the file name. I have no control over this. I'm looking into a way around this without having to merge all files into one large audio file.

Software needed

1. Download and install the Overdrive software from www.overdrive.com
2. Download and install the Zune Overdrive .Wax Creator v4.1 from http://tiny.cc/ZODWC4

How to Sync
1. Select the folder where the audiobook files are located. Overdrive supports MP3 and WMA files only.

2. Browser your computer for a JPG image file to use as a book cover. If you skip this step, a default image will be used to prevent Overdrive Errors.

3. Type in the book's Author and Title.

4. Create the .WAX file. You will be prompted when this step is complete.

5. Start the transfer to forward your files to the Overdrive Media Transfer Wizard.

Zune Overdrive .Wax Creator 4.1 Interface


Please donate if you can.

How to remove the books from your Zune

Sadly, Overdrive either left out or forgot to create an easy way to remove the audiobooks their official response is

We are sorry for the trouble. Unfortunately, currently there is no way to view the contents of the Zune other than using the Zune software. To delete the titles from your Zune you must use the OverDrive Media Console and follow the steps below:
1. Select any WMA title from your list and click 'Transfer'
2. Once the transfer wizard pops-up select "Advanced Options"
3. After this windows comes up select 'Browse' This should take you to the contents of your Zune.
4. You will be able to either delete the entire folder or select each part one by one. After you have done one of the previously mentioned options 'Right Click' and select 'Delete'
We are sorry for the inconvenience of this long process. We are hopeful that we will be able to fix this problem in the near future. Please let us know if we can provide further assistance or information. Thank you.


I would recommend using the Zune Hard drive hack and change your registry to allow you to see your Zune as a drive and just delete the audiobook files manually.

changelog...

User interface updated

*Sort over 99 files corrected
*List of files with manual sort ability
*No longer renaming files (overdrive still renames files based on book title)
*Default image used if book image is unspecified (prevents overdrive transfer errors)
*Stand alone installer/uninstaller
*Will work on any Overdrive device. Zune, Ipod, USB-stick, Android, etc...
*.complete rewrite of the program for speed and ease of use

[Unicron Social]

Can you edit your post above and describe it and it will stay stickied.

[69john69]

But how do you get them off your Zune. they don't show up in the Overdrive panel.

[OldMan]

This was taken from another thread:

The easiest way to delete books off of your Zune that have multiple parts is to go into your registry and change the values of three keys. This manual HD hack setting is all over the internet for the Zune.

Change

EnableLegacySupport to 1
PortableDeviceNameSpaceExcludeFromShell to 0
ShowInShell to 1

When you plug your Zune in, you should see a portable device in your My Computer window. If your Zune software, Audible, and Overdrive are not open, then you will be able to browse your Zune's HD and delete the files in the Overdrive section. You are ONLY able to delete files in the Overdrive section.

With Version 3.0 of Zune, You are able to only connect one at a time to the Zune Device. Either Zune Software, Audible, Overdrive, or windows explorer. If you try to "connect" to the Zune twice, your second program will throw out an error that it is unable to connect.

I had to change these keys in a few different places in the registry - perhaps because I have more than 1 Zune.

If you would like to have only one Zune in your My Computer, then there is One more registry key you will need to change. it is called

UseWpdPrivateInterface

Change the key to 0

it is in the same location as the other keys. The other keys were in DEVICE PARAMETERS.
Just expand that and you should see a WUDF and a ZUNEDRIVER

Check both of those locations. it is in different places for people.

[MuseMe]

love it!!!!!!!!
thanks so much scotchtapeloser!!!!!

[ScotchtapeLoser]

Thank you for the donations Arthur, Andy, Tedd, Barbara and Hisako.

I didnt really want to do donations but since I accidently broke my Zune, I have to try to get a new one some how to keep the audiobook thing going.  

[Donzella]

Just wanted to say thank you for the app and the info on how to accomplish this.

[ScotchtapeLoser]

original post updated with current information

[mysqueakycat]

Scotchtapeloser, I'd be happy to try your new version out.  I'll also post to this effect on the Zune Forums.

[angelatc]

I couldn't get the old version to work. It kept insisting that I was not doing the steps in order. Do I need to unistall it before installing the new one?

Also, when you say to download the Overdrive software, do you mean Overdrive Media Console, or something different?

I am desperately hoping this works, because this was a gift. I don't want to disappoint the person that gave it to me by telling them it won't work for the only thing I really wanted it for.

I will absolutely hit your tip jar if I can get my Harry Potter Book 7 on it.

[ScotchtapeLoser]

I couldn't get the old version to work. It kept insisting that I was not doing the steps in order. Do I need to unistall it before installing the new one?

Also, when you say to download the Overdrive software, do you mean Overdrive Media Console, or something different?

I am desperately hoping this works, because this was a gift. I don't want to disappoint the person that gave it to me by telling them it won't work for the only thing I really wanted it for.

I will absolutely hit your tip jar if I can get my Harry Potter Book 7 on it.

You dont need to uninstall the old one.
Overdrive software = Overdrive Media console
I have HP 7 on mine, so it should work for you.

[angelatc]

double post. 

[angelatc]

I am the ideal guinea pig, because I am a total noob to these devices.  I think it worked! I got an error about halfway through the transfer, but I restarted at the piece it got hung up on and it was ok after that.

Should the files (book) be on my Zune after Step 5?  If not, how do I make that happen? Figured that one out. It wrote everything to an SD card, so I restarted the whole process.

Now I have the coveted "audiobooks" menu choice, but after piece I get "SendAlbumArt" error. It reads:

The Selected file "HP&TDH-01" has been sucessfully transferred to the Zune device with no album art. 

SendAlbumArt ERROR: Failed to open file () (or maybe 0?) to send album art to device, hr = 0x80070003

I get that message after each and every piece. I do indeed have cover art selected.  Plus, the chapters are all out of order on the Zune,   Pieces 100, 200 and 300 did not get a "Track Number" assigned?  There are 99 Tracks. If I open up Track 1, the part numbers are 01, 201, 101 and 301. Inside Track 2 are part numbers 02, 202, 102 and 302.  Etc, etc, I assume.

Oh, and your "Donate" button doesn't work.

[mysqueakycat]

Hey, scotchtapeloser, I've sent you several messages; I can't get it to work at all (I guess there must be something wrong at my end since it seems you've officially published it and the previous individual got it to work).  Your earlier versions used to work, but this one I can't get to work at all.  I keep getting the error:  "Unhandled exception has occurred in your application.  If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue.  If you click Quit, the application will close immediately.  The system cannot find the file specified.  (Exception from HRESULT 0x80070002)."

Then, if I continue, nothing happens, but a .wax file is created.  So I ask it to transfer to the device and then I get:  "The specified Windows Media Audio shortcut file (my path to the wax file).wax is not valid.  Invalid Windows Media Audio shortcut file format.) 

Happens with both MP3 and .wma files.  I'm officially at a loss as to why I'm having a problem.  My Overdrive Media Console is working correctly because I was able to transfer a book I already had.  If you have any suggestions as to what the problem might be, please let me know, I've been working on it all day and am very frustrated!  Thanks. 

[ScotchtapeLoser]

I am the ideal guinea pig, because I am a total noob to these devices.  I think it worked! I got an error about halfway through the transfer, but I restarted at the piece it got hung up on and it was ok after that.

Should the files (book) be on my Zune after Step 5?  If not, how do I make that happen? Figured that one out. It wrote everything to an SD card, so I restarted the whole process.

Now I have the coveted "audiobooks" menu choice, but after piece I get "SendAlbumArt" error. It reads:

The Selected file "HP&TDH-01" has been sucessfully transferred to the Zune device with no album art. 

SendAlbumArt ERROR: Failed to open file () (or maybe 0?) to send album art to device, hr = 0x80070003

I get that message after each and every piece. I do indeed have cover art selected.  Plus, the chapters are all out of order on the Zune,   Pieces 100, 200 and 300 did not get a "Track Number" assigned?  There are 99 Tracks. If I open up Track 1, the part numbers are 01, 201, 101 and 301. Inside Track 2 are part numbers 02, 202, 102 and 302.  Etc, etc, I assume.

Oh, and your "Donate" button doesn't work.

Ok so this error is caused by not being able to find a picture to use as the book cover. If you didn't select one in step 2, the program is suppose to copy a default image over. I think I have an idea why these errors are happening for some people and not others. Can you send me what OS version you're using, including service packs?

[ScotchtapeLoser]

Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 is required to use the ZODWC program. Can you install that and see if you still have the errors? I was able to replicate a few errors by having an old version of .NET on an XP machine. Once I installed 3.5 SP1, the errors stopped.

You can download 3.5 SP1 here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=ab99342f-5d1a-413d-8319-81da479ab0d7&displaylang=en

[angelatc]

Vista Home Basic, SP2 .  I already had that version of .NET, but I reinstalled it anyway. It ran in a Repair mode, and told me it was returning the installation to the original condition (or something to that effect.)  No idea if it actually made any changes.

I'll run it all again and see what happens. 

ETA:  Ran it all again. As per an email exchange, I changed the name of the cover art to match the name of the first file, and that cleared up the CoverArt error.  I renamed all the files to get rid of the period, but they' still play out of order.